A portfolio of selected images from Rome.
Quite a number of these have not been posted elsewhere.
Some are part of Composite images, and some are larger versions
of images from the two earlier Rome pages. As this is a portfolio, the
images are a little larger than those on the Rome Gallery pages.

Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.
Composites will open in a second window.

Temple Antonio Faustina 3682

One of the best-preserved monuments in the
Roman Forum, the Temple was built in 141 on
the death of the wife of Emperor Antoninus Pius.
20 years later, when Antoninus Pius died, the
deified Emperor was added to the architrave.

Temple of Vesta 3687

Modeled after the first Roman houses, which
were round huts made of mud and straw. Vesta
was the Roman hearth-goddess, worshipped
in every home. Built in the 3rd. C. BC, the
temple was looted and stripped of it’s
marble in the 16th C. What you see
was reconstructed in the 1930s.

The Temple was attended by ‘Vestal Virgins’,
female priests who maintained the temple fire.

Arch of Severus 3745

... with a view of the Palatine hill through the arch. I couldn’t resist being artsy with this shot.

Arch of Constantine 7131

The latest of the existing triumphal arches in
Rome, it was built on the Via Triumphalis (the
way taken by Emperors when they entered Rome
in triumph (past the Colosseum to Palatine Hill).

Arch of Severus 3735

The triumphal arch of Septimus Severus,
a Roman general, and Emperor from 193 to 211.

The Arch of Severus is at the end of the
Roman Forum at the base of Capitoline Hill.

Arch of Severus
Ch SS Martina e Luca 3717

lower-angle view, showing carvings
at the base of the columns (see detail right).
The church in the background is Martina e Luca.

detail Arch of Severus 3726, 3729

detail of some of the carvings
at the base of the Arch of Septimus Severus

Temple Saturn Vespasian 3792

a night shot of the Temple of Saturn (left) and the Temple of Vespasian.

Trajan Market Temple 3754, 6673, 6689

Right across the street from the Roman Forum is Trajan’s Market, the first shopping mall.
This composite shows a panorama crop of the market at the rear of Trajan’s Forum,
 the statue of Emperor Trajan in front of the building, and remains of the temple.

Colosseum 6714

The Colosseum is beyond the Roman Forum,
and just beyond the Arch of Constantine.

Colosseum 7116

Also known as the Flavian Amphitheater,
this major stadium seated 50,000 people.

Colosseum 6736

It was the largest amphitheater ever built in
the Roman Empire, and was in use for 500 years.
Started by Vespasian (72AD), and completed by
Titus (80AD). They had everything from mock
sea battles to gladiatorial contests. Executions,
animal hunts, and reenactments of famous battles
and dramas based on mythology were displayed.

Colosseum 7157

I got in here the moment they opened to be
able to get this shot without a lot of people in it.
The underbelly of the Colosseum is exposed,
showing where the gladiators and others prepared
to enter the arena. It was quite sophisticated, with
elevators and other mechanical assists. There are
ancient columns, mosaics, and artifacts galore.

Colosseum 7146, 7217

a shot down the exterior walkway inside the perimeter arches, and another through an
interior second-level archway (with a view of the Temple of Venus and Roma).

Temple of Venus and Roma 3861, 7165

The largest known temple in ancient Rome.
 

Temple of Venus and Roma 7134

Designed and built by Hadrian, located at the
far eastern edge of the Roman Forum near the
Colosseum. To build the temple, erected on the remains of Nero’s Domus Aurea (Golden House),
the Colossus of Nero was moved to a spot near
the Flavian Amphitheater, which soon became
known as the Colosseum. The banishment and
execution of Apollodorus of Damascus was
caused by a remark made regarding the design.

Via Statoris Palatine Hill 7174

this leads through the Arch of Titus, past the
Palatine Hill and the Temple of Venus and Roma.

Arch of Titus 7244

House of Livia 7249

One of the houses built on the Palatine Hill,
this beautiful place is very well-preserved.

Etruscan Winged Goddess 7261

(possibly Vanth?) Mounted on the wall of
an outdoor shrine on the Palatine Hill.

Capitoline She-wolf 7393

Legend has it that Rome was founded by
Romulus and Remus, twin brothers who were
suckled by a she-wolf as babies. The sculpture
is on the Capitoline Hill, near the Roman Forum.

