HI, I'M RICK STEVES, BACK WITH MORE OF
THE BEST OF EUROPE. THIS TIME, WE'RE IMMERSING
OURSELVES IN THE STREET LIFE AND THE CULTURE
OF ROME. THANKS FOR JOINING US. [ THEME MUSIC PLAYING ] VISITORS EXPERIENCE ROME
IN LAYERS. IT'S BUILT ON OVER 25 CENTURIES
OF HISTORY AND CULTURE. SURE, YOU'VE GOT TO SEE ITS
FAMOUS ANCIENT SITES, THOSE AWE-INSPIRING REMNANTS
OF A MIGHTY EMPIRE, LIKE THE COLOSSEUM,
THE FORUM, AND THE PANTHEON. AND YOU CAN'T MISS TOWERING
ST. PETER'S BASILICA AT THE VATICAN -- ALONG WITH THE LAVISH
BAROQUE WONDERS THAT DECORATE ROME'S CHURCHES,
SQUARES, AND PALACES. WE DO THAT IN OTHER EPISODES
ON THE ETERNAL CITY. IN THIS EPISODE,
WE EXPLORE THIS GRAND CITY, SO RICH IN ART AND CULTURE,
IN A MORE INTIMATE WAY -- BY DELVING INTO ITS BACK LANES
AND UNHERALDED CORNERS. ROME WAS BORN ABOUT
3,000 YEARS AGO HERE, ALONG THE TIBER RIVER. THIS WAS AS FAR UPSTREAM
AS BOATS COULD SAIL AND THE FIRST PLACE THE RIVER
COULD BE CROSSED BY BRIDGE. AS A CENTER OF RIVER TRADE,
ROME CONNECTED THE INTERIOR OF
THE ITALIAN PENINSULA WITH THE MEDITERRANEAN. THIS RIVERBANK WOULD HAVE BEEN
BUSTLING IN ANCIENT TIMES. IMAGINE -- BUSY DOCKS,
RAMSHACKLE BOATS, WATER MILLS,
AND PLATFORMS FOR FISHING. UNTIL MODERN TIMES, ROME'S RIVER WAS
PART OF ITS ECONOMY. THEN, IN THE 1870s,
IN ORDER TO PROTECT THE CITY FROM FLOODING,
THE ROMANS WALLED OFF THE TIBER. THEY BUILT THESE TALL,
ANONYMOUS EMBANKMENTS THAT CONTINUE TO ISOLATE THE RIVER
FROM THE CITY TO THIS DAY. WHILE ROME WAS BORN
ON THE TIBER, TODAY THE TOWN SEEMS TO
IGNORE ITS RIVER, BUT THE CITY'S GRACEFUL BRIDGES
CONNECT THRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS. JUST OVER THE TIBER FROM HERE IS ONE OF ROME'S
MOST COLORFUL DISTRICTS. TRASTEVERE ISTHEPLACE
TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE CRUSTIER SIDE OF ROME. THE NAME "TRASTEVERE" ACTUALLY
MEANS "ACROSS THE TIBER RIVER." WANDERING HERE OFFERS A CHANCE
TO HONE YOUR SENSES TO SEE ROME MORE INTIMATELY. YOU'LL DISCOVER
A WORLD OF ARTISANS WHO'VE FOUND THEIR NICHE
AND LOVE IT. THE PEOPLE HERE,
"TRASTEVERINI," ARE PROUD. OLD-TIMERS ONCE BRAGGED
OF NEVER SETTING FOOT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE
OF THE RIVER. AS WE EXPLORE AND OBSERVE,
THE BIG CITY SEEMS WORLDS AWAY. FOR MAXIMUM TRASTEVERE FUN
AND INSIGHT, I'M JOINED BY MY FRIEND
AND ROMAN TOUR GUIDE, FRANCESCA CARUSO. ESPECIALLY HERE
IN TRASTEVERE, YOU GET THIS SENSE OF
THE MANY LAYERS OF ROME. CERTAINLY, THAT IS REALLY
THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING ROME. THIS CITY HAS ALMOST
3,000 YEARS OF HISTORY. IT WAS NEVER ABANDONED,
SO PEOPLE HAVE JUST BUILT ON TOP AND AROUND
OF WHAT WAS ALREADY THERE. LIKE A LAYER CAKE,
