Montemartini Atistia Detail 2019

Roman Portraits

By the 3rd Century (AD), the were two populations in Rome, the living and the immortalized statue. Glorified bodies were created in advance and heads were added when a patron …

April in Rome

Aprilis (April) was originally the second month. The calendar (from the ancient Latin Kalendae), supposedly introduced by Romulus when he founded Rome in 753 BC, consisted of 10 months in …

Athens in the Roman Empire

The statue of Athena upon the Acropolis suddenly turned to the west and spit blood. – Cassius Dio (AD155-235) In 87 BC, during the 1st of the Mithridatic Wars of Rome vs …

September in Rome – 2017

In 2017, Rome, and all of Italy, suffered the worst drought in 60 years. Rainfall was close to 80% below normal. The water flow to Rome has been continuous, without …

The most beautiful Piazza in Rome

Architects of the Renaissance created the concept of the Piazza in the 15th century, a redesign of the urban landscape into marketplaces and public spaces surrounded by buildings. Piazze (or …

Vicus Scelerata and the Evil Steps

A foreign visitor stopped me on the via Cavour and with two words he asked one of the most frequent tourist questions in Rome’s Monti District. “Saint Peters?” He phrased …

The Walls and Gates of Rome

The Walls of Rome The Servian Walls If you’re arriving to Rome’s 1930’s Termini Train Station, look to the right as you walk out the front of the station into …

Christmas in Rome

Christmas or Saturnalia? In 336, the Roman Emperor Constantine inserted a celebration of Jesus Christ into the fun and frolic of the Saturnalia, a festival dedicated to Saturn held annually …

September in Rome – 2015

When the ancient Roman year began in March, at the time of the Vernal Equinox, September was the 7th month. Septum is Latin for 7. A lot has changed over …