Campidoglio 8193

Capitoline is Campidoglio in modern Italian.
This is a view of Palazzo Senatorio with the twin
guardian statues Castor and Pollux. The hill had
the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on it in ancient
times, but by the 1500s had fallen into disrepair.
Pope Paul III asked Michelangelo to redesign it.

Marcus Aurelius Equestrian 7422

The only equestrian bronze to survive antiquity,
the statue of Marcus Aurelius was not one of
Michelangelo’s favorites, so he placed it on a
simple pedestal. This is a copy (the original
is in the Palazzo dei Conservatori nearby).

Palazzo Senatorio 7401

The double-ramp of stairs was designed by
Michelangelo. The fountain in front has statues
of the Nile (left) and Tiber river gods flanking
Dea Roma (Minerva, the goddess of Rome).

Baths of Caracalla 6821

An enormous complex, built around 215 AD
to be a leisure center, with a library of Greek and
Latin texts, shops, palaestras (wrestling and boxing
centers, where the mosaics are now displayed).

Baths of Caracalla 6802

Remains of an elaborately tiled mosaic floor
in one of the bathing areas just beyond the
Palaestra shown in the next image.

Palaestra Mosaics
Baths of Caracalla 6786, 6796, 6814

Some of the mosaics in the Baths of Caracalla.
This is a highly detailed image (700kb)

Pyramid of Cestius 6832

Built into the city wall (Porta San Paolo right)
is the Pyramid of Cestius. As part of the city wall,
it is the best preserved ancient structure in Rome.
Built c. 15 BC as a tomb for Gaius Cestius Epulo,
it is 88 ft. tall and 72 ft. square at the base.

Victor Emmanuel II Monument 8548

Equestrian Statue Victor Emmanuel 6644

The Victor Emmanuel II monument honors the first king of a unified Italy. Completed in 1935,
it was (and remains) very controversial as the construction destroyed a large part of the Capitoline
Hill and its Medieval neighborhood. It is constructed of pure white marble from Botticino, Breschia.

Piazza Venezia 6630

Taken from the Victor Emmanuel II Monument
(sometimes called the typewriter)

Trajans Column Nome di Maria 6637

The view looking towards the Quirinal Hill includes
Trajan’s Column and Santissimo Nome di Maria.

Winged Victory Trajans Column 6623

Nome di Maria Trajans Column 6636

Altar Nome di Maria 6657

The altar contains an icon of Mary that originally belonged to San Bernardo a Colonna Traiani,
the church that was taken over by the congregation in 1694. Seven years later, San Bernardo
was demolished, but the icon was transferred to the high altar, and every year there is a very
solemn procession carrying the icon across the street from the original site to the altar.

Obelisks Lateran Flaminio 7940, 8268

Rome has 8 ancient Egyptian and 5 ancient Roman obelisks. There are also several
more modern copies salted throughout the city. The two shown above are the Lateran Obelisk
(shown right), in front of Basilica St. John Lateran and the Lateran Palace, and the Flaminio Obelisk in
Piazza del Popolo, not far from the Spanish Steps. There is an ancient Roman copy of the Flaminio
Obelisk at the top of the Spanish Steps (the Sallustiano). All in all, there are a bunch of them in Rome.

The Lateran Obelisk was erected by Thutmose III in Karnak, and was brought to Rome by
Constantius II in 357 for the Spina (central spine) of the Circus Maximus. Pope Sixtus V erected it
in its current location in place of the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius after it was found in three
pieces and restored (four feet shorter). The statue of Marcus Aurelius was moved to the Capitoline Hill.

The Flaminio Obelisk was originally from Heliopolis, and was brought to Rome by Augustus in 10 BC.
It was found with the Lateran Obelisk (it was also erected on the spina of the Circus Maximus)
in two pieces, restored, and erected in the Piazza del Popolo by Sixtus V in 1589.

St John in Lateran 8334

This should give you an idea of the immense
scale of this place. This is the oldest Basilica in
Rome, and is Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome.

Baldocchino Papal Cathedra
St John in Lateran 8362

The Papal Cathedra (right) or Chair of the Pope.
The Baldocchino (Altar canopy) dates from 1369.

St John in Lateran 8354

A wider view showing the alcove statuary and the immensity of the space. Behind the Baldacchino
is the Apse, where the Papal Cathedra shown earlier is located. The statues are of the 12 Apostles.

