The Pyramid - 1 - The Spur of Richness

Rome is the only European city to boast a real ancient pyramid. The monument itself is not comparable at all with the marvelous Egyptian pyramids, much larger and way older, still it has its own special technical aspects and interesting story.

The pyramid was built at the beginning of the 1st Century AD by the heirs of Caius Caestius, a rich and powerful Roman man who was part of the syndicate of the "Septemviri Epulones" (A group of people who were in charge of organizing the main celebrations and banquets that had to take place in Rome.

Caius Caestius in his will specified that the heirs would not get any of his wealth, unless they built for him a tomb, reminiscent of that of a Pharaoh, within one year from his death. So the heirs started working at this project, and with the help of skilled technicians, and using the technique of the Roman Concrete, which is especially light and strong, managed to build a pyramid which, depite being only a mere 30 meters tall, has one of the steepest angles among the ancient buildings of this kind. Ancient reports tell us, that the project was completed in a mere 330 days from the death of Caius Caestius, so the heirs could enjoy the inherited, and now well deserved, wealth. 

Stay tuned for more information about this area!

Emanuele

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The Miracle of the Snow - Birth of a Basilica

The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of the "Seven Churches", i.e. one of the Seven Papal Basilicas that pilgrims coming to Rome must visit to complete their pilgrimage. 


This church is the first one dedicated to the worship of the Virgin Mary, and dates back to the 5th Century A.D.


The legend has it that the site for the construction was chosen by God himself. In the year 431 the Council of Efes decreed the divine maternity of Mary, so the reigning Pope of that time, Liberius, decided to build a Basilica in Her honor, with the financial help of the Roman patrician Johannes, whose daughter, some sources refer, was very ill and healed by a miracle. 


With the Papal Decree, and the financial support, the Basilica was ready to be built, but Pope Liberius still did not know where to start the construction, so God came to his help with a miracle: in the morning of August 5th of the year 432 an absolutely unusual snowfall capped the top of the Exquilinus hill, and this was the signal for Pope Liberius to start the construction of his Basilica, on an area that in the past was a market ("Macellum liviae"). These events gave the Basilica the two other names of "Basilica of St. Mary of the Snow" and "Basilica Liberiana". 


This event is celebrated every August 5th throwing down white flower petals (mainly roses) from the top of the Basilica's façade. In more recent years, the celebration was integrated by laser projections on the Basilica itself, making it a really sparkling and unusual night scenery out of one of Rome's most classic views. 


Related topic link: http://viewsofrome.blogspot.com/2011/12/santa-maria-maggiore-2-worlds-most.html
Santa Maria Maggiore e Roma (Italian Edition)