Day 61 - Basilica di Santa Francesca Romana

The Santa Francesca Romana, an 8th century church, lies right next to the Roman Forum, not far from the Colosseum. According to legend both St. Peter and St. Paul prayed at the site where the church was built in order to challenge a man called Simon Magnus, who thought that his "pagan powers" were greater than those of the apostles. It is said that Simon levitated in front of them, but as the apostles prayed for their god to demonstrate his might Simon fell down dying. It is also said that the stones the apostles knelt on as they prayed are embedded in the church's south wall.

/MrsHjort

Day 60 - Artsy Parodies

Back in day 1, I showed you a picture of me staring into the distance in front of the Vatican. As I explained, it was a shot that was poking fun at me, and today I'll show you Mr's version. He was a bit confused when I got down on my knees - "You're doing what? Why? Really? And you think that will work? Okay...". He didn't know if he could trust my vision, but I absolutely adore the shot, even though it's not meant to be a serious one.

The whole origin of the "deep, staring into the distance in front of a famous cultural spot" photo joke actually (sort of) originates from my time at the university. You see, we had this new relatively young lecturer who took himself just a tad (ok a lot) too seriously. He was our lecturer in English literature and he would just go on, and on, and on, and ooon about stuff that would take anybody else half a minute to explain. I once (unknowingly) "hijacked" part of one of his lectures by going through the ins and outs of a book we had read - symbolism and all that jazz - which left him without anything to add to the (rather thorough) 10 minute presentation that I made (he had asked me to do it as a part of the mandatory course elements). He ended up ignoring the book in question entirely for the rest of the 3 hour lecture and explaining the other ones we had read to death instead (even more than he usually did)... Oh my... Needless to say, I used to be super bored during his lectures - "okay, I get it already! You don't have to use all the flowery words in the world to describe one concept", you know the type... The ones that make you hate a subject that would have been so much fun in somebody else's hands. It totally turned me off from reading and it took years to for me to enjoy books again. I still hate the idea of so called "fine literature" with a fiery passion. But I digress...

Anyway, all the professors and lecturers were listed on the uni's internet site, and his "official photo" was hilarious. Basically it was him, staring into the distance in front of a famous place in Paris, in black and white with a non-level horizon. Very different from all the other staff pictures - that were quite traditional. It was just like him, ridiculously pretentions in so many ways... and more of a rather embarrassing Facebook profile pic than a professional head shot. After I graduated, I once showed it to a colleague at the office where Mr and I work as we were talking about old uni stuff. She thought it was hilarious, so ever since then it has been our own little inside joke. Every time any of us travel to a famous place, we do a parody shot to poke fun at the concept (and ourselves).

/MrsHjort

Day 58 and 59 - Colosseum

This is one of the places in Rome that doesn't really need an introduction - its reputation precedes it. The Colosseum, also known as Flavian Amphitheatre is, of course, one of Rome's most famous spots. In 2018 it was even the most popular tourist spot in the world! 7.4 million people visited it that year. That's more people than the population of some countries - an interesting thought, don't you think?

Anyway, now for some history. The Colosseum took much less time to build than I would have thought. Especially with many other Roman places in mind, like St Peter's Basilica, that took a humongous time to complete. If I got my facts right, it "only" took 8 years to complete. It was built between 72-80 AD, with modification being done up until 96 AD, which still makes it a relatively fast in my mind with its size in mind. In its day it could hold 80 000 spectators and it hosted quite a lot of different events; gladiatorial contests (of course), animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. It even hosted mock sea battles at times - they actually filled it up with water and had boats in it! That is something I didn't know before my trip, and I was very surprised to learn it. It really made my jaw drop to hear Mr (the history nut that he is) tell me about it, and I once again found myself very impressed by the skills of the old Romans. What a thing to conceive of, and make into reality.

/MrsHjort

Day 57 - Mix of Art

Despite being dedicated to Constantine I, Arco di Costantino incorporates decorative material from the time of the emperors Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138) and Marcus Aurelius (161–180) making it a collage of sorts. Though the inscription certainly makes its point; "To the Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantinus, the greatest, pious, and blessed Augustus: because he, inspired by the divine, and by the greatness of his mind, has delivered the state from the tyrant and all of his followers at the same time, with his army and just force of arms, the Senate and People of Rome have dedicated this arch, decorated with triumphs."

/MrsHjort

Day 56 - Arco di Costantino

This triumphal arch - Arco di Costantino - can also be found near the Palatine Hill, just like Circus Maximus. It's actually right by the Colosseum, but I wanted the arch to be the star of this shot, so I turned my back on the stadium and shot the arch from between the two. Arco di Costantino is the largest of its kind in Rome, 21 meters high. It commemorates Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.

