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The Church at the top of the Spanish Steps (piazza Della Spagna,
in Italiano) That is a real Egyptian Obelisk in front of the Church. Pope Sixtus
V, in an effort to make Rome more pilgrim friendly, dragged a bunch real obelisks
from Egypt and put them up in front to major Pilgrim destinations in Rome. There
are obelisks in front of St. Peters in the Vatican, the Pantheon, and Piazza
Del Popolo.
The Pantheon: Built more than 2,000 years ago, it had the largest
dome in the world until 1436, when the Dome of Florence's Cathedral was completed
according to a design by Fillipo Brunelleschi. However, these two Italians don't
seem at all interested in the Pantheon, do they...
The front of the Pantheon. It is hard to see, but if you look
carefully, That is a little garbage truck, and the city employee is emptying
the overflowing garbage can. There garbage can was full (in fact, there was
a pile of them around the can) of McDonalds bags. Apparently there was a very
popular McDonalds very close to the Pantheon.
A piazza above piazza Del Popolo, again at sunset..
Piazza Del Popolo-notice the Obelisk and nice sunset colors...
The Pantheon, the Pantheon's Obelisk, and some Photoshopped-In Shutters...
A Restaurant in front of the Pantheon...
Looking up towards the Spanish steps...
The coliseum. It was huge and everything, but there was not too much left of the place...It has been stripped pretty clean over the last 2,000 years...
Some touristy postcard of a "quaint" stair way and neighborhood...
Looking up towards the Spanish steps at night...