Rome, Italy

ROME, ITALY

images from my brother's picture gallery.

ROME is the capital of Italy and of its Latium region. It is located across the confluence of the Tiber and Aniene rivers. The Vatican City, a sovereign enclave within Rome, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the home of the Pope. It was once the capital of the Roman Empire, the most powerful, largest, and longest lasting empire of classical antiquity.

Rome is the largest city and commune in Italy and it is also one of the largest among European capital cities, with an area of 1,290 square kilometers. The commune territory extends up to the Tyrrhenian Sea, with the district of Ostia, on the south-west, located on the shore. Within the city limits, the population is 2,669,873 (2005); almost 3.5 million live in the general area of Rome

Colloseum

It was Emperor Vespasian who commissioned the Colloseum of Rome in 72 AD as an entertainment center for his subjects.

It was opened by his son, Emperor Titus, in 80 AD even it was not yet completed with 100 consecutive days of public events, including bloody gladiator fights and non-gory theatrical productions.

Commodus was the only emperor to fight in the Coliseum of Rome, which he did just for entertainment purposes. His matches were rigged by selecting opponents who were under-armed, poorly skilled or physically impaired from previous fights. He is the person portrayed as the malicious emperor in the Academy Award winning movie,starring Russel Crowe, The Gladiator.

Emperor Honorius outlawed in 404 AD the Colloseum of Rome’s gladiator death duels.

After the Rome fell to the Goths, the spectacles were stopped and the colloseum deteriorated due to neglect. In the 16th century, local construction firms quarry some of the large Colloseum of Rome stone building blocks for use in other sites, including St. Peter’s Basilica.

It was only in the 19th century when the thru the initiation of the popes, the colloseum was reserved to be preserved for future generations.

Colloseum 2

It was only in the 19th century when the thru the initiation of the popes, the colloseum was reserved to be preserved for future generations.

FONTANA DI TREVI

FONTANA DI TREVI



The fountain was built by the architect Salvi (1735) in the time of Clement XII, and decorated by several artists of Bernini's school.

It was the setting of movies like Anita Ekberg's dip in Fellini's 'La Dolce Vita', and for the award-winning "Three Coins in the Fountain" motion picture, ensuring its popularity worldwide.

FONTANA DI TREVI WATER

The fountain is celebrated for its excellent water.

FONTANA DI TREVI COINS

Tradition has it that throwing a coin over your left shoulder into the fountain guarantees a swift return to the world's most beautiful city.

BASILICA OF ST. PETER

The Basilica of Saint Peter is one of the four major basilicas of Rome (San Giovanni in Laterano, San Pietro, Santa Maria Maggiore and San Paulo) in Vatican City enclave. It used to be the largest church in Christianity (yet see Yamoussoukro) covering an area of 5.7 acres (23,000 m²) and has a capacity of over 60,000 people. It holds the burial site of St. Peter who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome. Many Popes, starting with the first ones, have been buried there. Construction on the current basilica began on April 18, 1506 and was completed in 1626, and was built over the Constantinian basilica.

Although the Vatican basilica is not the Pope's official ecclesiastical seat (Saint John Lateran), it is most certainly his principal church, as most Papal ceremonies take place at St Peter's due to its size, proximity to the Papal residence, and location within the Vatican City walls.

VATICAN AT NIGHT

VATICAN BELLS AND CLOCKS

ST. PETER'S NORTH ENTRY

This is the north entry to St. Peter's Basilica.

KING VITTORIO EMMANUEL ll

On the South side OF PIAZZA DE VENEZIA is a truly monumental structure, dominating the whole piazza, dedicated to king Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of unified Italy. Officially known as the Altar of the Fatherland, it was constructed between 1885 and 1905 and changed the whole appearance of the area with its bulk.