More of Rome

Our hotel is right next to the open air market. It is huge. Anything you could want to eat and it is all fresh. From our 6th floor window, we can see people coming and going. This what the inside looks like.

We got a three day Rome Pass which allows us to use the bus and underground and gives us free admission to museums and archaeological sites. The underground took us to a jumping off place to see many of the sites of Rome. Not to be missed is the beautiful Baroque Trevi Fountain designed and built by Bernini. Ledgend says that if you throw a coin into the fountain, you are sure to return to Rome. It worked for me last time!

The Pantheon is another building that was made into a church after Constantine accepted Christianity. The Romans simply added crosses or some other icon to change the pagan places into holy places. The Pantheon is now considered a church. The building is as wide as it is tall. The most striking feature is the eye or large open hole in the center of the dome. The Pantheon is also the final resting place for Raphael.



The Piazza Narvona is one of the largest plazas in Rome. It was build on the 1st Century site of the Stadium of Domition. It is a large oval with 3 fountains. There was much rivalry among the artist in the Baroque period. Bernini's central fountain is the Fountain of 4 Rivers. It is said that he posed the statues as if shielding their eyes from a building built by a rival.

The other two fountains were made by Giacomo della Porta. This one was as one end.

All of the fountains have clear pure and cold water. People have no problem getting a drink or filling up a water bottle. The fountain in front of the Spanish Steps was designed like a sinking ship to lower the fountain so that the pressure was sufficient.

We had a Rick Steve's book and he said the very best view in Rome could be found at the top of Victor Emmanuel and he wasn't kidding. The views from the top are better than even the top of St. Peters. It is a little hard to find, but well worth the effort. From the top, you can see all of Rome. The best views of the entire Forum and Colosseum, and all the way to The Castel of Sant Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica.
Victor Emmanuel is on Capitoline Hill right next to the Capitoline Museum. This is a shot from the backside, with the horses and chariot on top.

Here Mike is on top with the horse statue behind him.

And a closer view of the statue.

That's it for now but much more to come. Until next time