Obelisk Lateran 8259

Another look at the Lateran Obelisk. It is covered with Egyptian Heiroglyphics, and the base
has a Roman inscription detailing Constantius II’s responsibility for bringing it to Rome.

Santa Maria Maggiore 7539

a look at the Baldacchino and some of the
frescoes and decorations in this papal basilica.
The pope resided in Santa Maria Maggiore while
restorations were being made to St. John Lateran.

Santa Maria Maggiore 7541

The Altar is by Arnolfo di Cambio, c. 1290.
 The Altar sculpture is by Pietro Bracci (1750).

Both were very difficult, 1/30 sec. shots.

Crypt of Nativity 7578

The stairs leading down to the Crypt are decorated
in Mannerist style and were created by a team of
artists in 1587-89. St. Jerome and GianLorenzo
Bernini are among the illustrious interred here.

Sixtus V 7576

The statue of Pope Sixtus V was sculpted by
Giovanni Antonio Paracca (Il Vasoldo). Sixtus V
commissioned the decoration of the Sistine Chapel
of Sta. M. Maggiore, and his tomb is located there.

Santa Maria sopra Minerva 8465

A gothic church built directly over the foundations
of the ancient Roman Temple of Minerva built by
Pompey c. 50 BC. It has a simple facade, belying
the beauty inside. Located near the Pantheon,
it was built by 11th C. Dominican friars.

Bernini Memorial Maria Raggi 8479

The basilica houses a number of tombs and
artworks. This memorial to Maria Raggi was
sculpted by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini, who was
responsible for so much of the art and architecture
in 17th century Rome. The Tomb of Fra Angelico
is also located here, as are two famous sculptures.

Christ Redeemer John Baptist 8475, 8486

Michelangelo’s Christ the Redeemer and Giuseppi Obici’s St. John the Baptist are located here.
These were two very challenging shots, as the interior is very dark, and of course there is no flash
or support device allowed (I didn’t even carry them to Italy, as I knew I couldn’t use them).

1/40 sec. handheld shots at f/1.4, underexposed by a stop to achieve that shutter speed.

Basilica di San Clemente 8237

Originally a private Roman home that was the site
of clandestine Christian worship (the religion was
outlawed at the time), the site was also used in
the 2nd century as a Mithraic cult temple. The
current church was built in 1100, and was built
over a 2nd C. church dedicated to St. Clement.

Chiesa del Gesu 6579

The Mother Church of the Jesuits. The Baroque
facade was the model for Jesuit churches all over
the world. Estab. 1551 by St. Ignatius of Loyola.

It is home to the 15th C. Madonna Della Strada.

Moses Michelangelo 8409

Originally intended for Julius II’s tomb, St. Peter’s,
the tomb was put in San Pietro in Vincoli as the
family of the pope patronized this church. The
horns are the result of a mistaken translation
by Jerome in the ‘Vulgate’. He translated the
word ‘karan’ to mean ‘grew horns’ instead of
‘radiated light’ or having ‘rays on the skin’.

Moses Michelangelo 8428

This was another of the typical cave-like Roman
churches. It was so dark that I pushed ISO to 400
and still only had 1/50 sec. at f/1.4 after purposely
underexposing by a stop. They had a set of lights
you could buy 30 sec. of time with, but the lights
were so bright that it looked far better this way.
The lights caused radically blown highlights.

Moses

Michelangelo considered Moses to be his most lifelike creation. Legend says that upon
completion of the statue, he struck the right knee and commanded “Now speak!”.
The mark on the right knee is thought to be the scar caused by his hammer.

Spanish Steps 7926

Early in the morning on the Spanish Steps.
This is the longest and widest staircase in Europe.
In Italian it is the Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti.

Spanish Steps 7925

The obligatory dramatic low-angle shot.
The 138 steps were built in 1717 to provide easy access from the Trinita dei Monti to the Holy See.

Trevi 6429

The largest Baroque fountain in Rome, close to the Pantheon. Started in 1732 by Nicola Salvi
and completed in 1762 by Giuseppi Pannini, when Pietro Bracci’s Neptune was installed.

There are a number of other photos of the Trevi Fountain on the Scenics and Composites pages.