ISN'T IT? BOY, THERE'S
A BEAUTIFUL ROOF GARDEN. YEAH. MOST OF US IN ROME LIVE IN APARTMENTS,
SO NO GARDENS, NO BACK YARDS,
SO WE ALL DREAM OF THEATTICO
CON TERRAZZO. ATTICO CON TERRAZZO,
AN ATTIC WITH A TERRACE. YES, SO THE SKYLINE
OF ROME IS FULL OF THESE LITTLE JUNGLES
ON THE ROOFTOPS. EVERYTHING IS
SO INTIMATE. IT'S LIKE WE'RE WALKING THROUGH
SOMEBODY'S LAUNDRY ROOM. WELL, WE'VE ALWAYS LIVED
VERY CLOSE TOGETHER HERE. SHARING SPACE IS REALLY
NOT A PROBLEM. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORD
FOR "PRIVACY" IN ITALIAN. WE USE
THE ENGLISH WORD INSTEAD. WE SIMPLY ROLL THE "R,"
SO WE SAYPRIVACY. PRIVACY. I KNOW ONE MORE
ITALIAN WORD NOW. [ LAUGHS ] [ CONVERSING IN ITALIAN ] SO WHY ARE SO MANY
OF THE OLDEST CHURCHES IN ROME
ON THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER? BECAUSE TRASTEVERE WAS
THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF FOREIGNERS, OFTEN CHRISTIAN, WHO BROUGHT
THEIR FAITH WITH THEM. FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD OF
THE PERSECUTIONS, THEY COULD NOT BUILD CHURCHES, SO MASS WOULD BE CELEBRATED
IN THE HOMES OF WEALTHY CONVERTS WHO OFFERED
THEIR HOMES FOR MASS. SO THEN THIS IS ONE OF
THOSE KIND OF CHURCHES. YES, IT WAS THE HOUSE
OF CECILIA, AND IN LATER TIMES THEY BUILT A CHURCH
DEDICATED TO HER. AND TODAY,
THE NAME OF THE CHURCH? THE SANTA CECILIA. Steves: NOW, WHAT HAPPENED
TO SAINT CECILIA? SAINT CECILIA
AND HER HUSBAND WERE KILLED BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITH. THE ROMANS TRIED TO STANE HER
TO DEATH FOR THREE DAYS IN HER OWN HOME, AND AFTER THAT,
THEY BEHEADED HER. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL STATUE.
IT'S JUST PEACEFUL. YES, IT'S VERY QUIET.
THERE'S SOMETHING VERY TENDER ABOUT IT
AND ALSO VERY SAD, ABOUT A YOUNG WOMAN WHO
WAS KILLED SO BRUTALLY FOR HER FAITH. THE CONCEPT OF A PIAZZA
SERVING AS A COMMUNITY CENTER GOES BACK TO ANCIENT TIMES. PIAZZA SANTA MARIA IN TRASTEVERE
STILL FUNCTIONS AS THE HEART
OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD. WITH ITS BROAD
AND INVITING STEPS, THE FOUNTAIN
WAS ACTUALLY DESIGNED TO BE A KIND OF
NEIGHBORHOOD SOFA. GREAT PART OF
EXPLORING A NEIGHBORHOOD IS JUST SITTING
IN THE MAIN SQUARE. I THINK IT'S REALLY
IN OUR DNA. WE'VE BEEN LIVING IN OUR PIAZZAS
AS COMMON LIVING ROOMS SINCE ANCIENT ROMAN TIMES,
SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY, AND LET'S HOPE IT WILL ALWAYS BE
THIS WAY IN THE FUTURE, TOO. AND, AS USUAL,
THE DISTRICT'S MAIN CHURCH FRONTS THE MAIN SQUARE. THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA
IN TRASTEVERE IS ALSO ONE OF ROME'S OLDEST
AND MOST BELOVED CHURCHES. LIKE CECILIA'S CHURCH, IT'S BUILT ON THE SITE OF
