Travel writings from around the world
Fontana di Trevi sits at the terminating point of one of the aqueducts that supplied water to ancient Rome. It was constructed in 1762 and on it is depicted the event when Roman technicians, supposedly with the help of a virgin, located a pure water source only about 13 km from the city.
It was made world famous in the 1960 Federico Fellini movie La dolce Vita which starred Swedish actress Anita Ekberg and Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni.
Palatine hill or in Italian “Palatino” is where Rome as a community started, it is the place where the oldest dwellings have been found. The Palatine is one of the seven hills of Rome, it is 40 meters high and it is the centermost of Rome’s hills.
Casa Romuli pictured above was the dwelling of the founder and first king of Rome, Romulus (771-717 BC) it is on the South Western side of the Palatine hill and close to where the slope down towards Circus Maximus below starts. It is a one room hut and it would have had a straw roof. See also the Romulus and Remus legend.
The Hippodrome built by the Emperor Domitian as a part of the Domus Augustana constructed in 92 AD was a magnificent palatial home for the Emperor. The exact purpose of the stadium is not exactly clear. It is too small for chariots, but may have been used to exercise horses or maybe just as a garden for the Emperor to enjoy.
Domus Augusti or Domus Augustea “House of Augustus” was the home of Caesar Augustus when he was in power. One should note that this was not part of the above mentioned Domus Augustana built by Emperor Domitian.
Circus Maximus situated below the Palatine hill, actually in the valley of Murcia between the Avantine and Palatine hills were the largest stadium in ancient Rome, measuring in round numbers about 600 x 100 meters (about 2000 x 400 feet). It was first constructed in the 6;th century BC but altered and added to throughout time. It hosted chariot races and other ‘mass entertainment’ events. It held more than 150,000 spectators and became the blueprint for circuses built throughout the Roman empire, today it is a public park.
Forum Romanum or just ‘the Forum’ was for a long time the center of public life in Rome, a marketplace but also a celebrated meeting place, some say the most celebrated meeting place in the world. It is surrounded by Shrines and temples as well as statues commemorating the most important people in Rome. It had Royal residences such as the Regia from the 8:th century, and temples such as the temple of Vesta from the 7:th century.
Arch of Titus
Close to the Forum is Via Sacra where Emperor Domitian erected this arch in memory of his brother Emperor Titus whom he succeeded upon Titus death. The arch has sculptural details depicting his victories including the siege of Jerusalem in 70AD. This arch has been the model for many arches built, including the Arc de Triomphe in Paris France.
The interior top of the Arch of Titus in center shows the apotheosis (also known as divinization and deification) of Titus. See detail of this below.
Here are some interesting, beautiful signs found around Rome
There are many things to see in Rome and one of them is:
The Colosseum
Colosseum construction started in 70 AD and was finished in 80 AD, the original name was the Flavian Amphitheatre. It was later renamed Colosseum after a Colossal statue of Nero that stood outside the Amphitheatre. The statue which was altered through the years to depict gods and other emperors was eventually removed during the middle ages and the only remainder is the base on which it once stood right outside the Colosseum.
The Colosseum was used for Gladiator games but it was also for a short period used for mock sea battles during which the arena was filled with water.
