Arco di ciambella: what remains of the Baths of Agrippa

What did one wall say to the other?

What remained of the Baths of Agrippa stood proud in its half circle of glory as the city of Rome grew up with housing all around it. As the buildings began closing in, the now named arco di ciambella new what was to come. One day a new wall approached longing to connect to the arco di Agrippa on the outside. The two walls came to an agreement that they could touch as long as the new wall did not attempt to go through the arco di agrripa. The new wall pushed right up against the old one and nestled into a corner that was created by the remains of the old wall. Soon buildings started following suit all around the tall half circle of the arco di agrrip and all that was left was the hollow interior of the semi circle. Yet more housing was needed and again the arco di Agrippa was hesitant to give up its interior, which now housed a public space, somewhat resembling the public space that used to exist there when it was part of the Agrippa baths. However the space was big enough to fit 3 more apartment buildings giving more Romans a place to live. Rome had been the arco di ciambella’s home for so long that denying the home of another seemed wrong. So soon enough three new apartments grew up inside the outstretched arms of the arco di ciambella. Today you can still see how the ancient walls hold the apartment buildings, and how the gardens have grown from the roof of the buildings onto the ruins creating a bridge between the new and the old as if they always belonged together.

How does a building meet the ground?

The streets of Rome we walk on today are not the same as the ones that were walked on when the monuments we have come to know, like the Pantheon, were originally built. If you were to approach the Pantheon from the back, you would notice that the Pantheon appears to be partially underground and as you would make your way to the entrance you would be walking down a hill only to step up into the Pantheon. As you walk along the side you could look down and notice the excavation around the Pantheon which reveals different layers of history showing the lines of where the Pantheon used to meet the ground compared to where it does now. You will also notice the addition of steps depending on the time period and where the ground met the building at that time.

So how does a building meet the ground? It depends on when the building was built and where the streets are now.

How do you know you are in Rome?

Upon entering the city the first thing you notice is the height of the buildings around you. They are almost all four stories high and fairly close together, only leaving you with glimpses of the rest of the city as the taxi drives dow the cobblestone streets. Once you begin to walk the streets you realize that instead of a Starbucks on every corner there is a Gelateria. There are a few large streets that cut through the city, but most of the streets are small and full of people and parked vespas. Restaurants pour into the streets surrounded by plants and shops. These streets become the sidewalk but that doesn’t mean that the occasional car wont turn the corner and head straight at you. It is amazing how close the cars park to each other and what constitutes a parking spot. As a result it is rare to see a car without some sort of dent or scratch.

In Rome the neighborhoods are centered around public piazza’s rather then the shopping centers we have back in california. Streets dead-end into these piazzas which often have a fountain or a statue in the center and seating all around. These are also the center of the night life. As soon as the sun starts to set, the restaurants open up into the streets and the people come out. You will often see people enjoying sorts of entertainment like an artist painting or a magician. The liveliness of the streets and the people along with the continuously flowing fountains give this otherwise old city its charm, which is something I have never witnessed before.