Rome still sits proudly on her seven hills, undismayed, undisturbed by
the ravages of war. There is little real difference to be seen in the
Italian capital as it is and as it was before the war. In the evening
hours, when all Rome goes for a promenade or a drive, the Corso is as
crowded as ever. One sees more uniforms, but otherwise the scene is
similar to that of peace times.
Romans still love to dine on the sidewalks, partake of their ices, and
sip their wine and coffee at little tables placed where pedestrians are
supposed to pass. They attend the theater, the opera and the various
other places of amusement of which they are so fond.
The main difference in the city's aspect is in the dress of the people.
Officers are seen only in field uniform, privates in the gray of
the battle-field. Women no longer attempt display, only the simplest
effects are seen. All ostentation in the wearing of gowns and jewelry
is frowned upon.
None has suffered more than the nobility. Most of them being of
moderate means, the war brought many sacrifices, endangering slender
purses and curtailing most needed comforts. A number have had to sell
their prized art treasures to keep from actual want.
The beautiful Palace on the Quirinal is now a hospital. Many of its
nurses are the noble women of Italy. The city is filled with welfare
organizations.
Buried in the heart of Rome, its ruins telling us the story of the
birth of civilization, lies the Forum, unchanged, unaffected by the
world struggle. It speaks of days that were, of other wars, of Caesar,
who, like the Kaiser, was ambitious, of Marc Antony who sacrificed
everything for love of a woman, of Cicero, and others whose deeds and
words have made history.
Above the ruins of the Forum is the Palatine. Here once lived the
Caesars. Their palaces once covered the hill from which they looked
down upon Rome. The Golden Palace of Nero has been obliterated by time,
just as the chateaus and beautiful structures of northern France have
been leveled by the invading Germans.
Fortunate is the world that the treasures of Rome are intact. St.
Peter's and all the wonderful churches still stand unharmed. The
Vatican with its storehouse of treasures remains as it was. Art
galleries containing world's masterpieces are preserved for posterity.
Rome is still the Rome familiar to travelers. Its hotels are filled,
not with tourists, but with officers and their families. Its streets
are still throbbing with life, it remains one of the most interesting
cities on this spinning globe.