Spanish Steps

Quite simply, the Spanish Steps (Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti) are a bunch of steps built around 1725 that link the Bourbon Spanish Embassy to the Holy See. At the top of the steps is the French Church Trinità dei Monti completed in 1585.

Some say that the 138 steps pictured are the longest and widest staircase in all of Europe.





At the base of the steps is the Fountain of the Old Boat (Fontana della Barcaccia). It is a fresh water fountain built in 1527. As pictured below, some people choose to step across a short bridge to drink from the fountain. Apparently, the purpose of this is to cure you of everything that keeps you healthy.

Trevi Fountain

This is the Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi) it is hidden in an open area amongst a group of 4-5 story buildings. The fountain is actually built into one of the surrounding buildings. Standing at 85 ft high and 65 feet wide, the Trevi Fountain is the largest and most ambitious of the Baroque fountains in Rome.








Trevi fountain is appearently also a great place to meet the Statue of Libertia. For the 20-minutes that I was visiting the Trevi fountain, this lady was standing in this exact position. She seemed oddly annoyed at the attention that she was getting. I even received a little glare when I began videotaping her.

HON Ad

My previous employer is really taking a new (or really old) angle on advertising.

Alex was Right

Alex has been reading too much about Roman history. Before leaving home, she told me that she was worried about how dangerous Rome is. I assured her that Rome is safe and the centurions were no longer a threat.

How wrong I was…

Crosses...

It's kind of crazy... I think that I could stand anywhere in Rome and be able to spot multiple spires and domes topped with crosses. Yet, in most cases, the churches beneath them are dead and hollow.

The Coliseum and Surrounding Broken Stuff

It looked just like in the pictures...


Intrestingly, the Coliseum (Amphitheatrum Flavium) was built around the time that Luke wrote the book of Acts. I can imagine that the morter was hardly set before Christians were martyred in this place.





I didn't realize how much has been done over the years to try to repair this structure. I was a little let down by the quality of their workmanship.





FYI





The arch of somethin'





See if you can find the following places on the map above.

Hardheads

I don't know who these guys were, but they must have been important!