| Bus
Tour of Rome: |
After
our walking tour, we got back on our bus and traveled through
more areas of Rome on our way back to our hotel. Here are
a few places we saw: |
| |
| Vittorio
Emanuele II Monument (left) and The Fountain of the Naiads
(right): |
The
Vittorio Emanuele II Monument is also known as
"Vittoriano". In the center is the Altar
of the Fatherland, crowned by the statue of Rome.
Since 1921, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier lies
at the feet of the Statue of Rome. Two Italian soldiers
are stationed on either side of the tomb.
The
Fountain of the Naiads, by Mario Rutelli (1900),
is at the center of the Piazza Repubblica. The building
behind the fountain is the Baths of Diocletian, which
has been the home to the Museo Nazionale Romano since
1889.
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| The
Bascilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (left) and Unknown Church
(right): |
The
Bascilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is the fourth
largest church in Rome and the largest dedicated to
the Virgin Mary, and apart from some decorations, is
the only basilica to which still retains its original
shape and character. |
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| End
of Day One of Tour: |
The
popular saying "Roma, non basta una vita" (Rome,
a lifetime isn't enough) couldn't be more accurate. We spent
one full day in Rome, running around from 8:00 AM to 7:00
PM and still only managed to just scratch the surface. Kristi
defined our first day of this tour as the "Running Tour
of Rome". That is pretty much exactly what we did. There
was so much to do and see, and we saw a lot for such a short
stay.
Sadly,
the day was over and we had to return to our hotel for some
much needed rest and relaxation. Day Two found us traveling
to Florence, with a short stop
in Pisa. |
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| Albani
Hotel (left) and Street Near Albani Hotel (right): |
We
stayed at the Albani Hotel in Rome. This hotel was not
near any of the main attractions in Rome, but it was
near the Ancient City wall. Also, it is surrounded by
a lot of narrow streets with a lot of traffic and crazy
drivers. There are also thousands of scooters driving
around, or parked anywhere on the streets or sidewalks. |
| |
| Porta
Pia (left) and Statue of Italian Soldier (right): |
Porta
Pia is one of the original gates on the Ancient
Wall of Rome. This gate has since been converted into
a facade on the entrance to a church. The facade
of the Porta Pia’s gate was the last architectural
design by Michelangelo. It was requested by Pope Pius
IV, and built between 1561 and 1564.
The
Ancient Wall is the original boundry of Rome. To be
a true Roman, you must be born within these walls.
Right
across from Porta Pia is a statue of an Italian
soldier defending Rome in the Italian Civil Wars. |
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