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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Layers of History

I’ve been doing research for various writing projects and couldn’t help but mine through those old photographs again. I found this one of Rome, taken in the early 20th Century. On the far left is the old forum.

There has to be 2000 or more years of history in this image. There are churches, a triumphal arch, remnants of palaces and newer buildings. Amazing. One of the great things about writing stories is doing the research. I always end up learning things I never expected. That’s how I happened upon this photograph. While looking for something else, it popped up. Of course, it’s also why it takes so long to do the research. Inevitably, you get sidetracked into areas where you linger for the sheer pleasure of knowing the details. Anyway… back to work.

Published in: on September 23, 2008 at 5:40 pm  Leave a Comment  
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