After a wonderful morning spent discovering Rome with Yvonne, Lee, Teresa and Cathy I left with my family for the mountains.
We've been welcomed by the rainbows ...
Easter rainbows!!!
We've been welcomed by the rainbows ...
Easter rainbows!!!
 The famous Keyhole is located in a gateway leading to the Knights of Malta gardens in piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta on the Aventine hill in Rome.
The square was designed by the famous architect and painter Giovan Battista Piranesi, a 18th century famous architect and engraver also known for his romantic etchings depicting Rome, who also realized the palace and the small church called Santa Maria del Priorato, both within the extraterritorial properties. The beautiful and impressive square has splendid decorations rich in obelisks and military trophies full of symbols and references and the famous doorway with the keyhole.
 Paintings and sculptures in Christian religious art contains by many symbols codified in the past century to define particular subject or saints. Below you’ll find a list of the most usual ones.
Aureole: encircles the whole body, belongs to God but is used for Virgin Mary too.    March 13th 2013, 7.44 pm. The Swiss guards are on the sagrado together with the Vatican band, the Carabinieri band and everyone else is waiting for the new Pope who's going to be introduced to us from the benediction loggia in the facade of St Peter basilica.
 March 12th, 2013 at 12.30.
sPeople who attended the mass in St Peter are exiing the church. The atmosphere is very alive! This morning service was open to everyone to join the cardinal in prayer for the successful election of the new Pope. An historical moment that many faithful participated to.  Today the Harley davidson bikers had a meeting with the Major of Rome.
They were driving along the imperial forum road in a kind of triumphal procession! We still love parades as in the ancient roman times. I spoke with one of them and he was happy since they were also going to dine with the major..  Today, while walking along the imperial forum street, instead of the abitual mummies or golden sphinx, I saw this unusual mime that definitively attracted my attention!!
Me and my friend noticed the resemblance with John Paul II and his extremely relaxed attitude.  The Sistine Chapel has closed to the visitors yesterday: March the 5th.
The Conclave preparation begun. From now onwards it's all secret. The Vatican museum can be visited, and are worth of, without having access to the Borgia Apartments and Modern Religious Art sections too.  The ancient senate house or Curia in the roman forum was an imposing but sober building.
Externally the decorations were simple: travertine in the lower part and large bricks realized in plaster in the rest of the building. A remain of this plaster decoration is still visible today in the facade, below the roof. The interior of the senate house was very different. The walls were covered with the most valuable variety of exotic marbles as the splendid floor. Luckily the flloor dating to the ancient times survived throughout the centuries and it's still visible today. The building changed function in the middle ages to become a church, the original decoration were kept and not spoiled. |