A THIRD-CENTURY HOME, WHERE EARLY CHRISTIANS
WORSHIPPED ILLEGALLY. AND, LIKE THE CITY ITSELF,
IT'S BEEN A WORK IN PROGRESS, REBUILT CONTINUOUSLY
OVER THE CENTURIES. THE PORTICO IS DECORATED WITH
ANCIENT FRAGMENTS FILLED WITH EARLY
CHRISTIAN SYMBOLISM -- THE ANCHOR,
BIRDS, PEOPLE WITH HANDS UP, PRAYING AS
EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS DO TODAY. MANY OF THESE STONES WERE
ORIGINALLY LIDS TO BURIAL NICHES
FROM THE CATACOMBS. STEPPING INSIDE
TAKES YOU BACK CENTURIES. THE GRANITE COLUMNS
WERE SCAVENGED FROM ANCIENT
ROMAN BUILDINGS. THE CHURCH FEELS LIKE
AN ANCIENT HALL OF JUSTICE. THAT'S BECAUSE EARLY CHURCHES
ADOPTED THE PRE-CHRISTIAN BASILICA FLOOR PLAN --
A RECTANGULAR SPACE DIVIDED BY ROWS OF COLUMNS. THESE MOSAICS
ARE EARLY MEDIEVAL, WELL OVER
1,000 YEARS OLD. THEY'RE RICH
IN SYMBOLISM. MARY IS GIVEN HIGH STATURE. SHE'S AT THE THRONE
WITH JESUS IN HEAVEN. HE HAS HIS ARM AROUND HIS MOTHER
AS IF INTRODUCING HER TO US. LOCALS CLAIM THIS IS
THE FIRST CHURCH DEDICATED TO
THE VIRGIN MARY. I NEVER LEAVE WITHOUT
CHECKING IN WITH ST. ANTHONY, WHO HANGS OUT IN THE BACK. HE'S A FAVORITE
OF THE POOR AND IS INUNDATED WITH PRAYER
REQUESTS ON SCRAPS OF PAPER. Steves: FOR DINNER, WE'RE VENTURING INTO
ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD. GRAND AS IT IS,
THE VISITORS' ROME IS COMPACT. THERE IS NO SHORTAGE OF
PLACES TO DINE, AND ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS JUST A SHORT
CAB RIDE AWAY, BACK ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE RIVER. RISTORANTE IL GABRIELLO
PROVIDES A PEACEFUL AND LOCAL-FEELING RESPITE FROM
THE INTENSITY OF THE BIG CITY. CLAUDIO SERVES WITH CHARISMA, WHILE HIS BROTHER, GABRIELLO,
COOKS ROMAN CUISINE WITH A CREATIVE TWIST, USING FRESH, ORGANIC PRODUCTS
FROM THE MARKET AND FROM HIS WIFE'S FARM. SOMETIMES ITALIANS
LIKE TO IGNORE THE MENU, JUST TRUST THE RESTAURATEUR, AND GO WITH
THE MEAL HE SUGGESTS. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, SO DO I,
AND THAT'S THE PLAN TONIGHT. FIRST UP, FRESH SCAMPI,
OYSTERS, AND SHRIMP, AND THEY'RE SERVED THE WAY
ROMANS LIKE IT --CRUDO,OR
RAW. OH, YES,
THAT'S NICE. NEXT, CLAUDIO SWITCHES US
FROM A WHITE TO A RED WINE IN ANTICIPATION OF
THE PASTA DISHES. Claudio:RAVIOLI, SI, STUFFED WITH RICOTTA,
RICOTTA CHEESE, AND SPINACH. OKAY. FIRST, A RAVIOLI WITH A DELICATE
CREAM SAUCE AND A PINCH OF SAGE. THAT'S A NICE LEAD-IN
TO OUR SECOND PASTA -- SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA. CARBONARA IS EGGS, PANCETTA,
SOME PECORINO, AND A LITTLE BIT
OF PARMIGIANO AND PEPPER. VERY SIMPLE AND VERY ROMAN. CLAUDIO RECOMMENDS A WINE CHANGE
TO A SUPER TUSCAN. SUPER?
