Savoring the View from Rome’s Gianicolo Hill

When I first moved to Rome, I lived in San Lorenzo.

A student neighborhood beyond Termini, I thought that Trastevere was ages away.

And the Gianicolo? Forget about it. Why would I climb a hill that lay even further afield?

But one day, trying to impress me, Jimmy dragged me up that hill and it finally clicked what the big deal was.

In front of you is Rome:View from Gianicolo

Behind you is the fontanone, the Fontana dell’Acqua Paolo commissioned by Pope Paul V.

Fontana dell'Acqua Paola

It is kind of impossible to decide which way to focus your attention.

Fontana dell'Acqua Paola on Gianicolo

I love this fountain. The big fountain.  The sheer audacity of the size and of the location.

detail of fontana dell'acqua paola

And the details, if you take the time to look.

Behind the fontatone

If you walk around the pounding noise of the gushing water, you can find a tranquil courtyard (closed to the public but visible), which sits just behind the face of the fountain.

Door of the fontana dell'acqua paola

The Gianicolo is full of secret doors to who-knows-what-beyond.

I like the not knowing.

view from the janiculum

Because there are plenty of other things that you have to know about the world.

Sometimes all you want to do is let go of the overanalyzing and the what-ifs, and enjoy the view.

 

6 thoughts on “Savoring the View from Rome’s Gianicolo Hill

  1. Joanne C says:

    I’ve been there on this hill with my husband in 2001. One sunny day,. There was nobody else. A quiet day. But I would not have been there in the evening because we found empty bottles and detitrus on the soil, so I guess it was frequented more when the sun was down. Maybe it has changed. I remember that I loved the scenery and the way down verso Trastevere afterwards. So quiet and no tourists except us ! I’m planning to go back to Rome alone and enjoy the city, so I adore your blog so much. Ciao bella !

    • Natalie says:

      Hi Joanne! It is all paved up there now, and usually pretty tidy, though there is a park nearby that sometimes looks a bit overgrown.

      So happy you have a chance to visit again– and so touched you like the blog. Have an amazing time!

  2. Pingback: Pianostrada: Pasta and Panini in Trastevere – An American in Rome

  3. Lucia says:

    I have been to Rome many times but never been there . We want to do different things this time .may just do that this time . We arrive in Sunday . Can’t wait . I’m so in love with Rome ???
    Thank you . I love reading your blogs and I one hundred percent know what you mean when you say that Rome is to this day the most beautiful city you have ever seen . Me too xxx

    Lucia xxx

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