The catacombs of Santa Priscilla located in Rome, along the Salaria road, are among the oldest Christian cemeteries.
In the ornament of a tomb is the image considered the oldest representation of Virgin Mary with baby Jesus.

As you can see above the figure of Mary there is a star, on its left a prophet - Balaam or Isaia- indicates the star that prophesies the advent of Christ.

The painting dates back to the third century AD.

I already posted some articles about chariot races and the Circus Maximus, once the most popolar sport of the ancient Romans.
I modiefied some pictures to give you a sense of how the valley once used to be. of course I'm not a graphic designer...I hope it gives you a better idea.​

I love the Frecce Tricolore, they make me feel proud I am Italian.

The ‘Frecce Tricolore’ National Aerobatic Team of the Italian Air Force

In these days they are training for the ceremony of June 2nd, Republic day.
I’ve been lucky of being by the Roman Forum just in the moment when the planes were drawing the tricolor in the sky. I was also able to take these pictures...

​Roman climate is very mild and pleasant in winter time, and quite hot in summertime. I always suggest winter visit to Rome: the sky is beautiful, the city is quitter not overloaded with tourists, the weather is not too chilly.
The snow in Rome is an event. It happens so rarely that I’ve seen snowing in my city only about 10 times.
Kids are excited, as they don’t go to school, the city is a bit paralyzed when it happens.
The snow never last more than 1 or 2 days. It soon melts, knowing this we hurry in taking the most of the pictures we can of our beloved roman sites with the snow.

The Roman sunsets are famous, beautiful, surprising.

​Rome is an incredible city: often at the end of a day spent exploring, the sight of the sky that ignites with extraordinary colors rewards us.

Rainbows are beautiful to see... it always takes me to a childish surprised mood when I see a rainbow in the sky.

​I always remind myself to look up, not to focus on the ground, on what I am doing, on being in a hurry.
As soon as I exit home in the morning, I look at the sky and the roman sky is beautiful and it repays and surprises me.
I want to share some pictures with you...

Nature and history...

The blossom of Juda's tree is magnificient. it is all over the city.
The blossom lasts about two weeks. Afterward,  with the leaves on, it becomes an ordinary tree.

At the end of March the archeological area is in blossom. It's a pleasure for the eyes and wondeful for picture taking. The wisteria is spectacular...I wait the entire year for the blossom and it lasts about 10 days of pure beauty.

We have thousands of green parrots in town. They are all over...in the trees in front of my home, in the ruins of ancient Rome and a huge colony is in ancient ostia excavations.

They are not native of Italy; I imagine that green parrots owner tired of taking care of pets released them and they found my city very comfortable.

​They have considerably grown in number in the past few years.
I have never seen a green parrot when I was a child and now I wonder if they are replacing some other species.

We fortunately don’t have too many pigeons in Rome.

I have nothing against them, nevertheless these birds are dangerous for art works, and therefore a limited presence is optimal in the eternal city. 

​Largo Argentina, located in the very center of Rome, is an archeological site. The square was dug in the nineteen century revealing the remains and podium of four republican temples dating from the fourth to the first century before Christ.

​It sound strange, but it is right there that a cats colony resides. Homeless and abandoned cats are taken care in that beautiful setting and admired by the passerby. If a roman want to adopt a cat that is the place where to go. My brother got two cats there.

​Some 4 years ago, I saw the first rabbit on the palatine hill and since then, while touring with my clients the remains of the imperial palaces; I always look around for them.

The palatine hill is the site of Rome origins... where our story started 28 hundreds years ago. It is where Romulus, Rome founder, created the city. Because of this symbolic value, the hill later become the residence of Octavian Augustus and of the later emperors.

The site has majestic ruins and it is fascinating to immerse ourselves in this mixture of history, nature and power.

I love the idea that this historical place has new inhabitants now...the bunnies.

They are big... brown, grey and black colors, very calm, and not scared of people.
I do not know how many rabbits are there, I’m always wondering, as the area is very extensive.
 I saw them first time in 2015. In 2016, I counted four, but the following year I saw none. I was worried, of course. Then I saw them again last year and few weeks ago.
​I just love them.

I Iove Rome and constantly reflect on how, along the centuries the city has been modified by the the Emperors, the popes, the wealthy members of the aristocracy and of the  church, and finally the Italian government.

I know when streets were opened and why, when squares were embellished, when church were built or remodelled.

​Why and who decided and paid for all of this amazing urban ornament we can still enjoy now.

I was walking to the subway from the Borghese Gallery today.
I had the beautiful memories of the masterpieces of the art gallery in my mind when I saw this remains of the first city walls of Rome built about 24 hundreds years ago. 
The servian walls were built to defend the city after the Gaul invasion of 390bc. The circuit was 11 km long and, as you can see, was made of big blocks of vulcanic stone: the tufa.

Rome had this extraordinary location at the very beginning.

The remains of Romulus huts and early settlement are very close to this panoramic terrace that overlooks the river and what later on became the city.

The position was strategically dominating the river and the tiberine island: the main way to cross the river.

8.30am, it's freezing and I'm going to work!

Many workers are in St. Peter square to ornate the Vatican Christmas tree.

Early in the morning the sunlight is amazing!