Deeper Underground

One of the landmarks that I wanted to visit was the Basilica Cistern, an ancient waterworks hidden deep beneath the city supported by marble columns. Mum was a bit dubious about visiting an ancient sewer, but I felt that our city visit wouldn’t be complete without seeing some of the sights described in Dan Brown’s Inferno. We entered a kiosk and paid to go through a turnstile and descend stone marble steps which felt a bit as if we’d entered the London Underground. But the columns and archways below were amazing. There was a series of walkways over the water that lit up to create a very eerie atmosphere. Some of the columns were sculptured with patterned spirals and medusa heads. Unfortunately we couldn’t undergo a full visit as restoration works were underway, and we could see workmen preserving the structure through a crack in the canopy. When we re-ascended into modern civilisation, a street tout tried to sell us some aftershave. ‘Ah, eau d’Basilicia’ I said.