On Day 5 in Rome, we finally slowed down the pace a bit. My friend Federica was coming to meet us from northern Italy later in the day, so we decided to spend the morning exploring the old Jewish Ghetto and slowly make our way to the train station.
The Jewish Ghetto
From Trastevere, which happens to be where the earliest Jewish immigrants settled in ancient Rome, we crossed the Ponte Fabricio into the old Jewish Ghetto, where they were forced to move to in the 16th century. The bridge had a column with the four faces of the pagan god Janus, but the faces were too weathered to see now.
A Sad History
I think we started the day way too early because many places weren’t open to visitors yet. The huge synagogue was entirely white with a square dome. Just as I was thinking the building looked really modern, I learned that it was rebuilt in 1904.
Right across the street from the synagogue, behind where I was standing when taking this photo, was a Catholic church. While there was only one synagogue, there were many churches in the ghetto. There was a time when the Jews were required to wear a yellow scarf, listen to Catholic sermons, and witness Catholic parades through their “designated” neighborhood.
Just a few steps down Via del Portico d’Ottavia, the main street through the ghetto, we arrived at the Largo 16 Ottobre 1943, a piazza named after the day on which Nazis began to round up the Jews and sent them to concentration camps.
A Little Ancient Rome
Prominent on this piazza was the ruins of an ancient Roman gateway, Portico d’Ottavia, which was incorporated into a Medieval church. It seemed to be under maintenance so entry wasn’t allowed.
Next to the portico and behind the terracotta colored buildings was the ruins of Theater of Marcellus. It is like a mini-Colosseum. You can’t walk too far in this city without running into something thousands of years old. You can’t get too close to the ruins, presumably for safety reasons. I randomly turned around when exploring the ruins, and saw the shiny white dome of the synagogue. It must have been a comforting sight all those years ago when the Jewish families were being persecuted.
But There Is a Fun Side…
Further down Via del Portico d’Ottavia and a turn down a side street, we found the whimsical Turtle Fountain. The young men seemed to be helping the little turtles get into the big bowl on top. Apparently, the turtles were later added by Bernini and were not part of the original design. I wonder what made him think “Hmm, this needs turtles”.
The Jewish Quarter is really quite small. It took only half an hour to walk around and see everything but we sure learned a lot about its history. Along with the synagogue, none of the gelateria, bakeries, or restaurants were open either. I was so looking forward to trying a Jewish pastry and a deep-fried artichoke heart!
We Travel to See the World, We Travel to See the People
One of the best things about traveling is the people. They might be strangers to meet or old friends to visit, either will make a faraway trip more welcoming. Federica was one of my flatmates when I lived in Barcelona. She was a dream flatmate and an amazing chef. To this day I remember the taste of her homemade bolognese sauce. I texted her as soon as I decided to come to Rome on this trip. I was so excited to see her again.
Last time I saw her was in Verona (hometown of Romeo and Juliet) five years ago when she drove over half a day to meet me there. This time, she also took more than half a day’s train ride to meet me in Rome. She arrived at the Termini train station a little past noon. It was as if nothing had changed besides our hairstyles and we were instantly chatting again like we lived under the same roof. We hopped on another train and headed to Ostia Antica for the afternoon. The hour-long train ride passed so quickly as we caught up on everything in our lives.
Ostia Antica
Just an hour outside of Rome is the ancient harbor city of Ostia Antica. After four days of the hustle and crowds in Rome, it was a pleasant change of scenery to spend an afternoon in this sleepy little town. After a lovely lunch right outside the park entrance, we headed in to explore the ruins. Being from the same time period, Ostia Antica was more well preserved than the Roman Forum and offered more trees for shade. It was so quiet and peaceful, we hardly saw other people.
Walking along the streets between the old buildings, I could picture life back then. The Ancient Romans really knew how to enjoy life with their bathhouses, theaters, and bars. The city had the scale and all the amenities of a modern city. I couldn’t believe there were 10-story apartment buildings!
I would definitely buy a drink at this bar!
The small but well-organized museum houses the statues and artifacts discovered in Ostia Antica. It was a nice break for its cool air and benches.
Ostia Antica is definitely worth a visit as a day trip from Rome. But be prepared with bug repellent because those mosquitos were fierce!! By the end of the day, I had around 10 bites from head to ankle, and I was constantly moving and waving my arms around like a crazy person!
Always More Wine
I told you I was going to eat at La Prosciutteria for my remaining days in Rome! Good wine, good food, and good friends. What more can a girl ask for? After dinner, we grabbed gelato at Fatamorgana (so yum), then got lost on the way back. But who cares because we found a baby pink Vespa!
