Women especially poured into the sacred Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum, carrying small tokens for their immortal goddess, who was so powerful she could grant fertility. An unborn calf, removed from its mother's womb, was customarily sacrificed. In the days leading up to the summer solstice, ancient Romans celebrated Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, home and family. "No, really, I'm paying my respects to Apollo today," I smiled confidently, though even I wondered if there really was a temple dedicated to Apollo lying beyond the tall gate of the enclosed estate. "Ardea? A Temple of Apollo? Sei sicura? Are you sure?" my taxi driver asked, eyebrows raised. The following Tuesday morning, the summer solstice, I woke up late, leaving myself no time to purchase figs from the grocery store before catching my ride to Ardea, a quiet, seaside town about an hour south of Rome's historic center and the location of Pietas’ modern-day temple dedicated to the ancient god, Apollo. Ancient Roman priestesses wore white cotton, linen or wool pleated dresses known as stola at temple ceremonies as symbols of purity. I did, however, find a long white cotton sundress. On this visit, though, no figs were to be found among the bustling stalls. Rome's weekly flea market, which starts at an ancient city gate located at the end of Via Portuense, about a block from the banks of the Tiber, and extends a mile or so into the Trastevere neighborhood, typically has figs in the summertime, and everything else under the sun: motorcycle helmets, parakeets, brooms, ladders, porchetta sandwiches, toasted peanuts, and more. The Sunday prior to the solstice, I headed to the Porta Portese market in search of figs. "Figs!" my friend Danilo suggested, reminding me of the Ficus Ruminalis, the legendary, wild fig tree that once stood at the foot of the Palatine Hill, marking the exact spot where Romulus and Remus, Rome’s mythological founders, landed on the banks of the Tiber. Most had never heard of Association Pietas. When I asked my Roman friends, they were perplexed that their fellow citizens were still practicing paganism. What does one wear to a Festa di Solstizio? And what does one bring as an offering? So when I was invited to celebrate the summer solstice at a temple dedicated to Apollo with Association Pietas, a group of modern-day Romans dedicated to reviving the ancient religion of the Eternal City, I said yes in a heartbeat. In the ‘90s, I lived in Rome as a study abroad student, and today I’m an Italian language instructor based in Chicago I return every other summer to brush up on my Italian and my dolce vita skills. Twelve-year-old me dreamed of being able to don a long, elegant toga, an owl perched upon my shoulder a la Minerva, the ancient Roman goddess of wisdom, and wander the Forum. A child of the ’80s, I was the little girl glued to the television every Saturday morning, eagerly awaiting the next episode of the time travel series par excellence, Voyagers! In episode six, a personal favorite, Phineas Bogg traveled to ancient Rome to meet Cleopatra on the Ides of March, only to accidentally teleport her to 1927 New York, where she falls onto the arm of Lucky Luciano. I've long been fascinated with ancient Rome. It's not every day that I'm faced with the chance to step back in time.
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