Date(s): 2/24/08. Album by Deborah Kosnett. Photos by Deborah Kosnett. 1 - 28 of 28 Total. 479 Visits.
1 Most people know that Rome has ancient buildings and streets . . . but it of course has modern ones, as well. This street, a block from our hotel, is typical of many newer areas: large apartment buildings with plant-filled terraces. Italians love greenery, and surround themselves with it, even when their living quarters are very tiny.
2 A view of the start (or the end, as you prefer) of the weekly, sprawling Sunday flea market at Porta Portese. Here, you can find anything from used leather jackets to ancient books to junk jewelry. It's very crowded, and I hung onto my purse firmly at all times, due to the threat of pickpockets.
3 The famous Gate at Porta Portese.
4 Today, we got to actually visit the Torre Argentina Roman Cat Sanctuary while it was open. We visited with one of the volunteers, and with the "special needs" cats - those that must be isolated because they are injured or infirm. Of course, we also gave a donation to enable the Sanctuary to help more kitties.
5 These are the Special Needs cats. The black cat in the middle, with the arched tail, is extremely spastic; they think that he had distemper as a kitten, recovered, but was left with extensive nerve damage. He's a sweetie, but moves only with great difficulty.
6 One of the free-roaming cats looks in on the isolation room.
7 This lucky fellow has been adopted! He is going to the U.K., so he has to serve a quarantine period, in the special needs shelter. His time's almost up, so he'll be going "bon voyage" to his new home, very soon.
8 The sanctuary cats are very friendly; this guy posed for me several times.
9 The Piazza Venezia. "On the South side is a truly monumental structure, dominating the whole piazza, dedicated to king Vittorio Emmanuele II, the first king of unified Italy. Officially known as the Altar of the Fatherland, it was constructed between 1885 and 1905 and changed the whole appearance of the area with its bulk. The whole area and its surroundings had to be cleared, including many ancient and medaieval structures. For all its mass the monument is looked on with ambivalence by many Romans: for some it looks like a wedding cake; for others a typewriter. One doesn't come away from it without an opinion. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is also now housed in this structure, incorporated in 1921." (www.romainteractive.com)
10 A close-up of, er, one of the wedding cake decorations.
11 Pensive chestnut seller, Via Venetia.
12 View of the archaeological site, the Mercati di Traiano (Markets of Trajan), part of the Museo dei Fore Imperiali (Museum of the Imperial Forums). Marco Ulpio Nerva Traian was Emperor from 98 to 117, and was considered the second of the "Five Good Emperors" of the Roman Empire. More on the Market, from this translated Wikipedia page: http://tinyurl.com/3a32vm
13 Column at the Mercati di Traiano, completely carved in a style that seems almost Egyptian.
14 Detail from the base of the column.
15 Detail of carvings at the base.
16 Today we went to the Museo Nazionale Romano (specifically, the Palazzo Massimo), home to fantastic sculptures. I was fascinated by the sarcophagus room.
17 The Muse Sarcophagus, from the Mattei Villa collection. Dates from 280-290 A.D.
18 Mask detail.
19 So ornate, and beautiful.
20 Marcus Claudianus sarcophagus, with scenes from the Old and New Testament. 330 - 335 A.D.
21 I'm not that up on my Bible stories, so I'm not sure what this is. Moses, perhaps?
22 Sarcophagus, Dalla via Latina. Here, the deceased (at right) bids goodbye to his wife, amongst (presumably) friends and family. 270 - 280 A.D.
23 Sarcophagus showing a married couple and "dioscuri" Castor and Pollux, twin sons of Leda (who was seduced by Zeus), as well as the brothers of Helen of Troy and Clytemnestra. This sarcophagus has been time-damaged. 240 - 260 A.D.
24 Detail.
25 Detail.
26 Inside of an Irish Pub that we visited after the museum. Yes, for some reason, Rome is filled with them. Displayed on the wall are various currencies from 'round the world . . . a few of which I could not identify to save my life.
27 We didn't have to go to Egypt to see a pyramid. This is the Pyramid of Cestius. From Wikipedia: "The pyramid was built about 18 BC-12 BC as a tomb for Gaius Cestius Epulo, a magistrate and member of one of the four great religious corporations at Rome, the Septemviri epulonum. It is of brick-faced concrete covered with slabs of white marble standing on a travertine foundation, measuring 100 Roman feet (30 m) square at the base and standing 125 Roman feet (36.4 m) high." More here: http://tinyurl.com/3bs3ec
28 Interior of the Ristorante Asinocotto, where we had dinner. The name translates to "cooked donkey," which I guess is some sort of idiom. The cuisine is fresh and wonderful, making use of local ingredients. Our waiter was wearing a "Slow Food" apron. "Slow Food" is an international food movement that has the aim of turning the world away from fast food, and back to a love of local, wholesome food, well-prepared. More at: www.slowfood.com