SUPER. [ LAUGHS ] THISWILLBE SUPER WITH
A DISH OF RARE BEEF TOPPED WITH THIN
STRIPS OF LARD. AS AN EXTRA TREAT, HE'S PREPARED
A SPECIAL LOCAL WHITE FISH. AND FINALLY, THE DOLCE. SORRY, BUT THESE DESSERTS TASTE
EVEN BETTER THAN THEY LOOK. WHAT A MEAL! TO BEST ENJOY ROME, I LOOK FOR A CENTRALLY
LOCATED REFUGE -- PLACES LIKE HOTEL OCEANIA ARE QUIET, AIR-CONDITIONED,
AND AFFORDABLE. STEFANO AND HIS STAFF OFFER
LOTS OF CREATIVE TOUCHES, LIKE THIS BREEZY TERRAZZO,
WHERE YOU CAN ALMOST FORGET THAT YOU'RE IN SUCH A LARGE,
CHAOTIC CITY. THEY WORK HARD TO CREATE
A CARING, FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. AND THE BREAKFAST ROOM
IS HOMEY, PROVIDING A CLASSIC ROMAN
BREAKFAST OF FRESH ROLLS, PASTRIES, AND COFFEE. A FINE PLACE
TO START YOUR DAY. WE'RE HEADING BACK INTO
THE CENTER ON BUS 64. IT'S POPULAR WITH TOURISTS BECAUSE IT STARTS
AT THE TRAIN STATION AND LACES TOGETHER MANY OF
THE CITY'S TOP SITES. THEREFORE, IT'S POPULAR
WITH THIEVES, AS WELL. I'LL BET THERE'S A PICKPOCKET
ON THIS BUS RIGHT NOW, DRESSED LIKE SOMEONE YOU'D NEVER
EXPECT TO BE A THIEF -- PERHAPS A BUSINESSMAN, A PRIEST,
EVEN A TOUR GUIDE. DON'T BE PARANOID, JUST KEEP YOUR VALUABLES
ZIPPED-UP AND BUTTONED-DOWN. ROME IS A COLLECTION
OF DISTINCT NEIGHBORHOODS, EACH WITH ITS OWN HERITAGE AND CHARACTER. A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE GHETTO,
OR JEWISH QUARTER. IN ANCIENT TIMES, THIS BRIDGE
WAS CALLED JEWS' BRIDGE, BECAUSE JEWS
AND OTHER FOREIGNERS WHO WEREN'T ALLOWED
TO LIVE IN CENTRAL ROME WOULD COMMUTE FROM
TRASTEVERE OVER THERE ACROSS THIS BRIDGE
TO GET INTO TOWN. TO UNDERSTAND THE JEWISH CHAPTER
OF ROME'S STORY, WE'RE JOINING MY FRIEND AND FELLOW TOUR GUIDE
MICHAELA PAVONCELLO. MICHAELA'S FAMILY GOES
ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
LIVING HERE BEFORE CHRIST, AND THE FAMILY LINE CONTINUES. HER BABY'S DUE
IN JUST A FEW MONTHS. SO WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT
THE ROMAN JEWISH COMMUNITY? WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
WE'RE NOT ASHKENAZI AND WE'RE NOT SEPHARDI. YOU KNOW, THE ASHKENAZI
WENT TO GERMANY AND POLAND AND THE SEPHARDI
WENT TO SPAIN. THE ROMAN JEWS CAME
STRAIGHT FROM JERUSALEM BEFORE THE DESTRUCTION
OF THE TEMPLE, SO WE WERE HERE SINCE
BEFORE THE DIASPORA. AH. SO WHEN YOU THINK
ASHKENAZI OR SEPHARDIC, THAT'S AFTER THE DIASPORA. SO YOU CAN SAY THIS IS THE OLDEST JEWISH
COMMUNITY IN EUROPE. YES, ONE OF THE OLDEST
OUTSIDE OF ISRAEL. SO IF THE ROMAN JEWS
CAME BEFORE THE DIASPORA, WHY DID THEY COME HERE
IN THE FIRST PLACE? BECAUSE THEY WERE
DIPLOMATS AND BUSINESSMEN, AND DURING THE CENTURIES,
WE HAD TO LEAVE WITH EMPERORS AND POPES,
AND WE WERE TOLERATED BECAUSE WE WERE GOOD
FOR THE BUSINESS AND WE WERE NOT PUSHING
OUR RELIGIONS TO THE OTHERS AND WE WERE KEEPING IT
FOR OURSELVES. Steves: SO THEN
WHAT HAPPENED? THEN, WE'RE IN 1500,
