Deutschland & Italia: January 2009

Friday, January 30, 2009

Ostia Antica

The city of Ostia Antica dates from the 3rd C B.C. It was an important harbour city outside of Rome, and much of the buildings, frescoes, and mosiacs are still well preserved.

After paying to enter, you are turned loose and free to wander throughout the maze of ruins. The city is large and much of it is still grown over with bushes and vines, creating a feeling of being in the secret garden.

This mosaic was the floor in a family's house (a wealthy family). Me and Amy are checking out the public bathrooms.

I was peering into this building and accidentally leaned against the wall and almost crumbled the entire city of Ostia Antica. The wall withstood over 2,000 years of weather damage until I showed up, oops. Don't worry, it was just that one brick haha

Pantheon, St. Peter's Basilica

My apt is located about a 5 minute walk from Hadrian's Pantheon built in the mid 2nd C. It is the oldest standing domed structure in Rome. Rebuilt twice due to fires caused by lightening, the Pantheon was orginally a temple for the Roman gods, but today it is used as a church. The painter Raphael's tomb is located inside. No one knows exactly how the dome was constructed. There are no visible seems on the entire dome, it seems to be one entire piece. At the top of the Pantheon dome is the open Oculus which Richele and I are admiring here.

St. Peter's Basilica at sunset my 2nd night in Rome. The middle pic is approaching St. Peters, and the last is directly in front, which doesn't do it justice because it's absolutely HUGE!

Click pics to enlargen. The first pic is taken at the entrance of St. Peters looking down the nave toward the high alter. The structure in the middle down the nave is Bernini's Baldacchino. This bronze structure sits directly over St. Peter's buriel spot. The Pic on the left is Michelangelo's "Pieta" carved from marble. You used to be able to walk fully around the statue but someone took a hammer to Mary's nose so now you can only view it from glass. Very beautiful but this pic doesn't do it justice. The video in the middle is of the Piazza directly in front of the basilica. I'm doing my presentation to the class on this piazza!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Rome during the Republic

The Colosseum(also called the Flavian amphitheater because it was built during the reign of the Flavian emperors) You can see the underground chambers and trap doors that held back beasts and gladiators. They even flooded up to the first row of seats for mock water battles.

The Arch of Constantine is located right next to the Colosseum. It was built in the early 4th C to celebrate Constantine's victory at the Milvian bridge and his defeat over Maxentius (supposedly with the help of divine intervention). After this battle he became the emperor of Rome, often referred to as the first Christian Emperor because of his tolerance of the Christians and his conversion at the end of his life.

Lots of Arches! This is the Arch of Titus, located up the street from Constantine's arch and the Colloseum. I can't remember much about it other than it was built to commemorate Titus' sack of Jerusalem and the 2nd destruction of the Jewish temple. Under the Arch carved scenes depict soldiers marching through Rome carrying loot from Jerusalem.

Roman Forum: The pic on the far left is the ruins of the Temple of the Vestal Virgins. There were 7 vestal virgins in all. Believe me, if you were a woman living in ancient Rome, you'd want to be one of these girls. The Central Pic is also a temple, actaully taken over by the Christians later on and turned into a Church. Interesting fact, Saint Lawrence was martyred (BBQed) on the steps right in front of the columns. The far right pic is the remains of the Roman Forum.