Sea Bass in Trastevere

It was a week before my time in Rome was up, and my roommate Hilary and I made a pact to experience at least four great restaurants before our departure back to the States. Monday night we researched some ristorantes strictly belonging to Trastevere. We found one called Antica - Hosteria PonteSisto directly across the Ponte Sisto (a bridge). It looked very homey and welcoming so we picked a cute table outside complete with a red checkered tablecloth, wine glasses, and oils. Our waiter was a gentle, old Italian man who spoke few words of English but responded genially to our pointing, graziés, and toothy smiles. We ordered the house white wine which came with a large bread basket. The wine tasted fresh – not too dry, but not too sweet either – and the bread bathed in their extra virgin olive oil was the perfect combination before our meals were served.

I decided to go big and order the baked sea bass. I was craving meat because my diet has been lacking protein, but I did not want a steak or pork chop. The fish was an ideal choice because it was light, yet filling, and absolutely delectable. The white meat was also seasoned to perfection, and the thin slices of potato stacked on top of it brought about a tasty marriage of flavors. I was very pleased with my selection and did not mind that the bill was a bit higher than what I was used to. Sometimes it is okay to treat yourself to a delightful meal even if it means splurging a bit in order to do so. After all, how many times will I be spending a summer in Rome?

Write a Letter to St. Francis

The other day while I was roaming around the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere, I decided to enter the church in order to sit down and clear my head. After about ten minutes, I lifted my head and my eyes began to wander around different parts of the church. I noticed the three vibrant stain glass windows on the back wall, the beautiful golden ceiling, and a huge pile of letters (?). I walked over towards a life-sized statue of St. Francis and all around him were slips of paper, envelopes, and receipts in every color imaginable. Apparently, people visiting the church would write down their intentions on paper, any paper they had on them, and then proceeded to stick it in between the saint and the baby Jesus whom he is holding. When there was no longer any space available here, the intentions were dropped onto his feet or placed on the railing around him. This was such a rare sight – I had not yet seen anything like this in Rome, and I have been to a fair amount of churches. This church is already so intricate and inspiring, and this “statue of intentions” adds yet another element of intrigue to the Virgin Mary’s first church in Rome.

The Unforgettable Phone Call

A few weeks ago, I received an email from PNC bank telling me that my account had been temporarily suspended. It had given me a number to call in order to get it reactivated – I could not do so online. Using a phone card from our apartment in Trastevere, I dialed the 1-888 number, but was promptly told by the operator that I could not use the card to call a collect number. This is when the idea of a lifetime came to me – just walk down the road and use the payphones near the piazza.

When the payphone rejected my phone card as well, I began to get annoyed. Fed up with the entire ordeal, I swiped my credit card and started dialing away. First, a lady from PNC answered and told me that she did not handle online accounts (this took approximately five minutes). Then I was transferred to a man who became confused that I was in Rome but lived in Pennsylvania (very hard concept to grasp, I know). After finally being transferred to another man who told me that my account was actually not suspended at all and was doing just fine, I hung up the phone quite pleased and went on my merry way.

A week or so later, my mom emailed me and asked about a few of the charges on the credit card bill. I could account for all but one of them and then finally to my horror realized what the mysterious charge had been. Turns out that my 12 minute (max) phone call cost me $109.00! She was not pleased but surprisingly did not seem mad about it. She told me not to make anymore collect calls and to “use my head”. One thing I will not be using anytime soon though is a payphone - don’t make the same mistake!

Tavola Uomo (Table Man!)

This afternoon as I was walking home from Palazzo Barberini, I decided to take the less direct, scenic route through the narrow lanes of Trastevere. To my surprise it was not as crowded as it normally is, probably because it was around 4:30, but I was able to observe a very friendly Italian carpenter constructing a table. It was so random and out of the ordinary that I had to stop and stare for a moment. How many times do you witness a man creating an entire table right outside of his small store? It really gave that authentic, “Trasteveric” vibe that I have experienced practically every time I have wandered around the piazza. He did not speak English, but he nodded and smiled at me and then hastily returned to his carving. This was just another day at work for him, but for me it was yet another day of astonishment.

When Visiting Santa Marie in Trastevere, Do Not Miss the Façade!

Although it might seem insignificant and old, take a moment to gaze at the top of the church of Santa Marie in Trastevere before entering. The architecture and art work located above is quite extensive and historic, but I am only going to talk about the façade of this ancient church for now.

The façade was restored in 1702 by Carlo Fontana (the same man who revamped the centrally located fountain). Right in front of the façade stands four Baroque marble statues which represent St. Calixtus, St. Cornelius, St. Julius, and St. Calepodius. The actual façade contains mosaics are most likely medieval, dating back to the 12th century. They tell the story of the parable of the wise and the unwise maidens. The Blessed Virgin Mary stands in the middle, while the maidens surround her. Notice that on the right side the maidens are not wearing crowns. Supposedly, this is because they have let their lamps burn out. The maidens on the left however, still possess their crowns. Only when I stopped to look at the eerie clock which sits on top of the church did I even realize how gorgeous the statues and façade were. I am thankful I did not miss this brilliant piece of art, and I hope if you are in the neighborhood, you do not miss it either!

Fountaina built by Fontana

In the middle of the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere sits an octagonal fountain which is an ancient Roman original work. It eventually needed repair, so it was restored in the 17^th century by Carlo Fontana. He was initially employed by Bernini and then became an independent artist. Fontana is a masterful Baroque architect who was responsible for many gorgeous and extensive pieces. Some of these works include the church of San Biagio in Campitelli, a facade at San Marcello al Corso which is considered one of his most successful, the Istituto Apostolico San Michele at Ripa Grande (under Pope Innocent the XI’s commission), and the baptismal chapel at St. Peter's. He also designed the Casanate library at Santa Maria sopra Minerva, the church which holds St. Catherine of Siena’s body which lies to the right (if facing the altar) of Michelangelo’s Risen Christ.

