Rome's Fountains

Trevi fountain ordered by Pope Clement XII and finished in 1762.

The fountain inspired the film title "Three Coins in the Fountain".Legend has it if you throw a coin into the fountain over your right shoulder you'll return to Rome.

The fountain wall is backed by the Palazzo Poli.


The water comes from a spring some 13 miles away.


Neptune carried through the water by sea horses.

The fountain of the four rivers- Nile, Ganges, Danube and de la Plata.


Obelisk soars from Bernini's fountain located at the Piazza Navona near the Pantheon.


The Triton fountain at one end of Piazza Barberini. This is the start of the Via Veneto.

Rome and Sights

Spanish Stairs located in the Piazzi di Spagna .I counted 136 stairs to the top.


The Barcaccia fountain by Pietro Bernini.






St. Peter-in-Chains Church (San Pietro in Vincoli.








The basilica was first built in the middle of the 5th Century to house the relic of the chains that bound Saint Peter while imprisoned in Jerusalem.











The chains of Saint Peter.

This church is most famous for its Michelangelo statue, a massive marble tomb intended to have 48 statues. Leah and Rachel are flanking Moses. Michelangelo's Moses dates to 1515.

Beatification Mass

Entrance area of St. Peter's







Priests and Cardinals making their entrance.










Waiting for Mass to start.




Cardinals.



Sculpture of Saint Peter of Alcantara




.. and more Cardinals.










Priests returning the Holy Eucharist to the Chapel of the Sacrament.


















Crowd just after Mass waiting for Pope Benedict's address.

Roma

Ponte Saint Angelo leads to Castel Saint Angelo.


Approaching Saint Peter's Square.


... It's off to work we go....


Saint Peter's Basilica



View form left side.
Right side
Picture of Cardinal Clemens von Galen of Munster. German Cardinal who was beatified. He was know as the "Lion of Munster" for his denunciation of Hitler's racial policies and defense of the church under Nazism.

Napoli

Entering Naples.

Naples skyline. Naples was established as a Greek trading center around 600 BC. The city was later conquered by the ancient Romans.

Street level.

Angevin Castle. Named Castelnuovo (Newcastle) in order to distinguish it from the elder Castel dell'Ovo (Egg Castle). However,that name was soon replaced by the popular appellative of "Maschio Angioino" (Angevin Stronghold), which is still today its most renowned name.


Restructured by the Spaniards in the 16th century and by the Bourbons in the 18th.


View from Caracciolo Promenade. Caracciolo Road is the waterfront promenade of Naples between Santa Lucia and Mergellina

Sailboats in Naples


The Bay of Naples.

Pompeii's Past

Rain and Pompeii.







Temple of Jupiter. Vesuvius hidden behind the clouds.







Last moments.







Remembered forever.







The Forum Columns







The Basilica served as courthouse and chamber of commerce.










Pompeiian Home

Pompeii

Walking through the streets of time. Pompeii built over 2,ooo years ago. Engulfed in 79 AD by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Vesuvius rained down a hail of small red hot stones. Killer clouds of superheated gas and ash plunged down upon the town.







The clouds of gas were said to be 900*F. Within 19 hours it was over. Pompeii was buried under 9 feet of ash and remained undisturbed for 1,700 years.









Stones Pompeians would step on to avoid the water as they crossed the street. The stones are basalt. Pompeii was a Roman town of 20,000.





On the perimeter of the grounds were the rooms of the gladiators. You can see the doorway to their rooms between the columns.









Ancient "big foot" sighting.









Marvelous view where the gladiators trained for their "life or death" sport.