First half of the Rome Pictures

Here are some of the pictures we took while in Rome. 

1. Basilica Di Santa Maria Maggiore- Consecrated by Pope Sixtus III in 431

2. Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II- The building of this gargantuan monument to the memory of the first king of united Italy began in 1885 and continued for half a century.  The classical style structure, decorated wth bronze scultrual groups, houses the Altar of the Nation and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

3. Castel Sant'Angelo- was originally the Mausoleum of Hadrian, designed and built by the Emperor in 130 AD as his final resting place. Under Aurelian, the mausoleum became part of th edefensive system raised to protect the Pons Ealius, today's Ponte Sant'Angelo (Sant'Angelo Bridge), while still continuing to play it's original role as a place of burial. 1n 520, Theodoric transformed the building into a prison, a function it carried out until 1901.  It also continued to operate as a fortress.

4. Temple of Vesta, dedicated to Hercules Holivarius, patron of the Portus Tiberinus oil merchants. built in the 2nd century BC.

5. Kimberly, Mac, and Kendra on the tour bus in Rome.  What a group of good-looking kids!! :)

6. Bocca della Verita-(the Mouth of Truth) Made famous (in my opinion) by the movie Roman Holiday.  This is believed to have been a sewer cover, the face is that of a river god.  The myth is that if you place your hand in his mouth and lie, the jaws will clamp shut and cut off your hand.

7. Trevi Fountain- If you make a wish and throw a coin in the fountain it is said you will return to Rome one day... Paul and I threw in our coins :)