Pronounce Roma, Ro·ma (ro-mah):

The third city on our Bella Divina fragrance tour is Roma, the capital city of Italy.  Indeed, one of the most fascinating places on the planet. Chock-full of history and myth. What’s not to love?

Like most of the famous cities of Italy, there is so much to tell about Rome. There are stacks of books written about the city, it’s people, the food, the mythology, the Roman Empire, architecture, religion and on and on. It can be overwhelming.

My best advice about getting to know Rome is to soak it up! She is one magnificent open-air museum. Imperial, Classical, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern periods are all present in the art and architecture. All this is mixed in with cell phones, ipods, traffic, open air markets,  luxury shops, huge local population and tourists on the streets. To put it in Diva terms, Rome is one-stop-shopping for the Past, Present and Future. She lives up to her name as the Eternal City.

The majesty, scale and tactile history of Rome is phenomenal. There are so many historical landmarks throughout the city and have become part of modern day. You will even find yourself succumbing t o the normalcy of saying “Turn right at the Trevi Fountain“, ” My favorite gelato is near Vatican City“,  ” …just before you get to the Forum“, “Meet you at the Pantheon.”

Your head will be spinning with the names of the Caesars (there were twelve), popes and artists that helped to make the city what it is. At times you will stop in your tracks in awe at the sheer magnitude and scope of Rome itself and the impact on the world.

And then, you will feel Rome’s magic. It is the home of La Dolce Vita, after all. She will not let you go without giving you a taste of the  sweet life. You just have to be willing…

Just when you can’t take another step….respite in a park, a piazza or a garden…a rose garden will come into view. One of the most beautiful and famous rose gardens in the world, the Roseto Communale,  sits atop one of Rome’s seven hills, the Aventine. Between the Palatine and Capitoline hills lies the Roman Forum, once the center of Roman life, therefore, the center of the world. The hillsides were terraced with fountains and gardens. Rose gardens, in particular, were a favored place to spend an afternoon. At one time,  there were over two thousand public rose gardens in Rome.

Rose petals lined the streets upon ceremonial returns of Julius Caesar and the arrival of Cleopatra. During the Renaissance, the rose came to mean love and lovers. At the same time, devotion to the Rosary (Catholic prayer beads) was popularized. Rosary translates into “rose garden.” The prayer said for each bead is a rose offered up to  Our Lady of the Rosary, Mary, Mother of God. Also, since this time, one of the most cherished tokens of reverence that the Catholic church bestows is a Golden Rose.

Roses have long been a classic and luxurious ingredients in baths, perfumes, cosmetics and decor. There was  no question that it and it’s fabulous aroma should be honored by representing the most classic and luxurious crown jewel cities of Europe in our Bella Divina collection.

Although the romance and magic or Rome is hard to see past, it is a city with a fierce, turbulent and often brutal history. It started with the founding of the city by the mythological Romulus and Remus, sons of the God of War, Mars and a formally Vestal Virgin, Rhea Silvia. I won’t go into all the background, but don’t you just love a city that’s history is based on mythology? Anyway, in order for the 2 boys not to be killed by a jealous relative, they were placed in a basket on the banks of the Tiber River. The river flooded and carried the twins downstream. The river deity, Tiberinus, brought the children up the Palatine Hill where they were nursed by a wolf, Lupa- in latin. The she-wolf nursing 2 small children is the mythological symbol of Rome today. You will see the reference throughout the city. Later, the boys fought over who be the founder of the new city, obviously, Romulus won. Roma was born.

The next time someone asks if you were raised by wolves, don’t take it as an insult, such a child founded one of the greatest cities in the world.

We hope you enjoy the essence of Italy:
Roma Collection:
Body Lotion, Body Wash, Body Butter, Body Polish, Lip Care, Bath Milk, Gifts and Travels sets and more.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 10:42 am and is filed under daily diva, product. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.