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ROME-IN’ AROUND: A Photo Fling Through Rome’s Greatest Hits: Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, and Roman Forum
Alright folks, in honor of the historic, slightly smoky spectacle in one of my absolute favorite places on Earth, I’m launching a special run of Debby Does Destinations: The Conclave Chronicles (Rome if You Want To).
Each day of the conclave, I’ll be posting a bite-sized blog—something quirky, curious, and maybe even a little uplifting. I’ll sprinkle in my own snapshots from around Rome and the Vatican, so we can travel together virtually—no passport required.
Think secret ballots, strange rituals, weird-but-true facts. Papal meets playful.
Full disclosure: this is a bit of a personal pilgrimage. I’m normally a chronic over-writer. I rewrite, overthink, marinate, spiral, edit again, question all my life choices, and then—finally—hit publish... often to be met with the deafening silence of no clicks, no likes, no comments. Just me and the echo of my own neuroses.
This time? I'm taking a different approach: just write the damn thing, proof it, post it. (this post crafted in record time: 3 hours, 17 min)
Another confession—I may or may not be avoiding finishing my résumé and looking for a job.
Ok. Let’s do this.
April 21, 2025. The world bid farewell to a global spiritual leader known for his warmth, humility, and relentless calls for compassion and justice. This pope championed the poor and marginalized, leading the Catholic Church with a reformer's heart, always pushing it toward mercy and inclusion. He was a beautiful man who embraced children who ran up onto the altar naughtily during mass, held the sick and disfigured close, washed the feet of the poor and incarcerated. These simple acts spoke to the kind of man he was.
Now, all eyes turn to Rome. There’s excitement in the air (and not just from news cameras and electrical cords all over the piazza). St. Peter’s Square hums with anticipation: banners waving, news crews jockeying for position, pilgrims clutching rosaries and iPhones in equal devotion.
Inside the Vatican, the Cardinals shuffle in—a sea of scarlet robes and solemn faces, each carrying the weight of tradition and the awareness that the world is watching. Are they thinking “Dear Lord, please not me,” or perhaps, “Do we get a lunch break?” or “What if I have to pee?” It's a sacred process—but also a very human one—and maybe one of the most intense hiring processes on Earth.
Ok, let’s leave the crowds at St. Peter’s Square and take a quick stroll through some of Rome’s iconic spots. Andiamo!
The Vergine Aqueduct empties into Fontana di Trevi’s ice-blue pool surrounded by alabaster eye candy. Nautical god Neptune takes center stage, striking a dramatic pose while flanked by energetic white horses and a couple of tritons. Originally envisioned by Bernini for Pope Clement XII, this baroque masterpiece was only realized 50 years later after a more budget-friendly redesign by architect Salvi.
Throughout my visits in Rome, I pass by several of its great sites. Different times of day show me how the character of these places change morning, afternoon, and evening. During the day, this giant is surrounded by selfie-stick-armed tourists and the calls of street vendors. Gladiator impersonators hassle name-tag-wearing tour group-goers for a photo opp and pickpockets wait patiently to free visitors of their wallets. At night, the Colosseum, a broken crown with glowing scaffolding.
With its three famous fountains, Piazza Navona is one of Rome’s most popular piazzas. It owes its long, skinny, oval shape to its first purpose as a chariot racecourse; in AD 86, it entertained nearly 30,000 race fans. Also popular with people-watching pigeons.
Tucked among Rome’s narrow streets, it emerged with massive Egyptian columns (takes four adults to wrap arms around one of them) that lead to a soaring dome (the world’s largest unreinforced in concrete). Light pours through the great oculus, the building’s only window, illuminating tombs and chapels.
An impressive sprawl of ruins, the Roman Forum was ancient Rome's showpiece center, a grandiose district of temples, basilicas, and vibrant public spaces. The site was first developed in 7th century BC as an Etruscan burial ground, growing over time to become the Roman empire’s social, political, and commercial hub. These leftover monuments represent a wide variety of time periods, a mish-mash of history covering several centuries. The Regia, Rome’s first royal palace, dates back to 7th century BC, while the Basilica of Maxentius was completed 1,000 years later.
A stroll among the vestal virgins at the Forum…