An American Memorial Day at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery

 What a memorable day for us at the beautiful Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial! The trip was only an hour from Rome to the seaside city of Nettuno.

The cemetery grounds are massive (77 acres) and immaculately landscaped and manicured. There are fountains, flower gardens, Italian cypress trees and Roman pine trees and.....

....THOUSANDS of white marble headstones to remember these 7,845 Americans who gave their lives on Italian soil during World War II. (The total number of American casualties in Italy is 119,279). The few pictures we post here really don't do justice to the impressive tribute paid to these men and women in this amazing cemetery. 

There are 25 sets of brothers, 17 women, 2 Medal of Honor recipients interred here. In the modern Visitor Center we watched a video presentation that gave an overview of the battles that took place in Italy and also learned some personal stories of individuals who died in the fighting. We were reaching for our tissues as we left the center and headed towards the Memorial building!

In the chapel we were startled at the 3,095 names engraved on the walls from floor to ceiling in memory of those Americans who are missing in action. Next to only a very few of the names is a small metal emblem indicating that their bodies have since been found. 

On the domed ceiling of the chapel is a very impressive large sculpture representing the planets of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn in the same positions they occupied at 0200 hours on January 22, 1944. This is the historic moment when the first American and British troops landed on the beaches of Anzio. The result of this campaign was to push the Nazi forces out of Italy and to weaken their stronghold on Europe. 

In the courtyard of the Memorial building, between the chapel and the Map Room, stands a tender bronze sculpture. It is titled "Brothers in Arms" and represents the partnership between the U.S. Army soldiers and U.S. Navy sailors. 

Their teamwork was essential to the success of the three amphibious assaults on Italy's beaches during World War II.

We left the cemetery with a renewed appreciation for what took place in Italy during World War II and the massive cost of lives that freedom requires.  Memorial Day is the perfect time to honor and remember them!!

Come along on a Guided Walking Tour of Rome

A kind and generous American friend offered to take some of us on a walking tour of Rome last P-day....in English. Kim has lived in Rome for eight years while her Army husband was stationed at the NATO school here. Their assignment is over and they will leave next week for their next adventure in Costa Rica. We were very happy to be part of her last tour of Rome. Here are some of our favorite pictures, and a few facts, from a very fun and informative day:

THE MOUTH OF TRUTH - It will not bite a truthful person but will bite off the hand of a fibber! A sort of ancient lie detector, no one really knows if the big stone face was once part of a fountain or if it was a drain cover, but they have dated it to about 1 A.D. We were lucky to come upon it on the rare occasion that there was NOT a long line of people waiting to click a photo with The Mouth of Truth.

MARCELLO'S THEATER - This structure is sometimes confused with the Colosseum but is much older (13 B.C.) and smaller. It was the venue for theatrical plays and could seat about 15,000 people (the Colosseum could seat 50,000). We were delighted to hear live accordion music as we approached. It was being played by an elderly street performer seated in one of the ground level arches. What is Italy without that kind of music?!

One of the emotional highlights of our day was learning something new about THE JEWISH GHETTO.  As we walked through this area, Kim pointed out the small, square, brass plaques inlaid in the street cobbles in front of various doorways. We had not noticed them before. These "stumbling stones" were put in place in recent years as reminders of the individuals deported from those locations (homes and work places) by Nazi soldiers in October of 1943. The photo, above, of a large grouping of gold plaques shows that an entire family was forcefully taken away. Read this close up of one of them to see the name, birth, death and fate. Those plaques are powerful reminders of the terrible destruction of hatred and war.

On our tour we rambled through various streets and alleys, looking up and looking down, as Kim pointed out so many interesting things. She led us into this CHARMING, PEACEFUL and PICTURESQUE COURTYARD to let us experience another aspect of Rome. A painting of this place was recently selected for inclusion in the 2024 Rome Calendar. That cascading plant in the photo is Jasmine, which are currently in full bloom here. We love to catch a whiff of its sweet fragrance. It is growing and blooming every where we go including just outside our apartment....lovely!

With expert timing, Kim led us to the perfect PIZZA and GELATO establishments! We enjoyed the chance to rest for a few minutes before heading off to see and learn more of the sights of Rome. That's Carol and Ron Mumford, fellow missionaries from near Preston Idaho, enjoying their gelato from our favorite place... the Frigidarium. 

This group photo in front of VITTORIO EMANUELE II MONUMENT could not have turned out better! The large marble monument, built to honor the first king of unified Italy, has become a familiar landmark for us. We can navigate Rome if we know where we are relative to this giant, white "birthday-cake-looking" building.  

The big, dark clouds, seen in this photo, rolled in just as we were walking past the IMPERIAL FORUM and towards the Colosseum Metro/Subway station. In typical fashion, the rain came down...not as a drizzle but as a deluge!! Our umbrella did little to keep us from getting wet which made for a sweltering, body-packed, sardine-can subway ride home which only added to our adventure spent with good friends and our kind friend Kim on our Guided Walking Tour of Rome. We are glad you came along, too!!!

