MY FIRST TIME IN THE ETERNAL CITY 2.0 (ROME, ITALY)

Roma, una frazione di eternità.

Fausto Gianfranceschi

When I was a teenager, I had a great fascination for the Italian culture. Mainly because of Federico Fellini's films, because of its food (especially pizza), its history and its language. After some years of having studied Italian and having a courtship with a Bella Ragazza, the possibility arose of finally getting to know Italy. The path of love and passion also took me to Rome.

The Roman Colosseum, for obvious reasons, was the construction that amazed me the most. From its greatness, the number of tourists who visit it and how small one feels next to it, are emotions that can hardly be narrated. Just in front, walking along the Via Sacra, you will reach the Via de los Foros Imperiales, an avenue that dates back to the 10th and 11th centuries B.C. which at the time was not only the economic, political and social center of the city of Rome, but of the entire empire that expanded throughout much of Europe.

In general, throughout the city you will find history on every corner; a monument, a statue, a fountain, a church. It is impossible not to be amazed and even more complicated, it is to resist wanting to photograph its constructions and its ruins.

The emblematic theater 5 of Cinecittà, is the cinema forum where many of Fellini's films were filmed, one of my favorite directors, who notably influenced my decision to study cinematography. Like many of the great film studios of the 20th century, they have suffered a great reduction in budgets, or failing that, making series productions for streaming platforms.

I think that traveling not only represents an opportunity to discover new cultures. But also and specifically in the case of Rome, the importance of religions and the different vision compared to the way it is perceived in Latin America. The spirituality and depth of its symbols give a twist to the perception of what it really is to have faith in something. It invites, at least, to reflect on the notion of superiority, with respect to the past that is so fashionable in our times.