The Smackdown: Rome vs. Paris - The Sights

I have recently visited two of the greatest cities in the world; so it begs the question: Which is better Paris or Rome? Lovers of each city can hardly fathom that I would even consider the other city over their beloved. And they are both right. Neither is better, because both are fantastic. However, each has their advantages and strengths. So here I present to you: "The City Smackdown: Paris Vs. Rome!" This is my categorical breakdown of The Sights, The Food, The Nightlife, The Women, The Intangibles, Etc..

(Editor’s Note: I thought I could do this in 1 entry, but it got too long. I’m going to do it over the course of a couple of entries over the next few days. Then, for those interested in a little historical perspective, I’m going to end this whole thing with an entry I call "Your Money & Your Morals - The Roman Influence". Plus I will post some more pictures as well, so please check back druing the course of the week.)

Paris vs. Rome: The Sights

Category I - The "Big 3" for Each City

1) The Icons -

The Eiffel Tower vs. The Colosseum
Rome trounces Paris in this one. The Eiffel Tower just seems contrived. It is great to see from afar and I guess it offers a great view of Paris (I didn’t want to wait in line to find out), but is overwhelmed with tourists, has NO chararcter or historic significance and offers no real architectural appeal. (The bridges in Paris are better sight and you get a great view from the Arc de Triomphe.) While The Colosseum is also overwhelmed by tourists, all it has to offer is worth any of the annoyances. It is an absolute architectural wonder, especially since it’s construction wasn’t matched for about 2000 years, it oozes history and really seems like it’s alive. You almost expect a gladiator to walk by you at any moment - and I’m not talking about one of those fat, old Italians who pose for pictures outside either! Finally, The Colosseum is one of the most beautiful sights in Europe when seen at night with its perfect lighting.

2) The Most Famous Museums -

The Louvre vs. The Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel
Paris strikes back on this match-up and handily defeats Rome. This is not a knock The Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel, which has wonderful statues, tapestries, atniquites and of course the famed paintings of Michelangelo on the ceiling The Sistine Chapel. Our tour took about 2.5 hours from the front door until we exited thru the rear of the Chapel, and I think we basically did and saw most of what we could. However, The Louvre is enourmous. I believe you could go 8 hours per day for a week straight and not feel like you’ve seen everything. The Louvre has 5 wings (I think it’s 5) that are all larger than The Vatican Museum. You can really get a running history of the world from the pieces that range from the artifacts of the Ancient Egyptians through the beautiful paintings of the Renaissance. Ironically, The Louvre has a better display of Italian Masterpieces than Rome. In addition, The Louvre is an architectural masterpiece that is impressive on the inside and out. Now I wish they would just get rid of that damn Mona Lisa!

3) The Most Famous Religous Buildings -

Notre Dame Cathedral vs. St. Peter’s Basilica
This one is closer, but Rome takes it when comparing these two buildings. From the outside, Notre Dame is extremely impressive. It’s scale is intimidating and if you told me a hunchbacked guy lived in one of the bell towers I would believe you. It’s gothic features, flying buttresses and soaring position above The Seine make it an attraction worth visiting. However, instead of inspiring you upon entry, as you would hope a religous building would, it’s cold, hard, stony interior and lack of light make the place more scary than inspiring. Meanwhile, St. Peter’s is absolutley beautiful inside and out. Once you are in the vicinity of the Vatican, St. Peter’s wonderful dome peeks above and around other buildings in the area and beckons you. The colorful murals, sculptures, most notably Michelangelo’s La Pieta, marble floors and soaring columns on the inside are true marvels. In addition, the historical significance of it being the resting place of St. Peter and other popes make it a place of pilgrimage for all Christians. Some find it spiritually uplifiting to be there, but I was more in awe than inspired, but that in no way detracts from its appeal.

So Rome gets the edge in 2 of the categories of the Big 3 Challenge. But to be fair, each city is more than those 3 things, now let’s take a look at a couple of other catgories:

Category II - Most Spiritual

Sacre Couer vs. San Pietro in Vincoli
San Pietro in Vincoli (St. Peter In Chains) is a basillica in Rome that houses the chains which imprisoned St. Peter in Jerusalem and the chains that shackled him later when he was arrested in Rome. Legend states that when both sets of chains were presented to Pope Leo they miraculously became joined to form 1 chain. There is also a famous Michelangelo sculpture of Moses here. To me this was the most moving religous building I visited in Rome. However, the clear winner is Sacre Coure (Sacred Heart) which is the most spiritually uplifiting and peaceful place I have ever visited on earth. On the ceiling there is a mural of Christ with his arms wide open welcoming you. Your eyes go to it immediately upon entering the basilica. It is set on a beautiful ocean blue background and I sat in a pew and stared at it for a half-hour straight. It was completely mesmerizing. I went late on a Sunday night and the tranquility you feel inside Sacre Couer is remarkable. Even more remarkable in that it is on the outskirts of Paris in a neighborhood that can be quite seedy at night. One of my goals in life is to attend Midnight Mass there.

Category III - Common Attractions

The Pantheon in Paris vs. The Pantheon in Rome and The Arc de Triomphe vs. The Arch of Constantine/The Arch of Titus
All of thes sights are fantastic, however when comparing you have to give the edge to the originals in Rome. Those sights in Paris were modeled after the ones in Rome.

At this point, Rome has a slight lead with a marginal win in "The Big 3" and a solid victory in the "Common Attractions" comparisons, but Paris stays close with a narrow defeat in "The Big 3" and a big win in "Most Spiritual".

Category IV - The Other Places

However, what gives the overall edge to Rome in The Sights category is the fact that Rome has so many treasures stationed around the city. Other cities around the world would consider these their greatest attractions, but they are secondary tourist options in Rome. Piazza Novona, The Spanish Steps, Circus Maximus, The Roman Forum and Trevi Fountain are just a few, but there are also dozens of other piazzas, museums, churches, sculptures and historically signifcant ruins that are scattered about Rome. Paris, or any place else in the world, can’t match the sheer volume.

Winner: Rome

So if you are a traveller most interested in seeing the sights, Rome is the clear winner.