THE REFORMATION CAME AND THE CHURCH HAD TO FIGHT
ANY ALTERNATIVE RELIGION, AND SO THE GHETTO WAS
ESTABLISHED IN ROME TO... OKAY, SO THE CHURCH IS
FIGHTING THE PROTESTANTS AND AT THE SAME TIME
FIGHTING THE JEWS. YEAH, AND TO AVOID
ANY CONTAMINATION BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS,
JEWS WERE SEGREGATED IN A WALLED AREA IN ROME
IN 1555. SO WHAT WAS THE LIFE LIKE
IN THE GHETTO? WELL, YOU HAVE TO IMAGINE
9,000 PEOPLE SQUEEZED IN A FOUR-BLOCKS AREA,
FLOODED EVERY SINGLE WINTER BECAUSE THE TIBER WOULD FLOOD
EVERY WINTER. SO IT WAS SQUALID,
MUDDY, DISGUSTING -- IT WAS THE WORST
REAL ESTATE OF ROME. Steves: THE SYNAGOGUE
WAS THE COMMUNITY CENTER. IT LOOKS LIKE A CHURCH BECAUSE
BACK WHEN IT WAS BUILT THERE WERE NO
JEWISH ARCHITECTS HANDY, AND THAT'S WHAT CHRISTIAN
BUILDERS KNEW HOW TO MAKE. IT'S ART NOUVEAU
WITH A DASH OF TIFFANY. THE DOME WAS PAINTED WITH
THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW, SYMBOLIC OF GOD'S
PROMISE TO NOAH THAT THERE WOULD BE NO MORE FLOODS. THE STARS SYMBOLIZED THAT
THE JEWISH PEOPLE WOULD BE AS MANY AS THE STARS
IN THE SKY. BACK IN PREVIOUS CENTURIES,
WHEN THE GHETTO WAS A WALLED-IN TOWN,
CHRISTIAN ROMANS BUILT CHURCHES AT EACH GATE,
AND EACH OF THESE CHURCHES CAME COMPLETE WITH AN ATTEMPT
IN HEBREW SCRIPT TO CONVERT THE JEWS. WHILE MOST OF THE SQUALID GHETTO
WAS DEMOLISHED WITH ITALIAN UNIFICATION
IN 1870, THE BUILDINGS FACING
THE MAIN DRAG SURVIVE. SHOPS SELL FINE,
LOCALLY PRODUCED JUDAICA, AND KOSHER RESTAURANTS PROUDLY
SERVE TRADITIONAL DISHES, LIKE THOSE WITH ARTICHOKES. WHILE THE JEWISH COMMUNITY
NOW LIVES ALL OVER TOWN, MANY ROMAN JEWS STILL ENJOY
GATHERING HERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE
THEY HAVE SUCH DEEP ROOTS. Pavoncello: SO I'LL TAKE YOU
TO THE JEWISH BAKERY. THE SAME FAMILY HAS BEEN
RUNNING THE SAME BUSINESS FOR 200 YEARS. THEY ONLY OFFER FIVE
OR SIX RECIPES, SO DON'T ASK
FOR WEIRD THINGS. THEY ONLY HAVE CHEESECAKE
WITH CHOCOLATE, CINNAMON BISCOTTI
WITH ALMONDS, MACAROONS, AND THE PIZZA. THAT'S CALLED
A JEWISH PIZZA. WHAT'S IN A JEWISH PIZZA? IT'S LIKE A --
ALMOST LIKE A FRUIT CAKE, WITH PINE NUTS, ALMOND,
CANDIES. TELL ME ABOUT
THE CHALLAH BREAD. AH, THE CHALLAH BREAD,
IT'S WHAT WE SERVE WHEN A BABY BOY'S BORN OR WHEN A COUPLE GETS MARRIED
OR WHEN YOU HAVE A BAR MITZVAH. SO THIS IS TO CELEBRATE
A NEW BABY. YEAH, IT'S TO CELEBRATE
NEW BABIES, OR -- WELL, THAT'S VERY
APPROPRIATE TODAY. YEAH.
[ LAUGHS ] VERY NICE. ROME IS A CITY OF
MAGNIFICENT ART. IT'S EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, AND MOST OF IT WAS
PAID FOR BY THE CHURCH. PUBLIC SQUARES LIKE
PIAZZA NAVONA, WITH BERNINI'S MUCH-LOVED
FOUR RIVERS FOUNTAIN, ARE DECORATED WITH
CHURCH-SPONSORED ART. UNTIL MODERN TIMES,
IT WAS THE CHURCH THAT HAD THE POWER, THE MONEY,
AND THE NEED FOR GREAT ART, AND GOING TO CHURCH
OFFERED THE MASSES, WHOSE LIVES WERE
