Rome October 2007 » MonumentsBridges »  Viewing PontoFabricio_1     [Image 18 of 27]  :: Jump To  
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ColumnMarcusAurelius_2 * 1262 x 1893 * (1.08MB)

CastelSantAngelo * Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building, located in the rione of Borgo, spent over a thousand years as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The angel statue on the top depicts the angel from whom the building derives its name. * 2048 x 1536 * (1.66MB)

PulcinoDellaMinerva * In front of the church there is one of the most curious monuments of Rome, the so-called Pulcino della Minerva. It is a statue designed by the Baroque sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini (and carried out by his pupil Ercole Ferrata in 1667) of an elephant as the supporting base for the Egyptian obelisk found in the Dominicans' garden. It is the shortest of the eleven Egyptian obelisks in Rome and is said to have been one of two obelisks moved from Sais, where they were built during the 589 BC-570 BC reign of a pharaoh identified in different sources as Apries, Waphres, Wahibre or Hophra from the twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt. The two obelisks were brought to Rome by Diocletian, during his reign as emperor from 284 to 305, for placement at the Temple of Isis which stood nearby. The Latin inscription on the base, chosen by the pope who commissioned the sculpture to support the obelisk found on the site, Alexander VII, is said to represent that ...a strong mind is needed to support a solid knowledge. The inspiration for the unusual composition came from Hypnerotomachia Poliphili (Poliphilo's Dream of the Strife of Love), an unusual 15th century novel probably by Francesco Colonna. The novel's main character meets an elephant made of stone carrying an obelisk, and the accompanying woodcut illustration in the book is quite similar to Bernini's design for the base for the obelisk. The curious placement of the obelisk through the body of the elephant is identical. The sturdy appearance of the structure earned it the popular nickname of Porcino (Piggy) for a while. The name for the structure eventually changed to Pulcino, the Romanesco (Roman dialect) equivalent of a small or little chick. This may have been a reference to the comparatively short height of the obelisk or, an obscure reference to the major charity of the Dominicans to assist young women needing dowries, who made a procession in the courtyard every year. The latter were once depicted in a local painting as three tiny figures with the Virgin Mary presenting purses to them. * 1717 x 2575 * (2.36MB)

NearQuirinale_1 * 2048 x 1536 * (2.14MB)

PontoFabricio_2 * The Pons Fabricius (Italian: Ponte Fabricio (Fabricius' Bridge) or Ponte Quattro Capi) is the oldest bridge in Rome that is still in use. Built in 62 BC, it spans half of the Tiber River, from the Campus Martius on the east side to Tiber Island in the middle. (The Pons Cestius is west of the island.) Quattro Capi (four heads) refers to the two marble pillars of the two-faced Janus herms on the parapet, which were moved here from the nearby Church of St. Gregory (Monte Savello) in the 14th century. * 3072 x 2304 * (4.03MB)
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PontoFabricio_1.JPG - 3072 x 2304 - (3.92MB)
10/19/07 6:54 AM
Rome2007 061 * 1536 x 2048 * (2.21MB)

TombOfGaribaldi * Independence War Memorial Independance War Memorial, Janiculum, RomeAnd there's another monument on the Janiculum honoring Italian Patriots: a formal arched memorial with the inscription 'Roma o Morte' (Rome or death) honors the patriots who died in the Italian Independence wars between 1848 and 1870. * 1536 x 2048 * (1.58MB)

MonumentoAGaribaldi1 * The largest monument on the Janiculum is the Garibaldi Monument, an enormous equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, honoring the Italian patriot's heroics on this hill in 1849. The statue, located at the center of a small piazza, was built in 1895 after a design by Emilio Gallori. Anita Garibaldi Monument, Janiculum, RomeFour sculptures on the large pedestal depict both battle and allegorical scenes. * 2048 x 1536 * (1.26MB)

MonumentoAGaribaldi2 * 2304 x 3072 * (4.36MB)

MonumentoWifeOfGaribaldi1 * Giuseppe Garibaldi wife Anita, who fought alongside him is also honored with an equestrian statue. Created in 1932 by Mario Rutelli it depicts Anita Garibaldi with a pistol in her right hand holding a baby in her other hand. The two Garibaldi statues are a mere 200 meters apart, connected via the Viale aldo Fabrizi. * 1536 x 2048 * (1.71MB)
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