Ho Visto*

*I saw

It was a gorgeous spring day here yesterday (the 24th)  - sunny and warm with early flowers out and trees budding. The perfect day for a stroll down to Villa Torlonia, our local park, to take a look at how much progress has been made on the restoration of the Teatro and the Moorish Kiosk. Work on the former will be completed in February 2010 (?????) and the later in March 20 - god in her wisdom only knows!

We were not the only ones who decided it was fine weather for a Thursday in the Park - a gaggle of grandmas with strollers, runners in teams and solo, courting couples (mind you a few of them looked like the courting stage had passed),a pack of dog walkers and elderly neighbourhood nabobs occupied the benches, walked the paths and dotted the lawns.

Progress - in the past this gentleman would no doubt have been reading his La Republica or Corriere dello Sport to catch up on the world and football.

A visit to the Non-Catholic Cemetery out by Pyramide on Wednesday led to a walk up the Aventine Hill and a look into the 5th century Basilica of Santa Sabina.  My friend Debra had mentioned a newly uncovered fresco in the porch and another visit to the simple grandeur of the mother church of  Dominicans in Rome is always a pleasure.  The baroque decorations have been stripped away to reveal the original mosaics, marble columns and wall panels and the high multi-panned selenite windows; the floors bear carved and mosaic tomb coverings of past worthies; and the great wooden door with its carved panels dating from 422-425 CE.

The doors (top) of Santa Sabina are from the 5th century and depict the scenes from the Bible including one of the first depictions of the crucifixion.  The mosaic gisant is one of the early Dominican abbots at the monastery attached to the mother church of the order.  The multi-panned windows are made of a semi-translucent form of gypsum. A keyhole in the porch wall allows a view (bottom) into the cloister of the monastery.

And next to it is the lovely Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), an neighbourhood park in one of the greenest area of the city. From the belvedere on the crest of the cliff overlooking the Tiber there is an incredible view of Rome from the Quirinale to the Janiculum Hills.

A left click will enlarge this panoramic photo of Rome from the Quirinale Hill to the beginning of the Parco Doria Pamphilj on the Janiculum Hill.

25 marzo -L'annunciazione del Signore