Early in the morning the sunlight is amazing!
 Wednesday September 25, papa Francesco papal Audience seen from the top of castel St Angelo. St. Peter square was full of people! This morning 8.00am workers are placing back in order the thousands chairs used yesterday.   The Circeo national park is the oldest in Italy and an Unesco site. Our home is located in it's mountain near San Felice Circeo. Three baby wild boars who probably lost their mom come every night in our garden. Of course we feed them.  When you enter St. Peter basilica in the afternoon you feel bathed by light. We always remember Michelangelo's dome without realizing, sometime, that the dome is supported on these many windows that makes light becoming the dominating aspect of the church. A connection with the divine similar to the two fingers of Adam and God painted on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel.  On the way to work, crossing Navona square I wished to share this beautiful image...  In the distance the Capitol tower seen by via dei fori imperiali  Parking of the headquarters of the national bank BNL this morning:
Plenty of sheep. Isn't it great?  Spring time arrives when the azaleas vases are displayed on the Trinita' dei Monti Staircase, better known as Spanish Steps.
 This view is one of my favorite, I don't know how many times I took a picture from the same angle of the Trajan column in contrast with the doomed church.
Rome is a wonder of artistic contrasts! Wonderful weather today in Rome!
By the Constantine triumphal arch the band of the street policy was performing this morning and enjoying the visitors of the coliseum with beautiful music. Every month they perform in a different roman square. Today it was coliseum square turn.  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.  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.
Comparing the two sandals you can see they’re just the same! As you see fashion comes back after 2500 years!!
The marble feet belongs to an exceptional sculpture depicting Hera, made in Parian marble and dating to the Antonine age: 2nd century AD. The sculpture was discovered in the Palatine stadium in 1878 and is now located in the wonderful Antiquarium of the Palatine hill. It’s a roman copy of the after a Greek original of the late 5th century BC. From. The human feet belongs to my friend Jessica.  A detail of a fascinating canvas painted by Antonio Canova, renewed neoclassical sculptor and leading personality of the neoclassical artistic movement.
This little cherub attract me for it's freshness, tenderness and curious attitude. Palazzo Braschi Museum  Today, during this extremely pleasant walking tour with my dear friends we got this nice surprise of a raimbow by Spanish steps, or Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, the real name of it.
Believe it or not it was my first time to see a rainbow downtown!!  A view of The Christmas tree in St. Peter square seen from the columnate. Traditionally the vatican tree is the highest in town and is donated to the pope by a East Europen country. I've missed which one donated this splendid one this year.
As you can see the decoration are golden and silver, the colors of the Holy See. Happy new year everyone!!  Wondering in Navona square before meeting Kirsty and Dana, I saw this little christmas tree inside a house entrance.
A beautiful contrast between pagan and religious.  From left to right: Phoca column, the Rostra, Septimius Severus Triumphal Arch, the Curia A couple of days ago I was visiting the forum with my friends Mirla and her party.
Suddenly the sunlight broke into the dark cloudy sky!! A wonderful and suggestive vision... |
