The ancient Roman’s life was full of fabulousness, luxury and power. Sumptuos home, imported fabrics, great works of art and ships. In particular Emperor Caligula was a dedicated lover of luxury boats.
And we are not talking about simple yacht but boats over 70 meters long, maxi equipped yachts, rich in decorations and furnishings typical of the Roman Empire. Emperor Caligula loved to enjoy the luxuries: ten rows of oars, the brilliant stern of jewels, large bathrooms, galleries and halls, always stocked with a great variety of vines and fruit trees, porphyry and serpentine avance, enamels, mosaics, fragments of columns metal, nails, bricks and terracotta pipes.
These boats contributed a lot to the knowledge of the Roman naval technique, had been built for ceremonial and representation functions. The result of advanced and beautifully decorated engineering, Caligula used them as floating buildings in which to live or stand on the lake, or with which to simulate naval battles. Wide more than 25, had been built by the emperor Caligula, in honor of the goddess Egyptian Isis and the local goddess Diana protector of the hunting.
Over the centuries the concept of luxury has been handed down, has taken different nuances, a more modern concept of “luxury of living” and of the ephemeral pleasures of everyday life is assumed. The ancient luxury ceremonial boats of Caligula have turned into real luxury experiences to be experienced at sea. They are big, exaggerated, they belong to sultans, sheikhs, princes, magnates and they are authentic giants of the seas. Since 1991 the Monaco Yacht Show has been offering more than 120 exceptional super yachts and mega yachts measuring 25 to 100 meters long, in the port of Monaco’s exclusive setting.
This year the international fair will take place from Wednesday 26 to Saturday 30 September 2018, from 10 to 18.30 in the Port Hercule of Monaco. You will be able to enjoy a unique landscape. The lights of the yachts that are reflected in the evening on the Monegasque water mirror, the “parade” of sumptuous boats that crammed the Porto Hercule and the coming and going of people and celebrities around them, are certainly not a usual sight for tourists September visit the Grimaldi Country.
The ancient Romans were well known to show off their power through art and architecture and even through their power to harness water and seas.
Precious goods, stones and marbles that were brought in enormous blocks and quantities on ships sailing throughout the Mediterranean and millions of miles of paved roads that the Romans laid all over europe to that orient that brought directly to the capital ( here the saying “All roads leed to Rome”), no other city in the world to today has exposed such power so vastly.
The roman empire expanded from east to west and south to north englobing the then known world under it’ s domination. Everyone yearned to become a Roman Citizen, an elite, a capital where luxury abounded for everyone, proudly emphasized by the power to harness water and showing it off in the hundreds of beautiful sprinkling fountains, baths and terms.
The transparent gold coming from hundreds of miles away through the aqueducts that were ingeniously built, flowed into the patricians domus and spectaculessly out from hundreds of beautiful fountains all over the city (many still active today!) also into a thousand public baths hat abounded in the city of Rome.
A power in a age where the populations had to go to rivers and wells to provision themselves, it was shown off also through incredible shows in the amphitheaters , where charoist raced and glatiators fought, but even thousands of gallons of water were flooded into these arenas to show off their emense power and their victories won in the seas with actual ship battles representations.
The Romans had from the early years of the Republic not only had to become a combative military power also in the Naval sphere not only to protect and conquer but also to abilitate the need to make use of extensive maritime trade, to satisfy, first of all, the vital needs and wants of the “Urbe” (City).
The Romans in the naval arena developed another important area of their great mastery as architects and builders, with extraordinary and innovative techniques, both in naval engineering and in maritime and coastal engineering and efficient infrastructures.
The Romans gave a vigorous impulse to the naval constructions, developing a merchant fleet of mighty dimensions and making the Capitoline ports the imperative representation for the image of the power of Rome and therefore of great colossal spectacularity. As happened in the imperial forum at the center of the city where every previous emperor had to express himself with greater splendor and magnitude to the people and visitors of Rome, so also happens for the ports and from those of the Republic to the Imperial age as the PORTUS AUGUSTUS URBIS ROMAE which became the majestic and functional emblema of the commercial power of Rome. The Romans dedicated great resources to the realization of having a port worthy of the Eternal City, since the former port of Ostia, became insufficient to the massive needs of the City and Empire, thus creating an imperial port even more impressive, of such beauty that the whole world was aspired to see.
