Scusi!

Playing some catch-up here. We haven't been contributing regularly to the blog as basically we've been consumed with getting into a daily rhythm: school work in the mornings, some shopping (i.e., food shopping) in the afternoon, and site-seeing on Fridays/Saturdays (mostly).

The picture above is from the "Campidoglio," a Renaissance square (piazza) laid out by Michaelangelo. The bronze equestrian statue is the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (late 2nd century AD). This is the only bronze equestrian statue to survive from Classical antiquity, and is said to have escaped being melted down only because it was mistakenly thought to be Constantine, the first Christian Roman emperor.

In any case, one of the unique aspects of the square is that it is juxtaposed between two Romes: from one side you look down over the ruins of the ancient forum; from the other side you look over modern Rome. The plan of the square was so successful that it was widely copied throughout Europe.