A haven of peace in Rome

Rome has a special place in our hearts, as we were married in the Eternal City over four decades ago. Like pilgrims, we have returned many times to this bustling and exciting city. It’s always a delight for us to revisit the Colonna Chapel in the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano.  

We usually stay at the same hotel in Aventino, just south of the city centre. There, we can stroll through quiet streets, meet the many cats that “live in freedom” (the description given by the municipal by-law that protects them), visit the local churches or sit on a bench in a public garden and enjoy the views provided by the elevation. 

The Aventine hill is one of the seven hills of Ancient Rome. The earliest residents of the district were the poor of the city, however, at the height of the Roman Empire, the district attracted the wealthy who built impressive villas. Although it is still an upscale residential neighbourhood today, some of Aventino’s splendid ochre-coloured villas have become hotels, schools, and headquarters of religious organizations. There are also, at the base of the hill, interesting ruins, monuments, gardens and even a very special cemetery.  

Several roads and old pedestrian paths lead to the top of Aventino. While some guests might be daunted by the idea of walking up the hill to reach their hotel, it is well worth the effort. During the month of May, each step makes one breathe even deeper that wonderful fragrance from the abundant jasmine in bloom. We have come to call this oasis of peace “Heaventino.”   

At the base of the hill, near the Piramide Metro Station, we are reminded that Rome is a city where modern infrastructure and ancient ruins co-exist harmoniously. Cars and buses whiz around Porta San Paolo, one of the gates in the Aurelian Walls which were built to defend the city in approximately 270 AD. These walls incorporate the adjacent Pyramid of Caius Cestius, the tomb of a wealthy magistrate, who got it constructed in 12 BC. 

A few steps from the pyramid, we find the entrance to the, still-active, non-Catholic Cemetery, also known as the “Protestant Cemetery.”  It is often compared to the Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. Among the rows of mature trees lie the graves of the English romantic poets Keats and Shelley, along with those of famous artists, public figures, diplomats and many others. Wandering through this charmingly haphazard cemetery, we noted that many of the deceased were born outside Italy but had lived, worked or found refuge in Rome.  

Climbing the hill, after leaving the cemetery, we enter a different world. The streets are almost traffic-free. Birdsong fills the air, and, in May, the scent of jasmine is everywhere.  

Taking Via Porta Lavernale, we reach the peaceful courtyard of the Church of Sant’Anselmo, a modern church which is attached to the Benedictine Monastery and the global headquarters of the Benedictine Order. Attending the evening Vespers in this church is a truly uplifting experience. There is a gift shop on the grounds that sells soaps, toiletries and food products made by monks in various Italian Benedictine monasteries.  

Next door, on the Piazza Cavalieri di Malta, is the Grand Priory of the Knights of Malta where people line up to look through a keyhole in the locked main door of the property. The reason they look though this keyhole is to catch a perfectly framed telescopic view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Buskers and street vendors keep the waiting crowd entertained and hydrated.  

Close by is the tenth century church and Garden of the Basilica of Santi Bonifacio e Alessio, two early Christian martyrs. This beautiful and intimate church is often used to celebrate weddings.  

From there, it is only a few steps to the Basilica of Santa Sabina, the mother church of the Dominican Order, which was built in the first half of the fifth century, making it one of the oldest churches in Rome. Some say that it is the gem of Aventino. This basilica features a striking carved wooden door illustrating biblical scenes, beautiful mosaics, very ornate side chapels and the relics and tombs of several saints. We always enjoy sitting for a while in this peaceful space. 

What was formerly the garden of the Dominican priory is now a public park called the Orange Garden. As the name implies, the shade is provided by a grove of fragrant orange trees. This park offers superb views over the city, and it attracts artists and street musicians. 

Coming down the hill, we get to the Community Rose Garden, established in 1950, on the grounds of a seventeenth century Jewish Cemetery which was relocated in order to create the garden. In gratitude to the Jewish community, the layout of the garden is in the form of a menorah.

This municipal garden contains over 1,100 species of old roses and modern hybrids. In May, the lower section of the garden is the venue for an international competition where new hybrids are displayed and judged by knowledgeable officials. A walk among the vibrant coloured blooms is always a highlight of our time in Rome.  

Leaving the Rose Garden, we see the Circus Maximus across the street. It dates from the sixth century BC, and it was used for chariot races and other public spectacles up until the sixth century AD. It measured 600 by 140 metres, and its banked terraces could accommodate 30,000 spectators. In the background, we can see the ruins of the Baths of Maxentius.  

We invite you to join us for a little tour, as we visit some of the highlights of beautiful Aventino.