Colosseum

The Colosseum, previously known as the Flavian Ampitheater, was the largest and most impressive building during the Roman Empire. Construction of the Colosseum was initiated by Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and completed in AD 80. It was built near the statue, Colossus, which is how the Colosseum got it's name. It could fit 55,000 people! Seating within the four-story structure was based on class. The top story was for lower class, while the lowest was for well-known residents. The stucture also had a below ground level, which is where animals were kept. 
The structural features of the Colosseum are quite unique. One of the most interesting things I found was that on the below ground level with the animals, there were cages and complex mechanical devices that allowed the animals to be brought up to the middle of the Colosseum for show. Another feature of Colloseum was called the Velarium. This covering took over 1,000 people to hoist in order to shield the viewers from the sun.
The activities that went on a the Colosseum can be considered controversial. Although some of the events were as simple as games, there were others that were more extreme. Many involved slaughtering of animals, animals vs. animals, people vs. animals, and the worst, people vs. people. The so-called "gladiators" that were coaxed to fight were often slaves, prisoners of war, and criminals. The emperor held these events to increase his popularity and show his power over the other classes.
By the look of the Colosseum in pictures, it is evident it has became ruined over time. The main cause of damage was an earthquake, but it is still an attraction today.
See the website below for some pictures and info:
http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/colosseo.htm

Post by Kim Kraska

The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City, and it takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV. The chapel is famous for its architecture and frescoes painted by artists throughout the Renaissance. Some of these artists include Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, and Pinturicchio. Two of the chapel's features, the ceiling and The Last Judgement, are believed to be Michelangelo's most accomplished works of art. The chapel has served as a place of religious and functionary papal activity, and today, it is the site of the Papal Conclave, the process by which a new Pope is selected.

The most famous works of art in the chapel are the ceiling, The Last Judgement, and Raphael's Tapestries. The ceiling took Michelangelo 4 years to paint, all of which he did lying on his back. The lowest part of the ceiling depicts the ancestors of Christ. Above this are painted male and female prophets, with Jonah over the alter. The highest section of the ceiling consists of the nine stories from the book of Genesis.

The Last Judgement took Michelangelo 5 years to paint (1535-1541). It is a depiction of the second coming of Christ and the Apocalypse, and it resides on the rear wall over the alter.

Raphael's Tapestries are used during ceremonies of particular importance. The side walls are covered with these tapestries depicting events from the life of St. Peter and St. Paul as described in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles. The lower parts of the tapestries show episodes from Leo X's life. Ten tapestries still exist today.

The southern wall of the Sistine Chapel is decorated with the Stories of Moses, the northern wall with stories of Jesus, and the Eastern wall with the resurrection of Christ and the disputation over Moses' body.

Pictures and other helpful information can be found at http://www.artbible.info/art/sistine-chapel.html

Piazza Navona

Piazza Navona

The Piazza Navona is a famous square in Rome and sits on what used to be Dornitian's stadium, which is why it has a long oval shape. The square also holds three incredible fountains. Fountain of the Four Rivers is the central and largest of the three and features four figures. Each of these figures represents a river from a different continent. The Neptune Fountain sits at the north end of the square. This fountain features a statue of Neptune surrounded by sea nymphs. The Moor Fountain is located at the south end and feature a statue of a dolphin in in the center. The Neptune Fountain and the Moor Fountain were both constructed by Giacomo della Porta. The Piazza Navona also contains the church of Sant'Agnese in Agone. It sits on the site where, according to legend, St. Agnes was stripped naked, but saved from embarrassment by suddenly growing an extraordinary amount of hair. The Piazza Navona is located west of the Pantheon and contains many places for locals to socialize, such as restaurants and nightclubs.

Posted JJ Kells

Paris: Place de la Concorde

History
It was designed by Gabriel begun in 1748 and completed in 1763. It was first called Place Louis XV, and planned as a worthy setting for the royal statue. Place de la Concorde is often associated with the bloody events that took place on its pavement. In 1770, for example, 133 spectators were trampled to death at a huge fireworks display on the occasion of Marie-Antoinette's wedding to the Dauphin. A few decades later, the revolutionaries, who were intent on eliminating all royalist monuments trom the face of the earth, removed Louis XlV's statue, dubbed the plaza Place de la Révolution, and set up their guillotine on it. Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and 1119 other people lost their lives here, among them Charlotte Corday (the murderess of Marat), Danton, Philippe Égalité and Robespierre. In order to help these bloody events on their way to oblivion, the Directory renamed the square Place de la Concorde in 1795. And, officially, the 1830 Revolution renamed it Place de la Concorde.