/MrsHjort

Day 55 - The Tranquility of the Roaring Past

These shots are also of Circus Maximus, but the top one is looking to its other end and the bottom is shot from... well the bottom, right in the middle of it between the racetracks. I don't imagine the old Romans would have thought that people would stroll this leisurely along it in the future. The spot is quite quiet nowadays, there are not even many tourists. It's a nice place to stop and catch your breath.

As you can see I've experimented a bit further with these shots than I usually do. If you've been following me, you know I don't enjoy editing shots from overcast days, but I'm trying my best to find interesting new ways to edit them. So this time I took on a bolder approach than I usually do and tried to use their colors differently, going for green and muting everything else a bit instead. I also added a soft tan treatment to the sky to give the shots a bit of a vintage feel. I bias of course, but I like them more this way, I hope you enjoy them too.

/MrsHjort

Day 53 and 54 - Circus Maximus

Between two of Rome's seven hills - Aventine Hill and Palatine Hill (the latter can be seen in the background in the top picture - the ruins), you'll find our next stop; Circus Maximus, where the Romans raced horses and chariots. The stadium was built in the 6th century BC. It measured 621 m in length and was 118 m wide. Back in its day it could hold over 150 000 spectators, but today it's simply a park, and you can walk along the racetrack yourself.

The stadium is actually in both pictures. The bottom picture is what you see if you cross the road in the top picture (and you can actually see the other end of the stadium in the top picture, just below the trees in front of the ruins). It's another of those places that are larger in person. Standing by the edge of it, looking down at the people strolling along the track is really something.

/MrsHjort

Day 52 - City Shipwreck

Here is the Tiber again, but this shot is from street level. If you have a sharp eye you'll notice something a bit funny in the water on the other side of the bridge. It's a turned over boat, left in the river with its keel above the water surface. I have no clue how long it has been there, but it looked quite weathered as the paint was coming off the wooden planks.

/MrsHjort

Day 51 - View of the Tiber

We have finally reached the end of my shots from Castel Sant'Angelo. There have been quite a few of them and that's not so strange when you take into account how versatile the museum is. There is a lot to shoot, from the architecture of the castle itself (both exterior and interior) to it's statues, furniture, displays of weapons and armor, various cannons and the like, as well as the view from its walls and terraces.

This shot is not from the top roof terrace like that other one that I showed you a few days ago but from a balcony a bit farther down. The Tiber is in the foreground and in the background you can see the Altar of the Fatherland (distant, to the left).

/MrsHjort

Day 49 and 50 - Through a Window

We're still at Castel Sant'Angelo. This is one of the windows in the apartments where the pope stayed. The left shot is another one of those shots that would have been too dark in jpeg, but was saved by the raw format. The glass-work, although beautiful, obscures a wonderful view of St Peter's Basilica. Though it certainly makes for an interesting photography subject, don't you think? :)

/MrsHjort

Day 48 - Arch Angel

This is the statue on the very top of Castel Sant'Angelo that reminds us of the legend that gave the fort its name (I wrote about it a few days ago, find the story here). Interestingly there have been several versions of the statue throughout the ages. This one, made out of bronze, is from the 1700s. The one before it was made out of marble and there were other versions before that one. At one time it was wooden! I can't imagine that version lasting very long though. In fact the statue has been replaces at least six times since the time of the fort's construction. I wonder how much they resembled each other...

/MrsHort

Day 47 - Sunday Mass

Castel Sant'Angelo is one of the tallest buildings in Rome. It has a terrace on its roof with a great view of St Peter's Basilica and Piazza San Pedro, as well as other well known places. If you go to the fort on a Sunday you'll see the people gather for mass in the Vatican - a beautiful and powerful sight.

The masses can be celebrated in the basilica, in the square or sometimes both; it depends on the expected number of people attending them. Most masses require you to have a ticket, but don't sweat it, the tickets are always free.

I was lucky with this picture. As you can see it was quite cloudy that day and we were up on the roof terrace for quite a while before the sun finally broke though and shone in the right spot. I quite like the result, a gloomy sky with bright sunny buildings below it :)

/MrsHjort 

Day 46 - Dangerous Beauty

Castel Sant'Angelo is not only a beauty in itself, it also has beautiful items displayed inside it. From painted walls and ceilings to furniture, as well as weapons and shields. This one caught my eye. All that detail on its surface is beautiful, but the implications of that spike are nasty. Hopefully it was only used by someone important who wanted to look pretty whilst walking along the battlements of the castle :)

/MrsHort

Day 45 - Geometry in Photography

As I started shooting for more than plain old fun, as a newbie wannabe hobby photographer, I found it hard to use composition and perspective to improve my photos, but as the years have gone by, it has become something I can't shut off anymore. Using Geometry in photography is fun! This shot from a courtyard at Castel Sant'Angelo got me thinking about that.

