Today December 2, 2018 was our first full day in Rome. We headed out to see a couple of the famous landmarks and were really surprised at how lively this city is on a Sunday. We began walking and the first building is St. Peter´s Basilica, then Castle Saint Angelo, then shots of the bridge over the Tiber River. Along the river walk we found the slab of marble with writing and a relief sculpture of Apollo, entitled the Theater of Apollo. We arrived at Piazza Navona, on Regina´s recommendation (thank you) and it was impressive with a huge plaza and three fountains with sculptures celebrating; the God Neptune, A Roman Obelisk topped by a dove, and the third fountain represents a Moor, or African, standing in a conch shell, wrestling with a dolphin, surrounded by four Tritons. It is placed in a basin of rose-colored marble. The entire plaza is certainly beautiful and especially at night.
Our next big site was the Pantheon, which is a former Roman temple that is now a church. I have always viewed it as an architectural wonder. Built on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus. It was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. The Pantheon is still discussed today as a building surrounded in mystery. The original purpose of the building is unknown. Although, the temple is dedicated to all Greek gods, the scale and size of the temple emphasized power and Roman duty. There is also celestial symbolism present in the temple. Due to the oculus inside the dome of the temple, it is the only natural light entering that area of the temple. The words inscribed above the entry mean that "Agrippa built the Pantheon." We then went to the Piazza Colonna, it is named for the marble Column of Marcus Aurelius, which has stood there since AD 193. The buildings surrounding the plaza are now used for the seat of the Italian Government.
I am always stunned and amazed by the colossal sizes in Rome of everything, it is certainly humbling. I love all of the faces in sculpture and relief everywhere I look. I also appreciate the use of water in all of the fountains. The feel of Rome is a modern vibe (tons of classy shops) mixed with all the ancient ruins. It is a family friendly city with so much to see and do. We saw this red Lotus, and I just had to take a picture. So Uncle Wendell and all my other car loving friends, this is for you all.-Mona
Wow! Today was amazing. We had a late start but we saw so many things that we didn´t even know were famous. We could´ve walked anywhere and seen something wonderful. I am so happy to see the Pantheon and the beautifully sculpted fountains. I loved the entablature of the Pantheon and it´s interesting that there is no fluting on the columns like the Greek columns in Athens. We also saw many government building and obelisks too. Rome is so charming, it´s so huge too! I really loved the view from the bridge it is so delightful, even at night. We had a really great day exploring our new home in Rome! -Angelina
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