Colosseum, interior

As promised in the previous post, here are some views from the interior of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. My visit entered at street level. However, I snapped this pic from further up:

DSC_3420The wide-angle perspective above does give a sense of the scale of the Colosseum. Use the people down below to gauge the size. Here’s another view, more from floor level:

DSC_3390The photo above gives a sense of what it would have been like to be in the arena looking up at the audience. Next is a look at the substructure beneath the arena floor:

DSC_3399In those rooms and corridors people and animals were prepped for the show. What a horror it must have been. Finally, here are a few photos showing access to the arena and the view from the Colosseum out toward Rome.

DSC_3412Looking out:

DSC_3426When visiting the Colosseum, wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for lots of stairs, walking, and standing. Enjoy.

Published in: on November 10, 2018 at 12:26 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Colosseum, exterior

Of course, any visit to Rome requires a stop by the Colosseum. Here are a couple of exterior views. To say it is a massive structure is an understatement. Yes, it is large but it is massive in the sense that it is a huge pile of brick and stone, well-constructed to last centuries.

DSC_3435In fact, later generations used the Colosseum as a quarry for stone to build other buildings through the centuries. Moving slightly closer:

DSC_3383The design has survived the ages, forming the basis for most large public venues in the modern era. The Romans figured all this out and stuck with it almost two thousand years ago. The next post will show the inside. Stay tuned.

Published in: on November 9, 2018 at 12:11 pm  Leave a Comment  
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Pompeii, painted walls

While visiting Pompeii, you’ll find plenty of marvels, from the theater to the villas to the brothel, not to mention the technological wonders like the baths. What strikes the eye, however, are the interior decorations of the villas, specifically the painted walls.

DSC_3154One gets the sense of how the Roman people adorned their living spaces.

DSC_3186The scenes can be quite lively or rather mundane, no doubt based upon the resident’s taste.

DSC_3187

The artists of the era must have been extremely busy because there were paintings after paintings covering large walls in all the villas. And these are only the ones recovered from the disaster. Surely there were more.

Published in: on October 30, 2018 at 11:20 am  Leave a Comment  
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Sistine Chapel

As part of the “Waking the Vatican” tour, one can enjoy the Sistine Chapel with a few dozen other visitors. This is a marvelous experience, seeing the work of Michaelangelo in an almost private moment. As large as the chapel is, it does feel private. Here’s a video showing the chapel.

Amazing. Seriously. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend this experience. Do your homework about the art and history of the place in order to get the most out of it. Linger as long as possible.