TOUR 1: Italian Great Cities Tour with Amalfi Extension, May 20 to June 01

GUESTS: Dennis and Lou Ann, Jane and Lou, Tara and Mark, David and Merry

GUESTS: Dennis and Lou Ann, Jane and Lou, Tara and Mark, David and Merry

San Gimignano

Rain in San Gimignano..did not stop us from having fun

PANTHEON

Made primarily from bricks and concrete, the Pantheon consists of three sections: a portico with granite columns, a massive domed rotunda and a rectangular area connecting the other two sections. Measuring 142 feet in diameter, the domed ceiling was the largest of its kind when it was built. At to the top of the dome sits an opening, or oculus, 27 feet in width. The oculus, which has no covering, lets light—as well as rain and other weather—into the Pantheon. The walls and floor of the rotunda are decorated with marble and gilt and the domed ceiling contains five rings of 28 rectangular coffers. When the artist Michelangelo saw the Pantheon, centuries after its construction, he reportedly said it was the design of angels, not of man. The Pantheon proved an important influence for the great Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, as well as countless architects who followed, in Europe and beyond. Thomas Jefferson modeled both Monticello—his home near Charlottesville, Virginia—as well as the Rotunda building at the University of Virginia, after the Pantheon. The U.S. Capitol rotunda was inspired by the Pantheon, as were various American state capitols.

Carved military scenes line this 2nd-century AD marble column, honouring Marcus Aurelius' victories. Piazza Colonna

Palazzo Montecitorio Rome - Italy's Parliament

My niece Emilia and her husband Marco

Il Tempio di Adriano-Roman temple from 145 AD, with 11 Corinthian columns standing; now facade for a conference center.

Piazza Navona

Once a chariot race track, enjoy a rich chocolate tartufo at Tre Scalini. Bernini's Baroque fountain Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the 4 rivers). The owner of this Chiesa di S.Agnese in Agone (Church of Sant'Agnese in Agone) is the Pamphili family, because first it was conceived as a chapel of their palace with the inner entrance. It was begun by Girolamo and Carlo Rainaldi in 1652 and was continued by Borromini, who created the concave facade, the dome and bell-towers (1653-1657).

St Maria Sopra Minerva Basilica

Founded in the VII century, over the ruins of a temple presumably dedicated to Minerva Calcidica, the basilica was rebuilt in a Gothic style in the XIII century. During the Renaissance the façade was renovated, and significant interior work was done. The plaques on the right side of the façade commemorate the flood levels of the Tiber from 1598 to 1870. The interior is divided into three naves with the rib vaults that lie on the pillars. Its marble coating and pictorial decoration are the result of the restoration carried out in 1850, which has deprived the basilica of its original aspect. On the right transept stands the Carafa Chapel richly decorated with a series of frescoes by Filippino Lippi (1488-93). In The Annunciation over the altar the commissioner of the chapel, Cardinal Oliviero Carafa, is depicted. The statue of Cristo the Redeemer located in the presbytery is a work of Michelangelo. The arch-shaped funerary monuments of Clemente VII and Leone X by Antonio da Sangallo are preserved in the choir. Saint Catherine of Siena and the great Dominican painter Fra' Angelico are also buried in the church. The tombstone of Fra Angelico is a work of Isaia da Pisa (1455). The center of Piazza della Minerva is decorated with an Egyptian obelisk from the 6th century B.C, which was moved from the Iseo Campense (Campo Marzio) nearby.The elegant supporting base for the obelisk, which has the shape of an elephant, was created by Bernini. Because of its size the statue is called “Pulcino della Minerva”. The work was accomplished by Ercole Ferrata (1667).

CASTEL SANT' ANGELO

Originally built in the second century as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, Castel Sant'Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) was later transformed into a large castle where popes could take refuge in turbulent times. Castel Sant'Angelo was originally built by Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum and housed the remains of Hadrian and his successors up to Caracalla. Its design was inspired by that of the Mausoleum of Augustus, built a century earlier. Construction of the mausoleum started in 123 AD and finished in 139 AD, during the reign of Hadrian's successor, Antoninus Pius. The building consisted of a square 89 meters (292ft) wide base on which a cylindrical colonnaded drum with a diameter of 64 meters was constructed. The drum was covered with an earthen tumulus topped with a statue of Hadrian driving a quadriga. The mausoleum was connected to the city at the other side of the river by a newly constructed bridge, the Pons Aelius. The bridge is now known as the Ponte Sant'Angelo. Its many statues were added later Castel Sant'Angelo seen from the Ponte Sant'Angelo View from Ponte Sant'Angelo during the Baroque period.