Rome - December 28, 2011 - Medici Looking Lion

Not one of the real Medici lions (which are now chillaxin' in Florence), this little guy was hidden along a gravel trail that lead down from the Pincian Hill to the Piazza dell Popolo.

I though he looked kinda cute.

Rome - December 28, 2011 - Pincian HIll Water Clock

Water clock, Pincian Hill, Rome

I actually did have a plan for walking all the way up here, not just for the magnificent views of Rome, but a little known hidden treasure.

This mysterious something super in the Pincian Park is the water clock. Reminds me of the steam clock in Gas Town, Vancouver, BC.

I really want to compare the two of them. This was built in 1867 and sits in the center of a rustic looking fountain, think a vignette in a Calvert Vaux or Alexander Jackson Davis book on landscaping from the 1850’.

Rome - December 28, 2011 - Pincian Hill and Obelisk

Obelisk of Antinous

Pincian Hill, Park &
Expensive Restaurant

If you  walking up Viale della Trinita dei Monti like we did then you will come to a fork in the road, take a slight right onto the Viale Adamo Mickievicz and within a few minute on should see the obelisk in the center of the piazza Bucharest on the right (east).

Pincian Hill and Obelisk: This obelisk was made for Hadrian’s villa at Tivoli as an adornment to the tomb of his lover Antinous, who some say was drowned in the Nile as a ritual sacrifice. I think I already mentioned that. So there is your Egyptian link, Hadrian was obsessed with Egypt.

Anyway, this park with its neoclassical architecture, switchback carriage lane and monumental staircase and sweeping views of the city was created during Napoleon’s brief rule of Italy.

The obelisk was finally set up here in the Piazza Bucharest in the 1820’s after being set up at the Vatican after earlier being robbed from the tomb of Antinous and set in the center of the circus Varianus by our good friend and certified nutter Heliogabalus.

Pincian Hill with Obelisk of Antinous