On Rome

June 27, 1887

I am in Rome! Everything I step on is the dust of heroes.  Here I breathe the same air which the Roman heroes have breathed.  I salute every statue with reverence, and to me, a humble native of a small island, it seems that I am in a sanctuary.  I have already seen the Capitolium, the Tarpeian Rock, the Palatinum, the Forum Romanum, the Amphitheatre, etc.  Everything here is glorious except the cafes and the cafe singers.  I do not enter these [cafes] because I loathe to hear their French songs or see modern industries.  My favorite places are the Amphitheatre and the Roman Forum; there I remain seated for hours, contemplating everything and restoring life to the ruins... I have also visited some churches and museums, like the Capitoline Museum and the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore, which is also grandiose.