But why an Egyptian-style pyramid in the middle of Rome?
Well, it was a real trend among Roman citizens who chose pyramids, obelisks and other magnanimous shapes for their monuments and tombs. This happened largely because in the year 30 BC Egypt became a Roman province which transmitted its monumental architecture.
Later, a few meters away from the pyramid is the beautiful Porta de San Paolo, which is one of the gates of the Aurelian walls being one of the most impressive and best preserved. On the other side of the pyramid is the Acattolico cemetery, where they important figures such as poets John Keats and Percy Shelley have their tombs. It is a cemetery where during the late 600’s Protestants, Jews, foreigners and people who committed suicide were buried and where an English atmosphere prevails, yet it is surrounded by Roman monuments, making it a special and unique place.
IN ROME
YOU WILL FIND A
PYRAMID...
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ROME tour 1
Rome not only has the great Colosseum or St. Peter’s Basilica to show, Rome has other lesser known historical, contemporary and artistic places that without a doubt are worth knowing ...
A Pyramid in Rome?
That’s right! The Cestia Pyramid is an Egyptian style pyramid that is 36 meters high covered in marble and was built in 18 BC as a mausoleum for wealthy Roman named Gaius Cestius. It was made by his heirs in 330 days because Gayo had specified in his will that it had to be built in that number of days, otherwise his beneficiaries would not receive a single penny.
Andrea, today I want to propose that you give us a mini tour through some neighborhoods, where we can make an artistic overview through the millenary past and vertiginous present of Rome.
Sounds good to me! Let us start at the limits of the old city, where there are three very interesting monuments: the Cestia Pyramid, the door of Sao Paulo of the Aurelian Walls and the Acattolico Cemetery (non-Catholic cemetery) also called Protestant or British cemetery, then we will visit a huge mural and finally we will see a wonderful bridge that is a great example of contemporary design and engineering.
In fact, Andrea, I’m a big fan of BLU because he has always sought to connect all his symbolism with social and political aspects as he did in the city of Managua with his work Banana Man or in Rio de Janeiro with a Corcovado Christ covered by a bunch of firearms, his work is really controversial. But now I want you to introduce us to this bridge you mentioned at the beginning.
Off course! To finish our tour, a little ahead of the Via Ostia there is a new bridge that I find beautiful called Ponte Settimia Spizzichino, also known as Ostiense flyover. It is a viaduct built between 2009 and 2012 by engineer Francesco del Tosto who was inspired by other Spanish projects like the Barqueta Bridge in Seville designed by Juan J. Arenas and Marcos J. Pantaleón and the shapes of arched bridges by Santiago Calatrava. This bridge, if you look closely, it is vaguely reminiscent of the structure of DNA and it also incorporates the reticular forms of the gasometer, a very characteristic element of industrial archeology of this district called Testaccio.
Really fascinating. You also mentioned a great mural?
That’s right, our route takes us along the Via Ostiense, at the intersection of the streets Puerto Fluvial and Via delle Conce, there is a former military warehouse, now occupied by a community center where there is a huge mural made by BLU, an Italian world-renowned artist, that even the Guardian reported in 2011 that he is one of the ten best artists of “Street Art” at the moment. In this mural, BLU plays with architectural elements of the building, it’s huge windows become the eyes of many monsters, each characterized with very bright colors and detailed features.
SALONES
OVALES Y SUS NYMPHEAS
This tour has been wonderful Andrea, and what better way to finish than in Testaccio. Once a very poor area, but that is now an area that has had an unprecedented flowering, full of galleries, restaurants and bars. It wouldn’t be a bad idea after this tour to make a final stop in one of its trattorias to refuel our tanks.