SO DREARY OTHERWISE, A PROMISING GLIMPSE OF THE GLORY THAT AWAITED THEM IN
THE NEXT LIFE. AND VISITING TODAY, OUR CHALLENGE IS TO
APPRECIATE THE ART FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE --
AS A MEDIEVAL WORSHIPPER. POPPING INTO CHURCHES, MANY OF THEM NONDESCRIPT
ON THE OUTSIDE, YOU'LL FIND SUMPTUOUS
ART TREASURES INSIDE. THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT
SEEING ART IN CHURCHES IS THAT IT'S IN SITU,
NOT HANGING ON MUSEUM WALLS, BUT EXACTLY WHERE THE ART
WAS DESIGNED TO BE ENJOYED. THOUGHTFULLY STRINGING
TOGETHER A SERIES OF LESSER-KNOWN CHURCHES CAN BE
AN ART LOVER'S DELIGHT. FOR EXAMPLE, DROPPING BY
THE RELATIVELY OBSCURE SANTA MARIA SOPRA MINERVA, HERE WE FIND A GLORIOUS
GOTHIC INTERIOR LADEN WITH IMPRESSIVE ART. THE ALTAR SITS UPON
THE TOMB OF SAINT CATHERINE WITH THE ORNATE TOMBS OF TWO
MEDICI POPES LOOKING DOWN. FOR GENERATIONS,
PILGRIMS HAVE MARVELED AT THIS MICHELANGELO STATUE
OF CHRIST CARRYING THE CROSS. AND, IN THE SIDE CHAPEL, IS A LOVELY SERIES OF FRESCOS
BY FILIPPO LIPPI SHOWING THE GOOD WORKS
OF SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS ACCOMPANIED BY
A CELESTIAL SERENADE. ANOTHER, EVEN
LESS-VISITED CHURCH SANTA PRASSEDE, IS DECORATED WITH THE BEST
BYZANTINE MOSAICS IN ROME. THEY DATE FROM THE 800s. IN THIS CHAPEL, THE GOLD CEILING
REPRESENTS HEAVEN. AN ICON LIKE CHRIST EMERGES FROM
THE BACKGROUND, SUPPORTED BY
WINGED ANGELS IN WHITE. SAINTS WALK AMONG
PATCHES OF FLOWERS WHILE MARY AND JESUS
OVERLOOK THE ALTAR. WHILE THIS SMALL CHAPEL
IS IMPRESSIVE EVEN TO OUR
MODERN EYES, IN THE DARKNESS OF MEDIEVAL
ROME, IT WAS STUNNING -- CELEBRATED AS
THE GARDEN OF PARADISE. ANOTHER GEM AWAITING THOSE
EXPLORING ROME'S BACK STREETS IS THE CHURCH OF
ST. PETER IN CHAINS. ITS FINE SIDE ALTAR WAS SCULPTED
DURING THE RENAISSANCE, AN AGE WHEN REALISM, EMOTION,
EVEN PSYCHOLOGY WERE INJECTED INTO
THE ART. ITS CENTERPIECE IS A MASTERPIECE
BY MICHELANGELO. MICHELANGELO TELLS A STORY
IN MARBLE -- MOSES HAS JUST RETURNED
FROM A MEETING WITH GOD, HE SENSES TROUBLE
BACK HOME. HE TURNS TO SEE HIS FOLLOWERS
WORSHIPPING A GOLDEN CALF. GRIPPING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
UNDER HIS MUSCULAR ARM, HE'S ABOUT TO RISE UP
AND PUNISH THE NAUGHTY
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. GREAT ART LIKE THIS IS IN
SEEMINGLY ENDLESS SUPPLY HERE IN THE ETERNAL CITY. AND, BY SIDE-TRIPPING
OUT OF TOWN, YOU'LL FIND EVEN MORE. ROME'S MAIN TRAIN STATION,
CALLED "TERMINI," IS A MASSIVE
TRANSPORTATION HUB. PUBLIC BUSES, TOUR BUSES
AND CITY SUBWAYS LEAVE FROM HERE
IN ALL DIRECTIONS. THE TRAIN STATION ITSELF
IS A THRIVING MALL WITH EVERYTHING FROM
24-HOUR PHARMACIES TO FAST TRAINS
TO THE AIRPORT. WE'RE MEETING UP
WITH FRANCESCA AGAIN, RIDING THE SUBWAY OUT
TO OSTIA ANTICA, TO EXPLORE WHAT'S LEFT OF
ANCIENT ROME'S MIGHTY PORT. THE RUINS OF OSTIA RIVAL THE MORE FAMOUS RUINS