Temple Friends

 

Several couples gathered at the home of Temple President and Matron for a delicious Taco Bar. If that doesn't sound very awesome to you... it is because crunchy, spicy, cheesy Mexican food is easy to find in your neck of the woods ....but it is a rare and special treat here in Italy!! It was a lovely evening of socializing, eating, laughing and visiting in Italian, English and Portuguese. 

 

Revived by Spring

The temple grounds are blooming beautifully! The gardeners have taken up the winter pansies and replaced them begonias and geraniums. Lots of other colors have popped out on the shrubs and trees. We are looking forward to seeing the many, many lavender plants in bloom. Primavera (the Italian word for Spring) has a way of reviving the soul!

Creepy, Creative Capuchin Crypt but Very Fascinating

Creepy and weird.

Creative and clever.

Those are the words we chose to describe our impressions of the Capuchin Crypt in Rome. It was a very unique and reverent experience! 

The human bones of roughly 4,000 friars, believed to have died between 1528 and 1870, are artistically arranged into lamps, chandeliers, crosses, an hour glass, ceiling ornaments, etc. 

From what we learned, as friars died, they were buried for 30 years in soil brought from Jerusalem and then were exhumed to make room for the recently deceased. 

Then their bones were used to add to the "artwork"!

These displays fill six small rooms, each with a name such as, The Crypt of the Tibia and Fibula, The Crypt of the Pelvises, The Crypt of the Skulls, etc.  

Some skeletons are intact and standing or lying down on beds of bones. They are clothed in the typical brown robes of a Franciscan friar or a Capuchino. 

This clock face made of bones seems to be a silent reminder of the swift passage of life on Earth and our own mortality. A very fascinating experience!

 

Smiles are contagious!

 This smile certainly made us smile! 

We found this smiling "Teddy Bear Salami" in the deli case.  Ain't he cute?!?!

Blooms (See new note at bottom of this post)

 Spring flowers are putting on a lovely show for us...on the temple piazza, on the trees in our courtyard...

...along the sidewalks. The poppies grow wild in the grassy areas along the roadways 

and even in cracks in the walkways.   

During a morning walk, we picked a handful and brought a bit of this beautiful Spring home with us!   

(NOTE: Since the time we picked these flowers and posted pictures on this blog, we have learned that picking wildflowers in Italy is punishable by fines or jail time.  Yikes!! We won't be doing it again!)

Cracking Open a Chocolate Easter Egg

Curiosity got the better of us! We just had to experience the fun of cracking open one of these big hollow Italian Easter treats.

Ferrero Rocher is a name we trust and we were not disappointed by the treasure inside...

...and the shell of the egg was just as delicious as the three candies inside. 

Cost? 10 Euros 

(but we waited until after the holiday when it was 50% off - which made it taste even sweeter!!!)

Two Easter Treat Traditions - Chocolate Egg and Colomba Bread

Our curiosity was peaked when we saw shelves and shelves of large egg-shaped, cellophane-wrapped items appearing at the grocery store. We have come to learn that these are one of two very Italian Easter traditions. In the cellophane is a very large, hollow chocolate Easter egg. They are the Italian version of America's chocolate Easter bunny!!

These Italian hollow chocolate eggs are filled with small toys or candy. They can be custom made to enclose something special like an engagement ring, concert tickets or money. 

The other unique Easter treat we have found at the bakery is dove or "Colomba" cake. 

It is similar to a Pannetone.

Both of these Easter treats have strong religious connotations. The egg, a sign of life and renewal, represents the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The dove is the universal symbol of peace and salvation also references Christ's life and sacrifice that brought peace and salvation to all who follow His example and teachings. We learn something new every day and every season!  

A Glimpse into the Past - Ostia Antica

A visit to Ostia Antica has long been on our wish-list. This was a large sea port city that shipped goods from the ocean, up the Tiber River, to Rome from 200 B.C. until about 400 A.D. Below is a drawing of what it used to look like. 

What an amazing experience it was to walk around a now-ruined, once-thriving metropolis! The archeological park is just 15 miles from our apartment (a 40-minute drive) 

and made for a wonderful day of exploring and learning. 

Beth stands outside a former hotel.

Frank plays the part of a tavern/restaurant owner ready to wait on  his customers. 

A long row of commercial offices once lined up on three sides of a large square surrounding an ancient temple. The elaborate tile work on the sidewalks served as advertising to tell what type of services 

were available inside the offices. 

Ancient Romans could visit this grassy fitness/exercise/wrestling area....like our modern-day gyms...before their daily bath in the large public bathing complex next door.

There were so many interesting things to see including this public latrine!!