All Roads Lead to Rome [lb]

[ARR Admin]

The eternal city with its rich history ingrained with victory and surrender, purity and scandal has always attracted those who dream of greatness. From the days of the ancient Romans the city was bathed in the blood of conquest, powerful emperors seeking to lay their Midas-like hands on the world; men like Michelangelo left their mark in marble sculptures and frescoes that captivate an audience to this day; and women like Sophia Loren with their sultry glances seduced men and women around the globe. And as they say:

Paesi che vai, usanze che trovi --- When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Not much has changed since those former days of glory. In fact the city still attracts those with a thirst for fame and glory--- the scholars, the artists, the good, the bad, and the ugly. People have flocked to Rome and taken root among the ‘true’ Romans who can trace their Roman ancestors back to the days of the Roman Empire. The tourists with their wide eyes and maps, gawk at the Colosseum and wistfully toss lira into Trevi fountain; most of the city's inhabitants no longer cling to such frivolities. And the new residence, men and women from all over the globe, transplant themselves among the rich culture struggling with the new language and the hectic Roman traffic. But:

Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate --- Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.

The cobbled streets lined with its villas, palazzos, and merchants are trodden under the feet of men and women with their Prada heels and handy Italian translators with the intent of stopping at nothing to get where they want to go. Humanity in its darkest form roams the streets with a thirst for carnal pleasure, the taste for money and material fulfillment, and the sound of their name being shouted from the top of the seven hills surrounding Rome as often as the more virtuous come for culture, knowledge, and vitality. Despite it all:

La speranza è l'ultima a morir --- Hope is last to die.

To the outside world Rome is still the beautiful city incensed by the smell of rich herbs, bustling with beautiful, hearty people, and home to some of the most exquisite works of art to ever be made by man. Millions visit the city each year to see the very streets where Caesar must have walked. All are called to grace the eternal city with their presence at least once in their lives. So it does not seem cliché to say that:

Tutte le strade portano a Roma --- All Roads Lead to Rome.



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