Fist off, geometric shapes (circles, squares, rectangles etc.) are lovely things to incorporate into photography. It's something that draws you into a picture whether you're aware of it or not. As you can see, this shot has several shapes in it, and I think that's part of why I find it so attractive. And besides, as an old math nerd I always love it when photography and math come together.

Apart from the shapes, this shot is mathematical in another way as well - the classic rule of thirds can be applied to it too. I especially enjoy how the diagonal lines of the stone  railing connects two hotspots together and how the rectangle that is outside the bust's arch fits inside the middle lateral third. I hope you like it too :)

/MrsHjort

Day 44 - Castle Café

Higher up in Castel Sant'Angelo we found a cafe with a wonderful view of the city. Funnily we didn't even think about stopping there, I think we were too caught up in the experience to consider it. Apparently is got some very nice reviews... Oh well... maybe next time :)

/MrsHjort

Day 43 - Layers of Time

Like I said a few days ago, Castel Sant'Angelo has had several functions throughout the ages, and these pictures show the different layers that were constructed and added as time went by.

The first stone was laid in 123 AD and the first version of the structure was finished in 139. Back then it had the function of Mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian and his family. Notice the uneven brickwork in the bottom picture - that's the oldest part of the fort.

In the 14th century the popes started converting the place to a castle and that was also when the hidden passageway to the Vatican that I mentioned earlier was constructed. The well ordered brickwork is from this era.

The 16th century brought additions in the form of a chapel and a rich apartment for the pope to stay in if there was a siege - that's the pinkish section to the right in the top picture.

In the year of 1901 the castle/fortress was decommissioned and converted into the museum that it is today. But in the ways of construction the only trace you can find from the modern era in these pictures is the antenna on the roof in the top picture.

/MrsHjort

Day 41 and 42 - The Guardroom

Yesterday was an unusual day. We took one of our cats to the dentist and the poor thing had four teeth pulled. She's got a dental illness, so once a year we take her to the dentist and each time she is returned to us with less teeth. All of her molars and premolars are gone now and she only has her incisors and three canines left. It's always painful to watch her go through it, but in the end it's for her best. It has to be done or she will be in more and more pain as time goes. It's just hard to see her all groggy and weak as she suffers the aftereffects of the sedation and the general damage a tooth removal does to a kitty. So, yesterday was spent taking care of her and making sure she was okay.

Today's pictures are from a guard room in Castel Sant'Angelo. From the looks of things I'd say it used to be a nice enough place, with its own fireplace and a window. I can almost picture the officer sitting in the chair talking to his men on the bench.

It's funny how some places have that impact on you and some don't. Somehow I find it easier to picture the past in places like this, where the common folk hung around, than in fancy rooms with tapestries. Maybe because their lives were closer to mine than the nobility's were - I've had many jobs in my day - from assembling chain saws and sowing machines or packaging raw meat to teaching, and now, working in the field of law, and though I now have a cushy white collar job, I know full well what it's like to be a laborer. Jobs like that build character I think, and though they may be monotonous or gritty, they certainly have their charm, especially if you have a great team around you. Some things are universal and transcend space and time. Gritty jobs is one of them and fun coworkers is another. It makes it easy to picture the guards sitting on that bench, chatting merrily before the morning briefing...

/MrsHjort

Day 40 - Loose Canon

This is another shot of a place that I think has wonderful natural lighting. And I have to say, it's much more fun to shoot in places like this nowadays compared to a few years back, before I got post-ed software that could handle the raw format. It still amazes me how much more detail you can get out of a high contrast environment. The two step editing (Lightroom - Photoshop) takes a bit longer than just using one program but it's so worth it, and I'll never go back to just using jpg. No more cross your fingers and hope for the best, the loose jpg cannon  Nikon has been fastened and is now operated by an artillerist ;).

/MrsHjort

Day 39 - Solitude

As you enter Castel Sant'Angelo you'll pass by some wrought iron bars that section off small rooms. That is where I noticed this urn, all alone in a corner, with the light hitting it beautifully from the side. It's probably not special in any way - there was no explanation or plaque to tell me about it - but the scene was one of those that screamed "shoot me!". The light conditions - quite dark - had me wondering if I'd manage to pull it off, but the metal bars turned out to be excellent helpers. So I held my breath, steadied the lens on (and through) the bars and hoped for the best. I was happily surprised that it turned out to be free of motion blur and crystal sharp. It's weird, but this is one of my favorite shots from our trip... It's not of anything special or unique in any way, but that lighting... I really like its interplay with the urn and the wall behind it :)

/MrsHjort

Day 38 - Castel Sant'Angelo

This castle is a place that many tourists miss out on - the reason being, most likely, a lack of time. It's not one of the big things that everybody has heard of, like the Trevi Fountain or the Colosseum, but it's a real jewel nonetheless. This shot is actually of it's back door. It's my favorite one of the shots I took from the outside.

