This afternoon we did a golf cart tour of the highlights of Rome.
What a blast!
We immediately convinced the tour guide we are going to need wine, and he delivered.
Driving through the most insane traffic in an open golf cart trying not to spill your wine is an exhilarating experience.
Villa Borghese is a landscape garden in Rome, containing a number of buildings, museums and attractions. It is the third-largest public park in Rome (80 hectares or 197.7 acres), after the ones of the Villa Doria Pamphili and Villa Ada. The gardens were developed for the Villa Borghese Pinciana (“Borghese villa on the Pincian Hill”), built by the architect Flaminio Ponzio, developing sketches by Scipione Borghese, who used it as a villa suburbana, or party villa, at the edge of Rome, and to house his art collection. The gardens as they are now were remade in the late 19th century.
The Spanish Steps in Rome are a famous 18th-century Baroque staircase connecting Piazza di Spagna to the Trinità dei Monti church. Built between 1723 and 1725 by Francesco de Sanctis, this 135-step, multi-level masterpiece features dramatic, winding curves, making it a popular, albeit crowded, meeting spot and cultural landmark.
On December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Pope visits the Column of the Immaculate Conception in Rome’s Piazza Mignanelli near the Spanish Steps to pray and lay a wreath of flowers at the base of the statue of the Virgin Mary, a tradition in place since 1958.
Stolpersteine (“stumbling stones”) are 10×10 cm concrete cubes topped with brass plates, installed by artist Gunter Demnig since 1995 to commemorate victims of Nazi persecution. Placed in pavements before victims’ last chosen residences across Europe, they bear names, birth dates, and fates (deportation/death).
Key facts about Stolpersteine:
- Purpose: To restore names and dignity to victims of the Holocaust, including Jewish people, Roma, Sinti, political prisoners, homosexuals, and Jehovah’s Witnesses.
- Concept: The name refers to “stumbling” mentally over the fate of the individuals rather than literally.
- Location: Over 100,000 stones are installed in more than 1,100 cities across 17–22 European countries, making it a widespread, decentralized memorial.
- Details: Each stone is hand-crafted, listing the name, year of birth, and, if known, the date of deportation and death.
- Installation: Initiated by community research or family members, the stones are placed at the last known, voluntarily chosen residence.
- Maintenance: Neighbors and residents often care for the stones, polishing them to maintain their shine as a sign of respect.
