The view of the Colosseum from the Palatine Hill
This 2000 year old building is a feat of Roman engineering, due to the use of concrete and the arch
Daniel, humming the theme from Gladiator...
You can still see the series of passageways that were under the floor allowing animals to pop out and surprise Gladiators in different parts of the Arena
Ruins of imperial palaces on the Palatine Hill (which is actually where we get the word Palace from)
The emperor's private stadium
The hill was once so filled with palaces that later emperors had to build out.
The emperors' view of the Forum from the Palatine
The Arch of Titus, in the Forum, depicts the victory ofthe Romans over the province of Judea in A.D. 70
Temple of Antoninus Pius and Faustina in the Forum, with modern Rome (including the Victor Emmanuel Monument) in the background
At the Capitoline Museum, Daniel poses amoung the remaining parts of the enormous statue of Constantine that once stood in the Forum
The original (500 B.C.) Etruscan Capitoline Wolf statue (the figures of Romulus and Remus were added later)
The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius once stood in the square outside, but has been moved inside for conservation (it is the best surviving equestrian statue from Antiquity).
The Dying Gaul, also in the Palazzo Nuovo
Capitoline Venus in the Palazzo Nuovo, the newer part of the Capitoline Museum
Sunset fromthe Capitoline Hill
Because the Pantheon became a church after the fall of Rome, the barbarians left it alone, and the locals didn't use it as a quarry
What remains is Roman Antiquity's best preserved interior and an architectural wonder, the 142 foot high/wide dome ...
...was the largest until the Renaissance. (The little niche that is missing is where Brunelleschi took out a piece to study for his Duomo in Florence)
The artist (and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle) Raphael is buried here
Dan and Zookie before tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain
This Baroque splendor was completed by Nicola Salvi to celebrate the reopening of the ancient aqueduct that powers it.
This bust of Pericles in the Vatican Museum is a Roman copy of a Greek original
This statue of Apollo Belvedere was said to have given Michaelangelo inspiration for his famous David.
Raphael's "School of Athens," which was a tribute to both ancient scholars and leading Renaissance artists.
An entryway to the Vatican. Notice the funny steps, this entryway was originally for horses.
Daniel in St. Peter's square
The Holy Door, which are opened only every 25 years for the Juilbee year
A splendid view of the art of St. Peter's Cathedral
When Bernini started running low on Bronze for this 70 foot tall baldachin (canopy), the Pope ordered him to melt what was covering the dome of the Pantheon!
In St. Peter's Cathedral, the tomb of Pope Alexander VII, by Gianlorenzo Bernini
Daniel touching St. Peter's toe for good luck!
Daniel in St. Peter's square. The collonade was also designed by Bernini.
Enjoying an early morning stroll in the Borghese Gardens
One afternoon, Italian protestors took to the streets...
...we had already become accustomed to scenes like this after only a month in Paris.
Michaelangelo's Moses. FYI, centuries ago, the Hebrew word for "rays" was mistranslated into "horns."
St. Peter's Chains...at the St. Peter in Chains Church (San Pietro in Vincoli), where the Moses statue also is.
The new Ara Pacis museum, which caused quite a controversy when it was finally opened in 2006 because of the choice of both Modern architecture and an American Architect, Richard Meier.