AT POMPEII. WHILE POMPEII IS
THREE HOURS AWAY, OSTIA IS JUST A HALF-HOUR
TRAIN RIDE FROM DOWNTOWN ROME. 2,000 YEARS AGO, THIS WAS
A WORKING PORT TOWN. WANDERING AROUND, YOU CAN
IMAGINE THE BUSTLE AND COMPLEXITY OF
A ONCE-THRIVING PORT OF 60,000 PEOPLE. WAREHOUSES, APARTMENT FLATS, MANSIONS, SHOPPING ARCADES, ALL LAID OUT IN A TYPICALLY
ROMAN GRID PLAN OF STREETS. LOCATED WHERE THE TIBER RIVER
MEETS THE SEA, OSTIA WAS FOUNDED IN THE FOURTH
CENTURY BEFORE CHRIST. IT SERVED AS A NAVAL BASE, PROTECTING ROME FROM
ANY INVASION BY RIVER. IT WAS ALSO AN ADMINISTRATIVE
AND WAREHOUSING CENTER, KEEPING MORE THAN A MILLION
ROMANS FED AND IN SANDALS. BUT EVENTUALLY, THINGS WENT
DOWNHILL FOR OSTIA. ROME FELL, THE RIVER
CHANGED COURSE, THE PORT SILTED-UP
AND WAS ABANDONED, THE ENTIRE PLACE BECAME
A MALARIA-INFESTED SWAMP, AND OSTIA WAS FORGOTTEN. THE MUD THAT BURIED OSTIA ACTUALLY PROTECTED IT FROM
THE RAVAGES OF TIME, INCLUDING STONE-SCAVENGING
MEDIEVAL PEASANTS. AND, THANKS TO EXTENSIVE
AND ONGOING EXCAVATIONS, THERE'S LOTS TO SEE. THIS FINE MOSAIC DECORATED
THE BATHS OF NEPTUNE. AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL, NEPTUNE RIDES FOUR HORSES
THROUGH THE SEA. APART FROM THE CUPID
RIDING THE DOLPHIN, THE SEA LOOKS
PRETTY FRIGHTENING -- WHICH, TO THOSE ANCIENTS,
IT WAS. THE ADJACENT THEATER
SEATED 4,000. PLAYS WERE ROWDY,
DAYTIME EVENTS WITH LOTS OF AUDIENCE
PARTICIPATION -- PERHAPS A BIT LIKE TODAY'S
SCHOOL FIELD TRIP. [ SPEAKING ITALIAN ] TYPICAL OF ROMAN
URBAN DESIGN, THIS COMPLEX MIXED RELIGION,
BUSINESS, AND ENTERTAINMENT -- A GRAND THEATER FACING A TEMPLE, SURROUNDED BY
A COMMERCIAL SQUARE. THE SQUARE OF THE GUILDS, LINED WITH OFFICES OF
SHIP OWNERS AND TRADERS, WAS THE BUSTLING CENTER OF
ROME'S IMPORT/EXPORT INDUSTRY. MOSAICS ON THE SIDEWALK
ADVERTISE SERVICES OFFERED BY
VARIOUS SHOPS, WITH SYMBOLS FOR SAILORS
AND MERCHANTS WHO WERE EITHER ILLITERATE
OR COULDN'T READ LATIN. SHIPPERS SHOWED OFF
FINE VESSELS. THIS LIGHTHOUSE
WAS THE SIGN OF THE GREAT EGYPTIAN CITY
OF ALEXANDRIA. GRAIN CONTAINERS ARE REMINDERS
THAT GRAIN WAS THE MAJOR IMPORT
OF OSTIA. Francesca: ROME IMPORTED
MOST OF WHAT IT CONSUMED. THIS BIG JARS CONTAINED OIL,
WINE, GRAIN THAT CAME FROM ALL OVER
THE MEDITERRANEAN, WAS STORED HERE
THEN SHIPPED OFF TO ROME. THIS IS THE MILL -- OSTIA WAS FAMOUS FOR
THE QUALITY OF ITS BREAD. THEY WOULD PUT STICKS
THROUGH THESE HOLES, AND THEN A DONKEY
OR A HUMAN WOULD PUSH THEM AROUND. OKAY, SO, YOU'D
POUR THE GRAIN IN HERE, GRIND IT UP,
FLOUR COMES OUT THE BOTTOM. AND THAT'S STONE-GROUND,
I'D SAY. ISN'T IT, REALLY. Steves: I LOVE TO IMAGINE HOW
PEOPLE MUST HAVE LIVED HERE. Francesca: YES, IN APARTMENTS
THAT COULD BE EASILY UP TO FIVE STORIES HIGH. THEY HAD NO KITCHENS,
NO PLUMBING, NO HEATING, SO, THEY USED THESE APARTMENTS LIKE TENTS AT A CAMPING SITE,
JUST TO SLEEP. NO KITCHENS?
