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| Picture by Kolohe |
In the middle ages, Castel Sant'Angelo (Mausoleum of Hadrian) was part of Vatican City; but Vatican City's boundaries have been realigned and it is now part of Rome, Italy.
Emperor Hadrian started construction of the building in 134 AD as a mausoleum for himself and family, but it was later used as a fortress for popes. There is a corridor that links the building with the Vatican Palace, providing an escape route for popes during periods of political unrest. The building is now used for a museum.
We crossed over the River Tiber on the Ponte Sant'Angelo, but did not tour Castel Sant'Angelo. As we walked along the river, there were a number of venders selling souvenirs at some of the best prices we encountered on the entire trip. We also walked past the Piazza dei Tribunali (Palace of Justice), which is the seat of the Supreme Court of Cassation.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
San Nicola dei Lorenesi (Church of Saint Nicholas of the Lorrainers) is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Nicholas and Apostle Saint Andrew. This is one of the national churches in Rome dedicated to France because it was given to the Lorrainers by Pope Gregory XV in 1622. Lorraine is a historical area of Eastern France. White and pink marbles are used extensively for decorations throughout the church's interior.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Piazza Navona is a large elongated oval open space that is the historic site of the 1st century AD Stadium of Domitian, where Romans went to watch the agones (games). Hence, it was known as "Circus Agonailis." The day we visited the Piazza there were street performers and artists located throughout the open area.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) is located near the center of the Piazza in front of the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone (Sant'Agnese in Piazza Navona) and symbolizes the four major river gods of the continents known during the 17th century - Nile (Africa), Ganges (Asia), Danube (Europe), and Rio do la Plata (the Americas).
It is unknown where the obelisk came from, but it is believed that the hieroglyphic inscriptions on the obelisk were of Roman authorship. In the fourth century the obelisk was known to be located in the circus of emperor Maxentius, and then in 1650 it became part of Bernini's Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi in Piazza Navona.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Fontanna dei Moro is located at the south end of the piazza and Fontana dei Nettuno is located at the north end of the piazza. It is debated what the Fontana dei More central figure represents, but it is believed that it depict a Moor. The central figure in Fontana dei Nettuno represents Neptune.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
The Pantheon was built between 118 and 126 EC on the foundations of Agrippa's Temple and is the best preserved ancient building in Rome. It is located in the historic Field of Mars area, which is the location where the large marble base for The Column of Antoninus Pius obelisk was found that we saw on display in The Vatican Museums.
A square in front of the Pantheon is now called Piazza della Rotoda, which also contains a fountain and the 6 metre (20-feet) tall Obelisco Macuteo (Pantheon Obelisk). The obelisk was constructed in Egypt for Pharaoh Ramses II to be used in the Temple of Ra in Heliopolis, but was later brought to Piazza della Rotoda for a shrine built for the Egyptian god Isis.
The Pantheon hemispherical dome is an engineering marvel because it is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. It was made by pouring concrete mixed with tufa and pumice over a temporary wooden framework. To support the heavy dome, the Pantheon walls are 6 metres (19.7 feet) thick at the base. An oculus (hole) at the top of the dome is the only natural light opening. Surrounding the interior walls are a combination of chapels, alters, shrines, tombs, statues, paintings, and other works of art, including the Tomb of Victor Emanuel II, Tomb of Raphael Santi, Cappella del Crocifisso, (Chapel of the Crucifix), Tomb of King Humbbert I and Margherita Savoia, and Cappella San Giuseppe da Terrasanta (Chapel St Joseph of the Holy Land).
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
As a young man, Ignatius of Loyola had very ambitious goals, was dedicated to a life as a warrior, interested in worldly matters, and attracted to women. However, when a severe leg injury left him crippled for life, he turned his attention to religion, which led him to the foundation of the Jesuit Order in 1551. He was canonized as a saint on March 12, 1622.
Located on the ceiling of Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio di Loyola (The Church of St Ignatius of Loyola) is the famous masterpiece Glory of St Ignatius by Andrea Pozzo, which is one of the most spectacular Baroque frescoes in Rome. (The dark colored "dome" that can be seen at the top of the below-listed pictures near the Glory of St Ignatius is not real, it is just a painting that looks like a real dome.)
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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The Templum Divus Hadrianus (Temple of Hadrian or Hadrianeum) was completed in 145 AD and is a prominent landmark in Rome. It was a place of worship for Emperor Hadrian and a shrine dedicated to the goddess Roma. Still surviving from the original structure are one cella wall and eleven columns from the external colonnade.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain) that was completed in 1762 and is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world. It is 49 metres (160.8 feet) wide and 26.3 metres (86.3 feet) tall.
The best known tradition at the fountain is to turn away from the fountain and then throw a coin over one's shoulder to "favor a future return to the city." This tradition was made popular by the 1954 movie Three Coins in the Fountain and the Academy Award winning song by the same name. On the average, 3,000 euros are thrown into the fountain each day. The money is collected and donated to the Caritas Association, which uses the money for charity work.
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| Picture by Kolohe |
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| Picture by Kolohe |
Ashley and Sophia had to stop for some shopping on the way to dinner. |
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