His fountain in Trastevere is constantly alive with locals and tourists from early in the morning until late at night. Many sit and socialize, watch magic shows or other entertaining performers, or just simply eat gelato. It is a great place to recharge before work or to unwind at the end of a long day. No matter what time you visit the piazza though, you can always count on the soothing sound of water flowing from Fontana’s fountain to chase away any worry weighing on your mind.

Information obtained using:

http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9034780/Carlo-Fontana

Oran’t You Glad You Chose Caffé delle Arange?

The other morning I decided to wake up early and visit the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere. It was not as crowded as it typically is in the evenings, yet the coffee bars were still bustling about at a decent pace. Instead of grabbing a quick cappuccino at one of these places, I decided to sit down outside of the Caffé delle Arange. On the inside and outside of the small shop, shelves overflowed with oranges and lemons which filled the entire space with an enticing citrusy smell. I ordered a tall glass of orange juice and people-watched until it had arrived. Most people were bee-lining it to their cars or to work I presume, while others chatted calmly and sipped on their lattes. The juice was served in a large glass flute, and when it hit my lips I knew I had made the right choice that morning. I could tell that it was handmade and recently squeezed. It also contained the perfect amount of pulp, and the citrus was not overpowering. If you want the best juice that I have found so far in Rome, visit the Caffé delle Arange for the atmosphere and enjoy the fresh taste of orange while you’re at it!

Four Cheers for Four Cheeses!

Last week after visiting the Capitol, all of the girls in CAS were heading back to Trastevere to find a place to eat. We perused a few of the ristorantis around the piazza from the outside, but most were a bit out of our lunchtime price range and others were not yet open. Finally we stumbled upon a ristoranti with a raised platform and outdoor seating just a few yards from the fountain. It looked perfect so we happily sat down and began to decide what to order.

The waiters were extremely friendly and helpful, and it was evident that they were local men who cared about their town. The seven of us ordered four pizzas to split: Four Cheese, Salami, Mushroom, and Margarita. In only about fifteen minutes, the four large pies arrived piping hot and we began to chow down. The best one in my opinion was the Four Cheese because it had the slightest hint of Gorgonzola which melted in your mouth towards the end. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an authentic cheese pizza. Unfortunately, I do not know the actual name of this ristoranti because that was the only word on the menus, but I did take a picture of this sign (pictured above) next to the dining area. The prices were reasonable, the food was tasty, and the atmosphere was picturesque – not to mention the gorgeous Piazza Santa Maria was only a stone’s throw away.

Piazza Santa Maria on a Sunday Evening

My stomach was growling, and I had just finished reading Daisy Miller by Henry James, so I decided to visit Piazza Santa Maria on a peaceful Sunday evening. This stereotype I had held in my mind about the piazza being peaceful and quiet on a Sunday night could not have been further from the truth though. As soon as I left my apartment, I was greeted with the loud buzzing of conversations coming from every direction in the town. Throngs of people flooded the street, some walking their dogs, some deciding where to grab a bite, some overflowing from bars filled to capacity, others gathered around the fountain taking a minute to relax and take it all in. Was this really what a typical Sunday was like in Trastevere? Sign me up. The piazza was packed and at times was hard to navigate. Most of the surrounding ristorantis were alive and well, and most of the dialogue I could understand seemed to center around how the last Roman soccer game of the season went down earlier in the day. This may very well have to become a Sunday routine for me. Enjoy the week ahead – my second in Rome…

The Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere at Night

The moment I heard that the girls in the CAS program at Penn State would be staying in Trastevere, Rome, I immediately 'Googled' it and came across some very exciting information. Trastevere is not just another pretty name. It is in fact one of the oldest cities in Rome and is home to one of the most famous and most visited churches, the Church of San Maria in Trastevere. It is also very authentic and most of the people in the area are locals who do not speak very much English at all (more on that later). The piazza is adjacent to the church and contains a fountain made by Carlo Fontana (go figure) in 1692. Since the piazza is constantly alive with families, students, tourists, pets, and vendors, I thought it would be a great place to sit down and observe its inhabitants at all different times of the day and night.

Last night, my roommate Hilary and I decided to get pizza close-by in Trastevere, which was the perfect opportunity for me to start my careful study of this ancient piazza. We arrived there at about 8 PM after we had purchased some world-famous potato pizza from Pizzarius. The two bakers there had no idea how to speak English, and when my credit card did not scan, we had a heck of a time trying to communicate to each other what exactly was going on. Eventually though, after using some awkward sign language, we were able to figure it out and have a nice laugh, which thankfully translates! As we walked towards the piazza, the crowd density began to increase so we knew that we were close. Then when we saw the fountain and the church in the distance, we knew that we were in the right spot. Most of the ristorantis were at capacity and the entire surrounding area buzzed with the afterthoughts of a normal Roman workday.

The funniest part of our night was when an Indian man began to perform magic tricks in front of the fountain (see photo). I hesitate to give him the title "magician" because his tricks were so awful that they were almost laughable. First, he pulled out a silver pole and after a minute of chanting and twirling, they were magically transformed into a bouquet of yellow flowers (as seen in the picture). His next trick consisted of him waving around a silk cloth which changed colors when he flipped it upside-down. At this point, I was very satisfied with my decision to pick the Piazza Santa Maria as one of my categories. If the rest of the days and nights I spend there are like this one, I will have much to report back on - A Piu Tardi!