Ponte Fabricio 8074

The oldest bridge in Rome that is still in use, the
Ponte Fabricio was built in 62 BC and spans the
Tiber from the East side to Isola Tiberina. It has
been intact and in continuous use since antiquity.

Ponte Cestio 7860

The bridge on the other side of Isola Tiberina,
spanning the Tiber from Tiberina to the West bank.
Built just after the Ponte Fabricio, but was rebuilt
in the late 1800s when the channel was widened.

Night under the Arches 8440

I simply had to include this mood-shot. Rome is a perfect place for walking around at night.

Pantheon 8509

The Pantheon looks better at night in my opinion.
Built as a temple to all gods by Marcus Agrippa,
it was rebuilt in 125 AD by Hadrian. It is the oldest
standing domed structure in Rome, and the dome
is perfectly symmetrical (the distance to the oculus
is the same as the diameter of the interior base).

Pantheon 8511

The Pantheon was converted into a church in 609
and was stripped of metal and much of its marble
over the years, including some columns. It has
been used as a tomb since the Renaissance.
(Raphael, Carracci, Corelli, and others are here).
It was the inspiration for Brunelleschi’s Dome.

Pantheon 8517, 6509

It has a truly dramatic portico, supported by huge columns. The interior space under the dome is vast
and it is the largest unreinforced concrete dome. The oculus serves as a cooling and ventilation device,
and a drainage system under the floor removes rain that falls through the oculus. The coffers (sunken
panel structures) reduce the dome’s weight, and relieving arches are built into the supporting wall.
The density of the concrete was reduced higher in the dome, also to reduce weight and stress.

The Pantheon is the best-preserved example of ancient Roman monumental building, and it has
been influential since the Renaissance, having been Brunelleschi’s inspiration for the nearly
identically-sized dome for the Duomo in Florence. Brunelleschi’s Dome was the first large
dome built in Europe since antiquity, and he owed a lot to his study of the Pantheon.

The central niche of Raphael’s Tomb contains Lorenzetto’s ‘Madonna of the Rock’

Rio de La Plata
Fontana Navona 7880

‘Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi’ in Piazza Navona,
designed and built by GianLorenzo Bernini 1651.
This is an absolute masterpiece, and the dramatic
effect (especially at night) is high. Bernini was not
even considered for the competition for this design
as his competition had ‘poisoned the mind of’ the
Pope against him, but he was convinced to create
a model by Prince Ludovisi, whose wife was the
Pope’s niece, and he arranged for it to be snuck
into the Pope’s Palazzo and installed in a room
the Pope had to pass on his way from dinner.

Rio de La Plata
Fontana Navona 7888

The Pope saw the model after dinner, and offered
the design to Bernini. The work was veiled from the
public, and there was a festival planned for the
unveiling. As dramatic as a Las Vegas show,
by all reports the people were overwhelmed
when the fountain was unveiled. I can imagine.

The story is from Baldinucci’s
“The Life of Cavaliere Bernini”

Castel sant’Angelo 7095

The mausoleum of Hadrian. Speaking of drama... this magnificent castle looks beautiful at night.
Commissioned by Hadrian and built c. 135AD, it was used for his ashes together with his wife Sabina
and his son Lucius, but it was also used as a mausoleum for all succeeding Emperors at least through
Caracalla in 217. The urns were scattered by the Visigoths during Alaric’s sack of 410, and the statues
were thrown at the Goths when they attacked in 537. The Castle got it’s name based on the legend that
the Archangel Michael appeared on top of the mausoleum and sheathed his sword as a sign of the end
of the plague of 590. It was converted to use as a castle by Popes in the 14th century, and was used
as a refuge during the siege of Charles V. It has also been used as a prison and for executions.

Priest Santa Sabina 6844

Mounted on the Aventine Hill, this basilica is the
center of the Dominican Order. An early basilica, it
was built in c. 427 in a very simple fashion. It still
has the original wooden door from the 5th century.

St Peters Santa Sabina Garden 6906

While I was at Santa Sabina, I put my camera up
to the garden door keyhole and shot this image
of St. Peter’s dome through the arch of the
garden hedge. I thought it looked cool.

