It’s almost the end of Holy Week, and Rome is hopping. Seems like half the world has come here for Easter, and the streets are jammed. When I was a kid, Good Friday was a somber day when we weren’t allowed to play outside or make noise, and we went to church. Here in Rome it’s like any other holiday, busy, noisy, festive. I haven’t been across the river to St. Peter’s, so I can’t vouch for the mood over there, but on my side of the river, it’s lively.
Today I decided to go to Via Margutta, a short street near Piazza del Popolo that has a special Roman history. Via Margutta is where Tom Ripley liked to have lunch in what Patricia Highsmith described as student restaurants when he moved to Rome after beating Dickie Greenleaf to death and assuming his identity. Number 55 is where Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) lived in Roman Holiday and where Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) crashed after running away from home. Most famously, number 110 was the last home of Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina where their walls were covered in built-in bookcases with over 5,000 books and where one section of the house was reserved for smokers (Giulietta’s) and the other for nonsmokers (Federico’s).
This was not a photogenic day. Rain was forecast but held off until tonight, and the sky was dull gray without even the drama of storm clouds — exactly what Good Friday weather should be like, somber, moody. On the other hand, since half the world has come to Rome for Holy Week and Easter, the streets were mobbed with tour groups and families carrying maps and Rick Steves guidebooks and staring at street signs. One thing about narrow, medieval streets is that when someone stops to look at a street sign, the way is effectively blocked until he or she is done. Also, with few exceptions the streets are for everyone — cars, bicycles, scooters, pedestrians. Sometimes even pinned to a wall (when a doorway isn’t quickly available), the tires of that truck pass within inches of my toes.
Google Maps did its job and got me through it all. On the way, I rediscovered a church I’d seen on my first visit to Rome that looked to be Early Christian. I’d wanted to go inside, but until today I was unable to find it. I didn’t know its name. It’s San Lorenzo in Lucina, and it is an Early Christian church, or was until, like almost every other church in Rome, it was attacked by baroque architects and renovated. That’s not all bad. The Fonseca family had the grace to hire the sculptor of the day to update its chapel, so I found yet another one of those Berninis that are tucked away in Roman churches. Guess which one is the Bernini.
After pushing through crowds and dodging cars (it’s a miracle pedestrians survive), I found Via Margutta. In spite of being close to Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, it was nearly empty apart from a few people having lunch in the only restaurant I saw on the entire street. I understand Via Margutta is called the street of the artists, but obviously not bohemian, struggling types. It’s very upscale — no pizzerias or tabachi or souvenir shops.
Number 55 appears to be a law office or ad agency now.
But this adjacent entrance looks more like where Joe might have lived.
I haven’t learned yet how to balance exposure with my new iPhone camera, so you’ll have to take my word for it that this is Via Margutta 110.
This one’s better.
This notice is from 174-something. I see these markers all over Rome and read recently that they are posted notices from neighborhood and city officials related to the business of that particular street. I tried to translate this one, and as nearly as I can tell, it says that any or all people who behave badly on the street (make “mondezzaro,” whatever that is) are subject to a fine of 10 scudi per offense or corporal punishment, by order of the president of the street.
I’d love to know what making mondezzaro is. Please share if you know.
I must have been channeling Audrey, because as Google Maps guided me out of Via Margutta and toward Piazza del Popolo, here’s what I encountered. But I don’t think they were a team as early as Roman Holiday.
More later. It’s Holy Saturday now, and I’m off to check out the action at the Vatican.