It’s the “early” morning quiet that woke me this morning. I guess I’ve finally entered officially into Roman time. I have brought my computer and camera outside to dutifully write my blog entry, which by the way happens to be one day late. Sorry.
I also made my first Italian coffee with steamed milk foam. My daughter who used to work at Starbucks would be proud of me. The sounds of people getting ready for a new day begin. Pigeons are cooing, wings are flapping and seagulls are already squawking, complaining as they pass high over my head. The sounds of traffic have just begun too. It’s the eighth and I’m sitting outside on the lanai where Alohalani wrote about the evening sky. I too cannot help but write about the beautiful sky. The ‘Olekukahi moon is setting in the west. Hokulei, Capella, is at my zenith. It seems so odd to see Hokupa, or Auriga directly above my head. A big bright orange planet is also next to the twins and I cannot immediately place it. It’s probably Mars, but I am unsure. Kekaomakali’i is also directly above me and their orientation seems almost upside down as I am high north from the equator. Nanamua & Nanahope are prominent in the sky and I understand why they were important ancient gods to the Romans. These are my gods too and old familiar friends. I also notice that stars don’t twinkle here so you cannot tell which are planets and which are stars. These old familiar friends, out of place in the lewa make me miss home. If I were home right now in Hilo I’d be watching some random show on the TV, listening to the rain on the roof and researching one thing or the other about ancient days and history of Hawai’i. Funny how I’m doing exactly the same thing here on my “vacation,” no? The only difference is that I’m writing about my experiences in the present while walking through courtyards, castles, halls and walls of someone else’s ancient past. You cannot fall too far away from the tree, I suppose, no matter how far you uproot your tree. Ha! Ok, enough with the profundity.
Yesterday we spent a good chunk of the morning at Castel Sant’ Angelo. Most may recall this fortress as one of the main locations for the story Angels and Demons. If you have ever seen or read a story where castles, dragons, nights and fair maidens were involved, this place would’ve been the epitome of your imagination. There’s a deep moat surrounding the foundation of the hill, which I’ve learned is actually a manmade hill. The Tiber river fronts the castle’s angel bedecked bridge and the entire building is surrounded with a steep impending wall full of nooks, crannies and purposefully angled windows to drop hot oil, shoot guns or levy canon balls the size of basketballs at any enemy. It’s a perfect place to conjure up all those stories you may’ve read about ancient battles. But wait a minute, what am I thinking?…. Those stories actually did transpire here.
Firstly, Castel Sant’ Angelo was once the tomb of a Roman emperor named Hadrian. I think he had the building constructed to be his and his family’s tomb. He had the entire place decorated with statues of angels and on the top of the roof where the archangel Michael currently stands, was a huge bronze sculpture of a four horse drawn chariot called a quadriga. Hadrian also commissioned the construction of the bridge with all the angels as well. I’m pretty sure the angels were not holding all the implements of the passion of Christ at its construction as Christianity wasn’t quite big yet when Hadrian was still alive. My feeling is that those additional elements had been added later. The model seen in the picture above is what some ancient texts and drawings have illustrated about the place. It sort of looks like a huge birthday cake.
would with a bridge, circular hallways large enough for three men on horseback to ride and ramparts…. hey there’s a word I never thought I’d ever use in a sentence…. filled with canons, cannon balls and a huge ass crossbow the size of a Toyota truck. From the very top of the castle my mind goes into creativity at its best. I can imagine the trebuchets launching fiery boulders from across the Tiber river, large horse drawn wagons with mangonels and battle rams attempting to bash their way into the fortress. I see crossbows being launched, hear sounds of blades being unsheathed steel upon steel, feel the vibrations of the fired boulders hitting the walls and of course the horrific sounds of men & women in battle. Sort of invigorating. Then I’m brought right back to where I am today as the saxophone player for the MTV concert of Michael Buble is practicing discordantly on the other side of the castle. Shucks. What’s at the top of the castle you’re asking? A bar. What about under the huge angel? Tourists. Present company included.