Castel Sant'Angelo translated is "Castle of the Holy Angel" and the legend goes that the archangel Michael appeared on its top sheathing his sword to signify the end of the plague. It was originally built to be a mausoleum for the Roman Emperor Hadrian and his family but it was later used as as a prison, a fortress and a resident castle by the popes. There's even a tunnel linking the fortress to the Vatican. Passetto di Borgo, as it is called, is 800 m long and runs inside a large brick wall. Pope Clemens VII actually used it to escape when Charles VIII invaded the city in 1527.

/MrsHjort

Day 37 - Underneath the Trees

These shots are from a small park that we used to go through on our way to the sights. This particular morning we were on our way to Castel Sant'Angelo that is right at the end of this park. I often forget to take pictures when I'm on my way to somewhere and only stop at the "big things" on the way, or the ones that scram "shoot me!" While this park is a beautiful place I didn't feel the urge to stop there until this morning as there are salesmen along the whole side of it (the stands to the left in the bottom picture) and I'm one of those women who hates shopping... and crowds. Though early in the morning it's better, so then it actually occurred to me to stop and snap a few pictures, and I'm glad that I did. A city like Rome with so many famous sights is a thing of wonder but the roads between those sights are pretty too and it's nice to have those shots of familiar paths to remember the general vibe of the city rather than the tourist filled sights.


/MrsHjort

Day 35 and 36 - Water and Stone

These pictures are, as some of you might have figured already, from Piazza Navona, right outside the Church I've been showing you pictures of the last few days. Here you'll find yet another Roman obelisk, but it didn't make into my choice photos because of background problems - I'm very picky with what pictures I keep and even more picky with the ones I choose to edit. That's the way you get, for bad or worse, when you've been an eager aspiring hobby photographer for... has it been seven years already!? Wow, where did the time go... Being picky is both great and not so great. It's great because it keeps you on your toes and makes you think about your shots in a way that makes you a better photographer, but it's not so great because you loose that spontaneous element of photography - the "point and shoot" without any preparation. So called snapshots really have their own charm and I like how they capture "real moments" rather than choreographed or planned ones, if that makes sense, but I digress.

Anyway, You'll find three fountains at this square and these are pictures of the largest of them - the Fountain of the Four Rivers by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It displays four river gods and represents the four continents to where the papal authority has spread by depicting famous rivers - the Nile (Africa), Danube (Europe), Ganges (Asia) and Rio de la Plata (South America).

I'm beginning to find my footing with the gloomy pictures I think. A comment from my favorite sarge got me thinking a bit, and I tried something that I haven't done before in the middle picture. This is where it all gets a bit nerdy, but it occurred to me that the flat look you get out of photos shot on overcast days can be overcome through selective editing. So, I faked things a bit and edited the statue and the background differently from each other when it came to color. In real life, the color of the stone fountain and the church in the background is much more similar, but I wanted the statue to stand out more, so I edited it accordingly. It's still a gloomy picture, but I like it a lot more with the faked interplay of foreground and background. It may not be entirely honest... but then most photos aren't. From mobile photo filters to "Photoshopping"... everybody likes to enhance their shots :)

/MrsHjort

Day 34 - Gloomy Sky

So, like I said yesterday this is Sant'Agnese in Agone, a 17th century church built in baroque style devoted to st. Agnes. The story goes that she was a Roman noble with many suitors, but she was devout and turned them all down. They submitted her name to the Christian authorities. She was put to death and suffered martyrdom at the age of 12. The church is now built at the site where she died and named for the agony she was put through before they beheaded her. You can even find her remains inside - her scull can be found at her shrine.

To move on to a completely different subject, the weather wasn't cooperating with me outside the church. This picture is a perfect example of why I don't like shooting in gloomy weather. All color just goes bye bye and no matter how you tweak it, you can never make it look happy and bright - which is what I like my photos to be. Gloom is my Achilles' heel. I've never really known what to do with it. So, if you have any suggestions on how to make shots like this pop in post-ed, I'm all ears and grateful for every tip.

/MrsHjort

Day 32 and 33 - Sant'Agnese in Agone

As I said back in the beginning of this series, I like to try my hand at making sense of the marvelous ceilings of the Roman churches through composition. Though the interiors are beautiful, it's not been an easy task for me - it's not some thing I try my hand at very often - but I still enjoy trying to get all those wonderful shapes to make a pleasing whole. So here are my favorite ones of Sant'Agnese in Agone - a church that lies right by Piazza Navona. I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

/MrsHjort