What to See
Two commanding edifices, whose colonnades are copies of the Perrault wings of the Louvre, rise up over the north side of the plaza. And, currently situated in the right-hand building is the Naval Ministry. Just on the Place de la Concorde sits the famous "palace" the Hôtel Crillon, which is amongst the citadels of Parisian snobbery. Formerly, its elegant salons served as the winter quarters for the famous Chateaubriand family. Today it houses the French automobile club. These are just two examples of Louis XV style, by Gabriel.
Just at the entrance to the Place de la Concorde, on either side of the Champs-Élysées, are the Chevaux de Marly. There are eight statues representing the eight major cities of France; Brest and Rouen (in the northwest), Lille and Strasbourg (to the northeast) Lyon and Marseille (on the Quai des Tuileries) and Bordeaux and Nantes (in the southwest). The statue representing Strasbourg was modelled by the actress Juliette Drouet, who was a muse of Victor Hugo. You can find these statues on the four corners of the square.

The Obelisk
In the center of the plaza is the Obelisk of Luxor, a pink granite monolith 23 m (73 tt) high and weighing 220 tons. It is 3300 years old and decorated with hieroglyphics exalting the reign of the pharaon Ramses II. The obelisk was presented as a gift to Charles X by the Egyptian viceroy Méhémet Ali in 1829. The monument was installed here under Louis Philippe who, bearing in mind the death and destruction witnessed by Place de la Concorde, was pleased to have found a non-political monument to replace the unpopular Bourbon Louis the XVth statue. So that future generations would be reminded of the effort it required to erect this colossus here, the procedure, including the mechanical devices that were used, are portrayed on the pedestal. After three years of travelling from the Nile riverbanks one anecdote reminds the suspens of this enterprise of erection before a crowd of 200 000 people .The obelisk wasn't upright yet when the huge winches reached their mechanical limits probably due to their location. From the silent crowd holding its breath a man's voice shouted "moisten the ropes!" A sailorman of the old days knew that hemp ropes would shrink while drying...

http://www.paris-tourisme.com/places/concorde/index.html

Rome

Although we're in Rome for more than 24 hours, I find the article "24 Hours in Rome" interesting and figure I can use it as a "checklist" of things to do in my free time. Here's a link to the article:

http://www.venere.com/blog/24-hours-rome-9734/

Another site that I am excited to see in Rome is the Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna) or "one of the most famous images in the world." Here's a picture and a link to some information about the steps & the fountain

http://www.italyguides.it/us/roma/spanish_steps.htm

Florence

Did You Know?
-Julius Caesar founded Florence in 59 BC as the retirement location for his veteran soldiers.

-People who live in Florence are called "Florentines."

-The Italian name for Florence is "Firenze."

-The city of Florence is considered the "birthplace of the Italian Renaissance" and the "Athens of the Middle Ages."

-Florence was home to the infamous Medici family from the 14th century to the 18th century.

-Leonardo da Vinci, polymath; Niccolo Machievelli, poet and philosopher; Galileo Galilei, astronomer and physicist; Amerigo Vespucci, explorer; Donatello, sculptor; Rafael, painter; Robert Cavalla, fashion designer; and Guccio Gucci, fashion designer and founder of the Gucci label all lived in Florence.

-In 1339, Florence became the first city in Europe to have paved streets.

-Florence Nightingale was born in and named after the city of Florence.

-There are 465 steps to the top of Brunelleschi’s cupola.

-Ponte Vecchio is the only bridge in Florence to have survived WWII intact. Hitler declared it was too beautiful to destroy.
-Regional dishes include: Crostini Toscani, sliced bread rounds topped with chicken pate; Bistecca alla Fiorentia, a large very rare T-Bone steak cooked over charcoal; and Tagliata, sliced rare beef served on a bed of arugula, topped with slices of Parmesan cheese.

Famous People Born in Florence, Italy

Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence the 15 November 1940. He was raised in modest surroundings but with strong artistic traditions

Lorenzo de' Medici
Lorenzo de Medici was born on January 1, 1449 in Florence, Italy. "Lorenzo The Magnificent," as he was called by the people of Florence, was a statesman, ruler, and patron of the arts

Donatello
Sculptor of Florence . (1383-1466). Donato, who was always called Donatello by his friends and relatives, was born in Florence in the year 1383, and produced many works
Caterina de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici was born to the Medici family of Florence in 1519. She was an Italian woman who eventually became Queen of France

Antonio Meucci
Antonio Meucci was born in San Frediano, near Florence, in April 1808. He studied design and mechanical engineering at Florence's Academy of Fine Arts and invented the telephone in 1849 and filed his first patent caveat (notice of intention to take out a patent) in 1871
Amerigo Vespucci
Vespucci was the one person for whom North and South America was named after. Amerigo Vespucci was born in Florence, Italy in March of 1451, and grew up in a considerable mansion near the river. His dream as a young boy was to travel and get a better picture about what the Earth looked like