St Peters 8023

St. Peter’s is the burial place of St. Peter, and there has been a church on this site since the 4th C.
The first basilica was by Constantine. The present basilica was started in 1506 and completed in 1626.
Michelangelo is the most significant artist and architect associated with St. Peters, but the facade
was designed by Maderno (lots of controversy associated with his design), and numerous other
famous artists were involved in the design and construction, including GianLorenzo Bernini.

Michelangelo designed the famous dome, and it was intended to rival Brunelleschi’s dome in Florence.
The dome is the tallest in the world at 448 ft. It is just slightly smaller in diameter than the Pantheon and
Brunelleschi’s dome. The design, as executed by Michelangelo, is quite similar to that of the dome
in Florence, as he also used two shells of brick, the outer having 16 stone ribs (twice the number used
by Brunelleschi). Michelangelo died before the dome was completed, but he left some drawings and
a wooden model, and it was completed by Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana in 1590.

Colonnade St Peters Square 7795

St. Peter’s Square is Bernini’s design.
Created in the shape of a trapezoid, it
widens as it nears St. Peters, narrowing the
apparent width of the overly wide facade.
The outer section of the piazza is an ellipse,
sloping down towards the obelisk at the center.

St Peters Square 7586

The two areas are framed by the double-columned
colonnade with an opening at the entry end that is
the same size as the ‘neck’ of the trapezoid leading
to the basilica. The overall effect is very dramatic,
especially when approaching from the Via della
Conciliazione, as seen in the frontal shot above.

The interior of the basilica is filled with monuments
and artwork, but the space is so large it doesn’t
look at all cramped. I’ll show a few pieces below.
There are more shown on the Church Interiors and
the Roman Composites pages...

Cherub St Peters 7595

This little guy and his nearly identical twin are
part of a monument placed just inside the entrance.
Amazingly lifelike appearance...

Michelangelo Pieta St Peters 7772

This is Michelangelo’s famous Pieta, created when
he was 24 and installed in 1500. It is now placed
 behind bulletproof glass (first chapel, right), due to
an attack in 1972. Michelangelo himself marked
the sculpture just after it was installed after hearing
someone remark that it was the work of Solari. He
carved his signature into the sash across Mary’s
chest, and it was the only work he ever signed.

St Peter Enthroned 7658

This statue is sometimes credited to Arnolfo di Cambio, Pisano’s chief assistant on the pulpit for
the Cathedral of Siena (see the Siena page), and the builder of the Palazzo Vecchio and Florence
Cathedral, among other Renaissance structures, but some historians have dated it to the 5th century.
Some say that it was modeled on an ancient sculpture of a philosopher in the Sacre Grotte Vaticane.
Regardless, it has been around quite a while... one foot is worn badly due to centuries of pilgrims
rubbing and kissing the foot. It is a highly venerated statue, and a main focus of many visitors.

Monument Alexander VII 7636

Created by Bernini at the age of 80, his last
masterpiece. The statues are: Charity, with a child
in her arms (by Giuseppi Massuoli); Truth, with her
foot set upon England (where the Pope tried to
stop the spread of Anglicanism), by Giulio Cartari,
Prudence (Cartari), and Justice, by Balestri.

Pier St Veronica 7628

St. Veronica, by Francesco Mochi, is one of four
statues set within the piers supporting the dome.
She is displaying the Lost Veil of Veronica.
The frantic activity shown in the pose is vastly
different than that of the other Pier statues.
Personally, I like the contrast.

St Peters Dome 7757

a shot up through the interior of Michelangelo’s dome.

Baldocchino St Peters 7749

Bernini’s first work at St. Peter’s, the Baldacchino
is a huge, 98 ft. tall structure claimed to be the
largest piece of bronze on the planet. Much of the
bronze came from the ceiling of the Pantheon’s
portico. It used 6200kg of bronze. It stands on four
Solomonic columns (named for their similarity of
design to those used in the Temple of Solomon),
and took Bernini nine years to produce.

Twisted Column Solomons Temple 7731

This column, from the Vatican museum, was one of
the columns from the Apostle’s Tomb of the old
basilica. Legend has it that this is one of the
original columns from Solomon’s Temple.

I haven’t been able to get definitive information...
it’s very likely yet another case of “when the
legend becomes fact... print the legend”.

St Peters at Dusk 7823

St Peters night 7083

St Peters night 7089

If this has whetted your appetite for more, stop by the Roman Composites page.

If you want to see more of Italy, stop by the Florence Select and Siena pages.