April 2025

The Trevi Fountain should be on every visitor’s list of must-see attractions in Rome. The fountain is one of the earliest water sources for ancient Rome. The ornate fountain was built to celebrate the finishing of a major aqueduct that brought much-needed water to the city. Photoblog, Rome, Italy, Europe. April 7, 2025 What are

The Pantheon, built on the site of an earlier temple, was dedicated to “all the gods” in the second century. In the 7th century, it was converted into a church. It is one of the best-preserved structures in ancient Rome, mainly because it has been continuously used throughout its history. Photoblog, Rome, Italy, Europe. April

Before Rome was founded, the Roman Forum was a swampy area between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill. Over the next four hundred years, the swamp was filled in, drained, and converted into The Roman Forum, complete with a palazzo. Most cities in Italy and Spain have the same palazzo in the center of the town.

Colosseum comes from the Latin word for really big (colossal). In this case, the huge item is the Roman Colosseum. This structure is massive, but the name Colosseum is not associated with the size of the amphitheater; instead, the Colosseum was named after the enormous bronze statue of Emperor Nero. Photoblog, Rome, Italy, Europe. April

Monument of Victor Emmanuel II di Savoia: The first king of united Italy was Victor Emmanuel II di Savoia. Before unifying Italy as its first king, he was the King of Sardinia. Sardinia is an island between Italy and Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. Victor Emmanuel assumed the title of King of Italy in 1861, Photoblog,

The frescos in the Borghese Gallery have the wow factor. I think the most impressive paintings in the Borghese are the frescoes. Frescos are painted while the plaster on the walls and ceilings is drying. If the painting is not completed rapidly, the artist must remove the plaster and start over. Photoblog, Rome, Italy, Europe.

The Borghese Gallery is all about the best fine art. In many cases, especially when considering Masterpiece paintings in the Borghese Gallery, these are the original paintings by the original artists. Photoblog, Rome, Italy, Europe. April 4, 2025 What are we doing in Europe? Here is the story. Touring Europe might be a crazy idea. You

Statues in the Borghese Gallery The Borghese Gallery may have more masterpieces than any other building worldwide. I have included some mosaics at the end of the post we found in the Borghese Gallery. Starting with Roman statues and including masterpieces of both paintings, the Gallery is famous for Renaissance art. More than 300 years ago,

The Vatican Museum has many significant Roman statues, but its focus is the frescoes, not the statues. The halls of the Vatican Museums all lead to the Sistine Chapel, which contains Michelangelo’s depiction of creation through judgment. The statues in the Vatican Museum tell the story of Roman and Greek figures who outlined Roman life

I didn’t expect an Egyptian room at the Vatican Museum. Over the last two thousand years, the Vatican purchased, gathered, commissioned, and was gifted perhaps thousands of treasures. The Egyptian room includes some of these treasures. Photoblog, Rome, Italy, Europe. April 3, 2025 What are we doing in Europe? Here is the story. Touring Europe might

The Vatican Museum’s ceiling frescos blend into the walls, and even the floors have mosaics. However, I think the frescoes on the walls are the best part. Each has a historical theme. I think I have most of the names of these frescos correct, but they were not labeled. It took a little research to

Everything in the Vatican Museum is decorated. Michelangelo and Raphael painted many of the ceiling frescos, which were painted when the ceilings were freshly plastered. The artist only had a few hours to finish the painting before the plaster would dry and not hold the paint. Once finished, the paint and the plaster were fused.

Everything about Saint Peter’s Basilica is amazing, especially the paintings inside the dome, as seen in the above photo. Saint Peter’s Basilica is often called Saint Peter’s Cathedral, including by me. The Catholic church calls it a Basilica. A Catholic church building is called a Basilica when the location has exceptional merit. Photoblog, Rome, Italy,

After arriving in Rome, we didn’t want to go to sleep, hoping to get over Jet Lag as soon as possible. So, one of the first things we did was go to the Church of the Gesu. The theory says that if you stay awake until the usual bedtime of the local people, it will