Ponte and Castel Sant'Angelo

This is a section of the beautiful Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome spanning the Tiber River.

Rome, 2007

Emperor Hadrian had this bridge built in 134 AD to give access from the city center to his grand mausoleum. The ten Bernini-designed angels lining the bridge were added much later, in the 17th century (unfortunately I did not cross over to get close ups of them, but images can easily be found online).

About Hadrian's tomb, from Wikipedia:

The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian, also called Hadrian's mole, was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 AD and 139 AD. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed here a year after his death in Baiae in 138 AD, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138 AD. Following this, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed here, the last recorded deposition being Caracalla in 217 AD. The urns containing these ashes were probably placed in what is now known as the Treasury room deep within the building.

More about Castel Sant'Angelo from Wikipedia:

Legend holds that the Archangel Michael appeared atop the mausoleum, sheathing his sword as a sign of the end of the plague of 590, thus lending the castle its present name.

Today the building is a museum.

My images today are offered to the blog-hop communities of Weekend Reflections, Sunday Bridges and Taphophile Tragics.

The Pons Cestius

Rome, 2007

The Pons Cestius, rebuilt in 1888 with materials from the original bridge dating back to the 1st century BC, crosses the Tiber River in Rome. 

I'm linking with Weekend Reflections and Sunday Bridges.

V is for Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia

Rome, 2007

Vittoriano on Piazza Venezia was nicknamed "the type-writer" by the Romans and 'the wedding cake" by American GIs of WW2. I still can't help but be impressed by the grandeur of Mussolini's white elephant.

This is my letter V for Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday. 

S is for Statue

This unnamed statue I photographed from two angles in the beautiful ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii is my contribution to Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday where the letter of the week is S.

Pompeii, 2009

R is for Renovation

Renovation in Rome. In which side would you rather reside?

Rome, 2007

Check out Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday for other people's take on R.

Mellow Curves and Illumination

We did not arrive in or leave from Rome by train the last time I was there, but we needed a post office and the nearest one to our hotel was in Roma Termini, the city's central railway station. I'm glad we went there; the post office is located in the marvelous and newly renovated 1930s Mazzoni-designed wing of the building. 

We entered the Yellow Mezzanine directly from Via Giolitti and I was immediately struck by the appealing lines and shapes of the ceiling. Then this ceramic wall art captured my attention.

Rome, 2007

Next I saw how soothing the indirect lighting was, followed by the light fixture designs themselves. I was able to take these two additional photos of the brick portico ceiling and arches before a security officer came up to me to tell me to stop.

I have since learned that the fixtures were designed by British light designer Miles Pinninger and were produced by the award winning German company Franz SILL that in recent years has provided the lighting for many significant public spaces. This did surprise me some because Italy has its own strong designers and manufacturers in the lighting industry, but I would guess that SILL's reflector technology won the day.

Visit Mellow Yellow Monday for more takes on the color YELLOW.

[SkyWatch] Night Falls on Saint Peter's Square

This photo of the sun setting behind Saint Peter's Square is posted for Skywatch Friday. You can follow the link to many more links to see stunning skies around the world.

Vatican, 2007

Light on the Hand of a Saint

When strolling around in Saint Peter's Basilica, it is hard for me not to get overwhelmed by all the art. There are of course the paintings, the sculptures, the carvings, but also the building itself, the walls, the floors, the ceilings; wherever I turn my eyes, there I see beauty created by the hands of men for the glory of their God. 

My own favorite is Michelangelo's Pieta; however I saw it personal and up close when it was in Florence in the mid-80s, and now this masterpiece is barricaded and secured behind glass. Just not the same.

On a more recent visit I was stunned by this sight of the Throne of Saint Peter by Bernini (1666) at the west end of the basilica. In this dark photo, the four church fathers are barely visible at the bottom, while the bright sunlight coming in from the window so vividly illuminates the pointing finger of Saint Elijah:

 Vatican, Italy, 2007

Elijah of Israel is many things to many people. He was a prophet of the 9th century BC, and he appears in the Hebrew Bible, Talmud, Mishnah, New Testament and the Qur'an, as well as in numerous other faiths. He even shows up in folkloric traditions as "Elijah the Thunderer" - responsible for summer storms, hail, rain and thunder. Catholics and Lutherans commemorate him as a saint with a feast day on July 20.

But lest you fear I will leave you with only the hand, here is a photo of the imposing statue of Saint Elijah by Agostino Cornacchini, 1727.

This entry is posted for the theme LIGHT for Brian & team's Theme Thursday. The link will take you to other links of creative interpretations of the theme.

Click on a photo to enlarge it.