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The excitement starts with the legend that covers the Piazza del Gesu'. The legend syas that, once upon on time, walking down the alleys, the Devil and its companion named Wind, stopped in front of the Church of Jesus and the Devil said to the companion to wait out there for him has he had something very important to sort out inside the Church. When walked in, he never came out ever again and the Wind (as you will feel it), still today waiting for him.
This Piazza was named after the Church of Jesus which stands just there. this breathtaking and imposing Church can be appreciated inside-out with you guide. Built between 1568 and 1584 by the jesuit order Ignatius Loyola who became a Christian. The finest frescos can be seen inside the Church which depicts the Triumph of the name of Jesus and the message its clear, Faithful, Catholic worshipers will be uplifted to heaven while protestants and herects are flung into the fires of Hell. Also the finest sculpture of Triumph of Faith over Idolatry, by Pierre Legros, is situated in the Cappella of Sant'Ignazio. Your guide will give you all the details of this fantastic marble sculpture and more inside the Church.
Leaving behind the Chucrh of Jesus, you will reach Piazza Mattei where the fantastic masterpiece of Taddeo Landini, the Turtle fountain and its square with famous palaces and its history.
Down the alley, is situated Portico d'Ottavia. The colonnaded structure was built by Augustus in the name of his sister, Octavia Minor, after 27 BC, in place of the Porticus Metelli. The portico enclosed the temples of Jupiter Stator and Juno Regina, next to the Theater of Marcellus. It burned in 80 AD and was restored, probably by Domitian, and again after a second fire in 203 AD by Septimius Severus and Caracalla. The structure was damaged by an earthquake in 442 AD, when two of the destroyed columns were replaced with an archway which still stands. Besides the pre-existing temples, the enclosure included a library erected by Octavia in memory of her son Marcus Claudius Marcellus, the curiaOctaviae, and a schola.
to keep up you interests, you will be taken to the Synagogue. Built between 1899-1904 by Costa and Armanni, this vast building entirely with travertine with its copper dome. The facade of this magnificent building has Hebrew simbols in memory of those exported to the concentration camps in 1940's.
Walking over Fabricio Bridge, you will get to the Tiber Island. In 293 AC Rome was struck by a plague. The Romans brought from the Greek sanctuary of Epidaurus a snake, the sacred symbol of Aesculapius, the God of Medicine. When the ship was carrying the snake, the reptile slithered off the ship and hid on the island. From that moment the plague ended and the area was declared sacred. A temple in name of Aesculapius was built on the Tiber Island and the island became a place where all the sick people were treated.
The route goes on with Ponte Garibaldi where you will have the opportunity to look at over the Tiber Island and make pictures with both side bridges that connecting both embankments of Tiber River.
To finish off this amazing walking tour, you will be finishing with your guide at the Campo de' Fiori. Once the liveliest and roughest are of medieval and Renaissance Rome. Cardinals and nobles mingled with fishmongers and foreigners in the piazza's market. Campo de' Firori is also where caravaggio killed is opponent after losing a game of tennis on the square. In the Renaissance the piazza was surrounded by inns, many of which were owned by the 15th century courtesan VannozzaCatanei, mistress of Pope Alexander VI. The square was also used for public execution. The philosopher Giordano Bruno's statue in the midle of the Campo de' Fiori, was located in the exact point where he was burned alive in 1600 because suggesting that, the earth moved arounf the sun.