NO KITCHENS. SO, EVEN TO EAT
THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO A FAST FOOD
OR A CAFETERIA -- OF THE TIME, IT WAS
JUST ACROSS THE STREET. SO, YOU JUST STEP ACROSS
THE STREET TO THE CORNER DINER? YES. Steves: 2,000 YEARS AGO,
THIS WAS THE NEIGHBORHOOD BAR. YES, LIKE A CAFETERIA
OR A FAST FOOD PLACE. YOU WOULD COME UP TO THE COUNTER
AND MAYBE ORDER SOMETHING TO GO, MAYBE YOU MIGHT SEE SOME FOOD OR
SOME DRINKS ON DISPLAY HERE. OR, IF YOU HAD TIME,
YOU WOULD COME INSIDE AND YOU COULD HAVE
SOMETHING SITTING DOWN. AND HERE, PROBABLY, THEY HAD
A DISPLAY OF THE FOOD OR MAYBE THE CUPS
AND THE PLATES, AND THEN HERE THERE'S
A PICTORIAL MENU THAT SHOWS US
WHAT WAS OFFERED. SO, WE HAVE FOOD, WE HAVE
DRINKS, AND WE HAVE MUSIC. SO, MUSIC, LIKE, TUESDAY NIGHT,
WE GOT LIVE MUSIC, OUT IN THE COURTYARD?
YES, WHY NOT? AS YOU CAN SEE, PUBLIC RESTROOMS
WERE REALLY PUBLIC, AND QUITE ADVANCED -- THEY HAD RUNNING WATER
COMING THROUGH. SO, THERE'S A STREAM GOING
ALL THE TIME, CONSTANTLY FLUSHING.
CONSTANTLY FLUSHING. SO, CONSTANTLY CLEAN. IMAGINE FRESCOES
ON THE WALLS, AND EVEN REVOLVING DOORS
AT THE ENTRANCE. SO EASY TO UNDERESTIMATE
HOW ADVANCED ROME WAS. THAT'S REALLY TRUE. Steves: OSTIA'S DELIGHTFUL
LITTLE MUSEUM HELPS BRING LIFE
TO THESE RUINS. THESE FINE STATUES --
TANGLED WRESTLERS, KISSING CUPIDS, PLAYFUL GODS --
ADORNED THE COURTYARDS OF WEALTHY
OSTIA FAMILIES. MANY OF THE STATUES ARE SECOND-
AND THIRD-CENTURY ROMAN COPIES INSPIRED BY FAMOUS
BUT NOW LOST GREEK ORIGINALS. THESE PORTRAIT BUSTS
ARE OF REAL PEOPLE, LIKE THOSE YOU'D MEET
ON THE STREETS RIGHT HERE,
1,800 YEARS AGO. ONE THING ROMAN ARTISTS
DID WELL WAS CARVE REALISTIC BUSTS. IT WAS THEIR FORTE, BECAUSE ROMAN RELIGION
REVERED ANCESTORS. THE MAN OF THE HOUSE,
AND HIS FATHER AND GRANDFATHER, THAT'S WHY STATUES OF DAD
AND GRANDPA WERE OFTEN FOUND IN THE CORNER
OF ANY PROPER HOUSE. ALSO, WITH THE EMPEROR
CONSIDERED A GOD, YOU'D FIND HIS BUST
IN CLASSROOMS, AT THE POST OFFICE,
AND ALL OVER TOWN. WITH ROME'S RICH INHERITANCE
FROM THOSE GOD-LIKE EMPERORS, TODAY'S CITY COMES WITH
A GRAND PERSONALITY. BUT AS WE'VE SEEN, IT ALSO HAS
ITS INTIMATE CHARMS. AND EXPLORING
THE ETERNAL CITY, GETTING TO KNOW
ITS MANY DIMENSIONS WITH EACH VISIT,
I FIND IT BECOMES A BETTER FRIEND. AS I'VE DISCOVERED
OVER A LIFETIME OF VISITS, ROME REWARDS THOSE WHO VENTURE
BEYOND ITS MONUMENTAL SIGHTS. THANKS FOR JOINING US,
I'M RICK STEVES. UNTIL NEXT TIME,
KEEP ON TRAVELIN' -- CIAO. )
[ DOG BARKING ]
IN THIS EPISODE,
WE EXPLORE THIS GRAND CITY WITH SO RICH IN ART AND CULTURE,
IN A MORE INTIMATE WAY -- WITH DOGS! IN A MORE INTIMATE WAY,
BY DELVING INTO ITS BACK LANES
AND UNHERALDED CORNERS. AMERICA, BUON APPETITO. AMERICA,
BUON APPETITO. CIAO.
CIAO. BONJOUR!
