Rome, Italy Photo Gallery

To go to Rome we were at the port of Civitavecchia. I saw this statue leaving the port and liked it.

Propilei Neoclassici from 1830 are gates at the western entrance to Villa Borghese. This is where our bus dropped us off to explore for several hours.

Brian and I at the People's Square.

The Flaminio Obelisk is one of the thirteen ancient obelisks in Rome. It is located in the Flaminio quarter on Piazza del Popolo (People's Plaza). We learned about the obelisks being moved here when we were in Egypt.

Brian and I in front of the Obelisk.

The pretty street that we were walking down in our exploration.

The Column of the Immaculate Conception is a nineteenth-century monument in central Rome depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Brian at Fontana della Barcaccia-The “Fountain of the Leaky Boat.” This fountain was built as a monument to the great flood of the river Tiber in the Christmas of 1598. During that time, Rome was flooded in its entirety that the only possible way was to go about in boats.

Brian and I at the Spanish Steps.

Brian on the Spanish Steps, which he ran up. The stairway is 135 steps with the Trinità dei Monti church at the top.

Looking down the Spanish Steps.

I think this relief is depicting the coronation of Virgin Mary, but when I looked at it I was emotional thinking about the imperishable crown we get at the end of the race. (I Corinthians 9:24-25)

Inside Sant'Andrea delle Fratte.

Brian and I at Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Many fountains were not in operation as there is a major cleaning going on for next years' jubilee.

I thought that this lady's sand art was very unique.

The Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius-There were many people going in and out so we decided to go see what was inside.

This was the attraction. There was a long line for a selfie in front of a mirror, which didn't seem quite right. Andrea Pozzo, a Jesuit lay brother, painted the grandiose fresco that stretches across the ceiling of the nave around 1685.

I love nativities! This was a beautiful display inside the church.

The chancel of the church.

Why did this Roman Catholic country bring these obelisks back to their country with all the pagan symbols? I guess because they could and then they put a cross on the top.

The Pantheon-It is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings. The present building was ordered by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated c. AD 126. It was too crowded and not enough time to go inside.

Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 ft.

Sant'Agnese in Piazza Navona, is a 17th-century Baroque It faces onto the Piazza Navona, the site where the Early Christian Saint Agnes was martyred in the ancient Stadium of Domitian.

Piazza Navona-All of the fountains were covered with boards while the cleaning takes place for next years jubilee. It was a little disappointing.

I liked the way these trees hung over towards the River Tiber.

Museum of the Souls of Purgatory within the vestry of the Chiesa del Sacro Cuore del Suffragio. This was across the river and very beautiful.

A bridge over the River Tiber-Sad to see all the graffiti.

The cafes along the roads are very nice, so we sat at one for a little rest and something to drink to rehydrate.

Brian and I with the fountain behind us.

Fontana della Dea di Roma is a fountain composed of three figures, the goddess (representing Rome) in the middle, with two figures on either side of her representing two rivers that were important to the city, the Tiber and Aniene. At her feet is a little statue of the she-wolf of Rome, suckling Remus and Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome.

The Fountain of the Naiads-I saw this from the bus and was excited to see a fountain with water running.

In garden at Palazzo Brancaccio, which dates back to 1880 and was the last Roman palace ever constructed inside the Aurelian Walls. It was special to have our lunch at this palace.

They had Roman guards in costume from different periods around the palace.

A different Roman guard.

I loved the architecture of the stairway.

They also had musicians, singers and dancers to entertain us.

The ceiling in the palace.

The Roman Colosseum is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and what a privilege to get to see it.

The Colosseum is an elliptical amphitheatre in the center of Rome. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world, despite its age. Construction began in 72 AD and was completed in 80 AD.

In the Roman Forum area looking towards the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument, built to honor the first king of a unified Italy.

The Roman Forum-For centuries this was the center of day-to-day life in Rome.

Ruins of The Roman Forum and The Sacra Via: This was the main road that ran through the Roman Forum and connected the various important sites like the Colosseum, which was within walking distance of the Forum.

The Domus Tiberiana was an Imperial Roman palace in ancient Rome, located on the northwest corner of the Palatine Hill, the centermost of the seven hills of Rome.

The House of the Vestal Virgins was the residence of Vestal Virgins who took care of the Temple of Vesta, which housed Vesta's holy fire, which was a symbol of Rome's safety and prosperity.

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina is an ancient Roman temple, which was later converted into a Roman Catholic church. The dark portion was underground and the lighter was the church over it.

Temple of Romulus-There's an ongoing debate among historians and archaeologists around the origin of the temple and who it was dedicated to.

The Farnese Aviaries represent the best-preserved Renaissance remains on the Palatine Hill.

Santa Francesca Romana, previously known as Santa Maria Nova, is a Catholic church situated next to the Roman Forum.

The Arch of Titus is a 1st-century CE honorific arch, located on the Via Sacra.

Brian and I under the arch.

Emperor Domitian built this in celebration of the victory of Titus together with their father, Vespasian, over the Jewish rebellion in Judaea. This is something that we learned about in our visit to Israel.

Brian and I at the Roman Colosseum.

Back to the Colosseum-We were told that it was built over the sight of Nero's Palace and was built to make the people happy after such a tyrannical leader.

Some of the tile flooring in the Colosseum.

The Colosseum had four levels and we climbed to the third level for this view. 1st-Senatorial class, 2nd-Non-senatorial noble class or knights, 3rd-Intermediate area, & 4th-Poor, slaves & women.

Brian and I in the Roman Colosseum.

Looking out a Colosseum window to the Arch of Constantine, a triumphal arch in Rome dedicated to the emperor Constantine the Great.

The arena itself was 272 ft by 157 ft. It comprised a wooden floor covered by sand (the Latin word for sand is harena or arena), covering an elaborate underground structure called the hypogeum.

Looking at the hypogeum. It consisted of a two-level subterranean network of tunnels and cages beneath the arena where gladiators and animals were held before contests began.

Eleonora, our guide for the Roman Forum and Colosseum, and I.