Okay this is my last Rome post and then we're on to Florence- are you with me?!
There is so much to love about Rome: lofty domed buildings, classical architecture with tile roofs, colorful shutters and bits of greenery tucked into every corner. Yes, the things they say about Rome are true-- it is fast, loud, big, and in some places dirty, gritty, and riddled with graffiti but there still is warmth, light, color, depth--there is beauty everywhere.
Rome has a definite energy and fast pace but one perk of getting to know my camera over the last year is that I now have a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing the world. Slowing down a bit can bring to light beauty in details I might have overlooked in the past.
I think I must have taken hundreds of photos of windows and doorways!
Don't you just want to peek inside this window?
During the Renaissance it was Roman custom to build elaborate fountains at the endpoints of aqueducts that brought water to Rome. The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world.
Monument to Victor Emanuel II who was king of Sardinia and then became the first king of a united Italy since the 6th century, a title he held until his death in 1878.
There was never a shortage of opportunities to take interesting photos-- people, food, architecture. I was in heaven.
The Colosseum is the largest colosseum ever built in the Roman empire and is considered one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering. Construction started in 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus.
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiator contests, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on classical mythology.
During the games, people from all walks of life crowded together in this noisy and chaotic amphitheater. Besides amusing themselves with gambling and games, spectators sometimes prepared and cooked food, played music, applied make-up, and even scratched graffiti on to the walls and steps of the seating area.
And showcased inside the museum area, along with these slabs of graffiti, are ivory combs, hair-pins, dice, chicken bones, tooth picks, peach pits-- illustrating how everyday people spent their time while watching the games at the Colosseum. So cool!
From the Colosseum we moved on to the Arch of Constantine and then on to Palatine Hill.
The Palatine Hill is the centermost of the Seven Hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. Recent excavations show that people have lived there since approximately 1000 BC! It stands 40 meters above the Roman Forum on one side, and the Circus Maximus on the other.
According to Roman mythology the Palatine Hill was the location of the cave where Romulus and Remus were found by the she-wolf who kept them alive. Rome is named after the brother Romulus.
The Domus Augustana, built by emperor Domitian, was the emperor's luxurious private residence. The Domus Flavia was the official part of the palace in which emissaries might be received or state banquets might be held.
Also part of Domitian's palace, was this open area known as the Stadium of Domitian. Opinions are divided on if this was a stadium for exercising horses or merely a large garden.
Original walls of the Cryptoporticus of Emperor Nero.
Original fresco in the recently discovered primary residence of Rome's first Emperor, Caesar Augustus (63 BC -14 AD).
Archaeologists discovered remains of an early settlement, reputedly the dwelling of the legendary founder and first king of Rome, Romulus (771-717 BC).
The Forum was the city's chief public square, and served as a market and meeting place. It was surrounded by monumental buildings, including temples, the senate chamber, a treasury, and a prison. It also contained arostrum, or platform, for public speakers.
1.Curia 2.Arch of Septimius Severus 3.Rostra 4.Temple of Vespasian 5.Via Sacra 6.Temple of Saturn 7.Colonna di Foca 8. Basillica Iulia 9.Basilica Emilia 10.Temple of Julius Caesar 11.Temple of Vestals 12. Temple of Castor 13.Church of S. Maria Antiqua 14.Temple of Agustus 15.Temple of Antonius and Faustina 16.Temple of Romolus 17.Temple of Venus and Rome 18. House of Vestals 19.Basilica di Maxentius 20.The Colosseum 21.Arch of Titus 22.Palatine
Arch of Septimius Severus
The temple of Castor and Pollux
The Temple of Saturn, a tribute to the god of agriculture, stands at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. It was originally erected in 497 BC and later rebuilt between 360 and 380 AD (as recorded in the inscription on the facade: "Destroyed by fire; restored by the Senate and people of Rome"). It served as the public treasury and was the focus of the popular December festival of Saturnalia.
The House of Vestal Virgins : the Vestals were priestesses of Vesta, goddess of the hearth. These girls/women had the prestigious duty of guarding the temple of Vesta and keeping its sacred eternal flame burning.
Their house was located just behind the once circular Temple of Vesta.
Original walls, Temple of Romulus
Basilica of Maxentius
So much history in one city. So much beauty. So many scooters....
So many photo opportunities!
I will be back.....
