Rome tends to be anything but mysterious. Everything about it has been studied, written, and re-written. Its past eras and architectural styles are all mashed up and juxtaposed, in plain view for all to see. Its history belongs to us all, and… well, not much new gets built around here.
But every once in a while Rome still manages to surprise us. On Friday morning the city woke up to a very heavy sky and cold enough temperatures that it actually began to snow. Granted, the inch and a half that fell over the course of two hours was child’s play compared to the snowstorms that have battered the US and the UK. 
However, think of it this way. That inch and a half constitutes about 20% of the total snowfall that Rome has seen… in the past 100 years. Not so common.
Yet even with so little snow the Circo Massimo and the invisible Palatine hill (photo 2) seem far more mysterious and unusual than they should. Short lived though… by noon the snow had melted completely and the sun was back out.
Many thanks to Elizabeth Geoghegan for these images!
-- Contributed by GB (see bio), Editor, Italian Notebook.
February 15th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Elizabeth,
wonderful photographs!
February 15th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Wonderful note, and stunning photos! Bravi GB e Elizabeth!!
February 15th, 2010 at 4:34 pm
What a great note! That is an astounding statistic – 20% of the total snowfall in the past 100 years. Great photos, too.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
A truly unusual but beautiful and “mysterious” sight!!!
February 15th, 2010 at 5:22 pm
Wow! That is absolutely beautiful! Thank you for posting these! It reminds me of my very first day in Rome – the coldest day of the year, with the most rain in 50 years. How I miss the city!
February 15th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
beautiful photos — I live in North Carolina and we have had much snow this winter including three inches once again Friday night — I am definitely ready for spring though I know in the summer when the temperature is in the high 80’s with high humidity I will be wishing for cooler weather — :0)
February 15th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
I’m sure it must have been lovely to see this ancient city covered in snow! Your photos are lovely. We got to see snow in Perugia, in Umbria and it was magical. http://livecheapmakeart.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_archive.html
February 15th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
How magical!!!Thanks for the pictures. Seeing the beautiful city of Rome covered by a blanket of snow is so wonderful. I wish I was there. We truly miss Rome!
Grazie e Ciao,
Claudia
February 16th, 2010 at 12:47 am
To Elizabeth — who wrote of the unusual snow in Rome. It isn’t so uncommon afterall, Elizabeth. While we were living there in the 70s and 80s, I remember several snows, usually 5-6 years apart, and then as now they generally lasted only a few hours. We had a memorable (for us) snow once that was absolutely beautiful. Not a “dusting,” as the one seems to be in the fotos, but a real, possibly 4-5 inch snow. Our kids were excited as were we. But alas, by noon that same day,it had all melted.
When I read your title (“Mysterious Rome”) I thought you were going to explore “Roma Underground.” In the 1980s (?) RAI-TV produced a series with that title. It seems there are disguised entrances, often unnoticed by passers-by, that lead down to churches, streets, etc. underground. One can no doubt still gain access to these real “mysteries” at some city office, or at the Historical Society for the Protection of the Beni Culturali. I would love to read a story about this in ItalianNotebook. The TV commentator said there is probably as much to see under Rome as there is above ground. SC
February 16th, 2010 at 3:28 am
Thank you for the wonderful note, pictures and the perspective of a century! It’s very telling and I think we will have more of this to come. Very best regards and appreciation, Jeannie
February 16th, 2010 at 4:44 am
Thanks for the photos. They have an almost magical look about them. Lots of snow here in the U.S.-Philadelphia area. Hoping for nice weather when I arrive in mid-April!!
February 16th, 2010 at 10:08 am
Beautiful photos!
February 16th, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Thank you for the beautiful pictures, it helps me to “dream” about the places I most want to travel to and see all the beauty you have shared with us. We now have about 11 inches of snow on the ground and it looks like a snow globe outside right now. Grazie