Rome vs Paris

At the beginning of June I spent three days in Rome – The Eternal City. Three years ago I visited Paris, another famous European Capital.

Despite the title of this post, my goal is not to decide which city is the best of the two, because I just think this is pointless. Each city has its own peculiarities and everybody is free to choose the one they prefer. My goal is to underline a difference that I think is significant of the culture of their respective countries.

There is no doubt about the fact that both cities give you a sense of imperialistic magnificence, even though it is clear that they achieved their maximum splendor in different moments. Nevertheless, the overall perception that I felt about these two wonderful cities differs in a remarkable manner.

In the heart of the city for instance, you can see ruins and gardens that are inaccessible and seem to be completely abandoned. [1] I’m not an expert of historical monuments but I believe that such places could be monetized much more effectively.

On the contrary, I can’t remember a single place in Paris which made me think about such carelessness. Everything is well maintained and profited from properly. It seems that every brick, tile, and stone sits there to tell the visitors:

France cannot be France without greatness (Charles de Gaulle)

That said, there are some places in Rome that are sublimely unique and that the whole world continues to envy us …

[1] From this standpoint, such places are good examples of what I previously described in this post.