IN ITALY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 47, 9 February 1945, Page 4

IN ITALY

N.Z. NURSE'S IMPRESSIONS

VIVID DESCRIPTION OF ROME

The afternoon round took us first to King' Victor Emanuel's monument, a white marble edifice of enormous proportions described by the Kiwis as a wedding cake because of its intense whiteness and the intricate decorations. It represents the. unity of Italy with symbolic figures of pat. riotism—triumph thought right and action and the Equestrian statue of Victor Emanuel the II who united Italy. Steps and a winding road lead up to Capital Hill directly behind tiie monuments where the ancient temple of Jupiter stood. The temple where the generals paid their homage when they returned from the wars before they went to the Colosseum close at hand to see the sport of Emperors. The Colosseum is an enormous oval structure of brick and mortar tier upon tier of scats reaching up to a great height. The actual area does not look very large } passages and covered wayslead round the entire oval connected by doors and stairs losing themselves in an intricate maze. The Emperor's Rojal Box was enclosed at one side and subterranean passages led to the palace on the liill overlooking tlie Forum —nothing much is left of

the Forum except some of the pillars and facades a marble tomb said •> to be the burial place of Romulus and Remus ) Pompeys statue "where great Caesar fell" and the remains of tlie temple of the Vestal Virgins who, 'twas said, ruled the realm. The Triumphal Arch which was raised in 81 A.D. to honour victories of Titus and Vespasian, stands on the main road only a chain l'rom the former and it was through this Arch that Mussolini returned from his victorious Abyssinian campaign. St. Paul's Church outside the city wall is smaller and perhaps lias more atmosphere than St. Peters. The high alabastar windows give a warm glow which St. lacks. The Shelley and Bryon graves in the quiet "and lonely little English Church-yard the prison from which St. Paul escaped, the commanding statue of Garibaldi on the high hill overlooking the city, the Church of the Three Fountains and the ghostly catacombs were amongst the many interesting thing's we saw —and what a store of memories' to take home

with us. On tlie following morning after a two-hour shopping we packed our hags, and set forth for home by a route along the coast road where we saw Angio so bare and unprotected, the Hooded Pantine marshes and the ruins of all the small coastal towns a reminder that '3' a ruthless enemy had passed that ay ay. A Roman holiday in three days. Though we wished for more we realised that Ave. were indeed fortunate, in being allowed to visit the Eternal City.