Rome

Lazio

Rokokoensemble 18. Jh., Filippo Raguzzini

Piazza San Ignazio

With gratitude I'd like to dedicate this picture above and right to Luce.
It was she and her husband who encouraged me to take this picture what wasn't easy. Had to do a lot of stitching, standing on the steps of the church S. Ignazio oposite with almost no width. The same with the church picture.
I will always remember it with a smile how emotional she got, when talking of this piazza when we had dinner here until finally the moonlight reminded us that this evening has ended.
Being Roman she knows what she's talking about: it is one of her favorite, also because of its tininess in the middle of a colossal Rome.

Sant'Ignazio, 1627

There are dreams to be fulfilled and such that are long ago and have to be buried
so they will live for ever ...
After being in this great city several times now, I decided NOT to bury my dreams and to dissolve into self-pitty as I used to - simply because they're too precious - so now I let some of them live for ever on this site.
Golden threads with Italy mysteriously were woven a long time before becoming 17.

Elisabeth

Tevere - Hellbrunn

ROME

Rome is called The Eternal City (3-4 million inhabitants), but also is understood this way: unchangeable and incorrigible in its sluggish beauty. Since centuries no trends are born here and instead rituals seem to be cultivated. Visitors of a bar often hear more about that than going to a museum. Even though its magnitude Rome has no international atmosphere. Let others run after the spirit of the times, they say. The Romans are satisfied with celebrating their history. He who failes to forget because of Romes terrific cultural monuments that this city is a mediterranean metropolis - it is closer to Hammamet than to Hamburg - will miss half of its charm. It's not certain when Rome was founded or who was the founder. No proof exists, also the story about Romulus and Remus remains to be a legend. Historian finally have agreed the year 753 B.C. might be right, and the first settlers probably were Etruscan.
Nero once set fire on Rome, it was lootet by legions, neglected by Popes and politicians - nothing really could spoil its glory. Until the clouds of exhaust came.

Pantheon

Pantheon - a sanctum (holy place) dedicated to all Gods. A cylindrical building built in brick, with a gable portico. It was set up by the emperor Hadrian in the years between 118/125 and 128 A.C., and it's the largest domed rotunda in the ancient world. Connected with the rotunda is a temple building as portikus.

Foro Romano

Basilica S. Maria Maggiore

This Basilica was the first Occident church in honour of Virgin Mary, built by Pope Liberius, beginning in the year 352.
The legend tells, that Virgin Mary appeared Johannes of Rome and his wife during the night of August 5th to promise them a son if they build a church where there will be laying snow the next morning. Pope Liberius had the same dream and really the next morning there was snow on the Hill of Esquilin, so then the church was built. Therefore this Basilika also is named Santa Maria ad Nives (Mary of the Snow), but also 'Liberius Basilika'. It belongs to the Vatikan, and among Romes 40 churches in honour of Virgin Mary, it is the largest one.

Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The bee's enthusiasm in Berninis' coat of arms
Gian Lorenzo Bernini (07.12.1598, Naples - 28.11.1680, Rome), rival of Borromini, was favorite architect, sculptor and urban planner for three Popes after the other. During the pontificate of his main patron Maffei Barberini (Pope Urban VII.), also Galileo Galileis was convicted. Bernini also was invited to France to design among others the Louvre. But after a great reception he made the mistake in critisising the French architecture, so he had to leave again without having achieved anything.

VATIKAN - St.Peter, Krypt, Museum, Audienz

Petersplatz, G.L. Bernini 1656 - 16667, 240x340 m - 140 Heiligenstatuen je 3,20 m, der ägyptische Obelisk ist zugleich Sonnenuhr - Each of the 140 statues on top of the basilika is 3,20 m high, the Egyptian obelisk is at the same time a sundial - Ognuna delle 140 statue sopra la basilica è alta 3,20 m - l'obelisco egiziano ha allo stesso tempo funzione di meridiana

Sistine Chapel

The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.
There is a city called Rome on every continent.