We will take you to admire it’s unique secrets and marvels visiting for instance some well-preserved remains, of the ports facilities, like the innovative warehouses of Traiano with courtyards, arcades, shops; large colonnade in travertine of the Claudian period; the warehouses of Settimio Severo in the iconic red Roman bricks; the round temple of Portuno, etc. this site like that of Ostia and also the other incredibly stunning underwater sites, are absolutely worth seeing for those who would love to unveil the secrets of the Romans in harnessing the sea, with constructions even stronger than when built, and what gave birth and structure to the vast and powerful international trade the Romans developed, that enlightens on how the Romans enriched the world by giving parameters on how to implement fruitful and favorable trade exchanges that brought a dreamer “Romulus” and a small group of aggregates who dreamed of creating a new society to create such an empire that still leaves excitement and inspiration to anyone who sees and understands it and a monitor how even the most vast and powerful empire can come to the end if the wrong leadership and when internal fighting sits in.
Today the majestic architecture and artistic workmanship that have outlived time is still stunning and stimulates the imaginary of power and wealth like no other city in the world, many have tried copy it but the 3000 years of heritage can’t be replicated.This is why who wants authenticity and to feel and breath the true power and roots of where the modern civilization and artistic and commercial heritage came to such an extent, comes to Rome to contemplate it and get inspiration, through knowledgeable guides that are able to illustrate the uniqueness and the timeless knowledge and secrets. Many have come and still come to get inspiration, be it artists, designers, philosophers, builders, politicians, business and commerce oriented minds breath this glorious past that conquered the world yet allowing it to grow and prosper and bringing this prosperity besides throughout all of it empire but also back to its main HQ “ Roma Caput Mundi” “Rome” that was the biggest center of commerce, where goods were brought to Rome from every corner of the known world and shown off with great pride.
Luxury and well being was in the hands of the Roman Citizens and in those who was willing to conquer it for there are many testimonies of business men that raised to the most higher beholders of wealth and how those who were decedents of those who conquer their wealth, prospered or declined and this too is an eye-opener, warning that you get when you walk through the ruins of what was once so grandiose and powerful, the awareness that, not to rest on your laurels and that sons of great conquers can dilapidate an empire, a strong leadership is fundamental and it’s better to adopt your predecessor as Julio Cesars indicated Augustus as he’s succeder and this brought Rome to it’s maximum expansion, glory and the era of the “Pax Romana” the golden age where as Cesar Augusts said “I found Rome built of bricks; I leave her clothed in marble” Divo Cesar Augustas launched a new majestic trend in which his predecessors in the next couple hundred years especially did their best to top in grandiosity and beauty others giving birth to the imperial marble industry where where rare marbles of all colors (black,red,green, yellow etc) came from far away conquered lands always in bigger and taller blocks incredibly shipped, transported and erected blooks even beyond hundreds of tons and vastly used it extensively in the capital city from statues to buildings to mosaics.
50 milions people a year still come every year to admire these wonders and excite themselves immersing themselves in the glories of the ancient Romans, the harmonious and romanic beauty of the renascence and Baroque arts all the way to the modern artistic marvels in architecture, art, fashion, jewelry that blossoms in this mystical eternal city like no other place in the world, that is why people of power are attracted and come to Rome to get in autenticy that which many have tried to copy but only here you can get it with its original essence and DNA that will transfer it’s 3000 years heritage to those able to absorb a part of it’s unique and powerful glory !
Luxury was imperative for the Romans, rare spices and foods came from all over the world and were also cultivated as the oysters for the riches tables and banquets, where in France still today are cultivated with the same method invented by the Romans, as so many other things passed down from their keen inventions from wine to laws to engineering inventions as the Roman concrete to say one still today unbeatable in strength and longevity up to today.
Come to Rome if you are looking to enlighten your mind and senses and if you have the budget and want lo live, taste and experience it like a Cesar, Roma Luxury can open doors, places and palaces others can’t, whether it’s shopping red carpet diva style, dinning like an emperor (even in a ancient monument opened just for you) or want us to organize your stunning dolce vita event or unique experience in Rome or though out the peninsula or islands with our Italian Luxury network we can all, just ask and we will make your Roman & Italian Luxury desires will come true.
