Palatine Hill
Palatine Hill: Ninfeo della Pioggia, an early seventeenth-century picnic room built for the Farnese family.
The Basilica near the Forum
The Forum: Temple of Romulus
The Forum: Temple of Antonino and Faustina
The Forum
The Forum: home of the Vestal Virgins
The Forum: relief of barbarian prisoners being escorted back to Rome in chains.
The Forum. Note how building sometimes works in an ancient city: a modern building on top of medieval walls on top of ancient foundations. No need to tear everything out and start again!
Welsh fans prepared for the big rugby match against Italy.
In Greece, a guide told us that these grooves along the sidewalk were there as guides for blind people. Apparently Rome doesn't see it the same way.
Approaching the Borghese Museum.
Statue of King Umberto, near the Borghese Museum.
At the base of the statue of King Umberto.
Sculpture on the entrabce to the zoo. How many times do you get to see an elephant head on an arch?
Etruscan Museum
Church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli
Church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli: We were fortunate to hear the beautiful tenor voice of a priest singing to the accompaniment of this organ.
Meridian line with measurement markings at the Church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli. One of the Popes ordered the construction of this line for astronomical observations in the 1700's. Quite a change after having imprisoned Galileo for saying that the Earth revolved around the Sun in the 1600's!
Church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli: this sign says, "The Lord is good, and great is His love."
A cute little car outside the Church of Santa Maria Degli Angeli.
The ancient Appian Way. This road was an engineering marvel for its time, connecting Rome with Brindisi and the rest of southern Italy.
Appian Way
The Capo di Bove, an excavated bathhouse along the Appian Way.
Capo di Bove
Fauna of the Capo di Bove.
Pigeon in the Tomb of Metellus. This fellow was the most interesting thing in the tomb!
Tomb of Metellus: Yep... This is the high point.
Tomb of Metellus
The Circus of Maxentius. This was how you kept the peasants from murdering the Emperor; you kept them happy with bread and circuses.
The Circus of Maxentius.
View of the Tomb of Metellus from the Circus of Maxentius.
Circus of Maxentius
Church of San Sebastian, along the Appian Way.
Shrine near the Catacombs of San Callisto.
Sheep near the Catacombs of San Callisto.
Basilica of San Giovanni.
Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
Cheesy Roman gladiator near the Colisseum. Beware, rumor has it that these guys may charge you a hundred euros for a photo with them.
Cheesy Roman gladiator near the Colisseum.
