Roma, where memory & myth intertwines
To celebrate his 80th birthday, I take my father back to Italy for a 6-week odyssey.
Chapter 1: Tennis In Rome
Il sole è bellissimo. The sun is beautiful. The air is crisp even in the city. We are here for Pops’ 80 birthday. The weather nods to us in approval. The sky is a soft blue. There is hardly a cloud, but when one passes in front of the sun, it cools the air in a pleasant way.
We have come to see the men’s semifinals of the Internazionali BNL D’Italia:
Carlos Alcaraz vs. Lorenzo Musetti
When we arrived at the stadium Il Foro Italico, we walked amongst the flags of every nation. Ours steps carried us over carefully tiled mosaics depicting ancient iconography like chiseled roman athletes, fountains, dolphins, and the like. Around the perimeter, the grounds were lined with captivating trees known as Italian stone pines - shooting into the sky with long, skinny trunks that fanned up and out with bristles like rich green umbrellas. They surely contributed to the fresh air and added that extra touch of Italian landscaping, complimented no doubt by il Foro Italico’s strategic positioning, nestled into the side of a forested mountain.
The young Spaniard in Alcaraz is the successor to Nadal, many people say. His play is strong - explosive at its best and solid at its worst - he gets to every ball and even his defense is offensive. His aggressive style and ability to forget what happened last point, to be so fully in the moment, causes his opponents to make errors. He forces you into tough situations and exploits extreme angles with a sniper’s precision. When he senses his opponent on the back foot, he deploys a lethal drop shot that satisfies the crowd and keeps his opponent ever-guessing. Carlos enjoys entertaining us, and some might say he pumps his fist too much. Each winning point he resembles a young lion gritting its teeth. But as you watch him from match to match, you realize he’s living true to himself, not being performative. He is enjoying and affirming himself and for that, how can you fault him?
Lorenzo Musetti is also a young player, Italian, with a beautiful backhand, but he is not as young as Alcaraz nor is he as consistent. His hot and cold nature leave something to be desired. Like anyone in the top 20, he can hit big shots when he needs to. But his second serve is much weaker than his first serve, and opponents like Alcaraz capitalize on this.
The match was set for center stage - il Campo Centrale. The moment we entered and caught sight of the court, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause, as Jasmine Paolini & Sara Errani won their semifinals doubles match. With match point, these two Italian women made history. One young and one seasoned, they would enter the finals for the second year in a row, marking the first time an all-Italian pair had ever done so. You could feel the pulse of crowd. The Italian women embraced each other and then threw their triumphant fists up in the air and everyone in the crowd did the same. This place was an organism.
Musetti looked the part but faltered. From the first, point he could not match the strength of Alcaraz. His fellow countrymen from the stands would yell, “Vai LoLo!” or “Forza Lore!” and with each surge from the crowd, it infused him with hope. He took the first set to a tiebreak only to lose it by a hair.
In the second set, Carlos sank his teeth in. Alcaraz knew what to do to get across the finish line. He had secured a championship victory in Monte Carlo against Musetti himself only one month prior. This however was a great test for Carlos who was rehabbing from a leg injury sustained right before Roma..
Chapter 2: Architecture
Romantic cafés sit right outside decadent churches. In Rome, this is normal. An abundance of texture surrounds you. Physically in what you see and experientially in what you can taste. Everything has been soaked in the sun for centuries and golden brown hues are baked into the fabric of the stones, the wood, the railings, the people.
On foot, there is a natural flow and progression that lulls you into a dream and when you arrive at another colossal monument you are jolted awake in awe, only to slip lovingly back into a dream state. Sooner or later you contemplate the word "romance" - its origins from the Latin word "romanicus," which meant "of the Roman style." Although this city is hardly mentioned in the top five world-wide, it goes without saying that once you set foot in this place you have arrived at the original blueprint for what a great city could be. A living museum. To me, Rome is about remembering rather than inventing. The weight of history standing firmly and triumphantly. Even though “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” the beauty of a single day in this ancient city is enough to fill your cup and let it spill over.
For the purposes of our trip, Rome is the beginning and the end. With Pops being an avid tennis player and fan, I thought it spectacular to see one of the greatest tennis tournaments leading up to Roland Garros (aka the French Open). The day after the tournament, we took the liberty of exploring the city.
In particular, in this first edition, I want to bring your attention to La Chiesa di Sant'Agnese in Piazza Navona. The piazza itself is built on the site of the 1st century AD Stadium of Domitian, which was a gift to the city of Rome by the emperor, used entirely for athletic contests, and it follows the form of the open space of the stadium, in an elongated oval. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones ("games"), and thus it was known as "Circus Agonalis" or the "competition arena". In the 17th century it became a showcase for Baroque design, with work by Bernini and Borromini among others. The Fountain Of Four Rivers stands in front of the church. Within the church itself, you immediately see a soaring masterpiece, where light dances across gilded stucco, marble columns, and a dome that opens to the heavens. Every curve and detail, from the dramatic altars to the sculpted angels above, feels alive—drawing your gaze upward, as if the architecture itself is reaching toward the divine.
In the next edition…
The ancient and mystical island of Sardegna is rarely talked about but cherished by locals. Aquamarine waters, dramatic beaches, rugged mountains, and lush forests ensure that this is an island you won’t want to miss...
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