Italy 2015 - Rome Day One - Part Two

Italy 2015 - Rome Day One - Part Two

Continuing on from The Palatine we strolled through The Forum. We didn't spend too much time here as we had all been to the Forum in the past.

Temple of Romulus and Remus - Was converted into a church

Temple of Antoninius and Faustina

Temple of Vesta

The site of Caesar's Funeral Pyre

Temple of Antoninius and Fasutina

House of the Vestal Virgins

Temple of Saturn

Arch of Septimius Severus

 After making our way out of the Forum my stepmother expressed a wish to go inside Il Vittoriano which is an enormous victory monument commonly known as "the wedding cake".

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

We went inside and there was not too much to see. The inside was beautiful but in need of repair. Water marks and cracks were very obvious on the ceiling. We did take the opportunity to use the washrooms that were housed here, disgusting!

We went out to the observation deck and took in the fantastic views of Rome.

Since we had already made the climb up we decided to go inside Basilica Sanctae Mariae de Ara coeli which is sandwiched between Il Vittoriano and the Capitoline Museum.

This was a nice break as it was very hot outside and also allowed us to rest our feet and take in the beauty of the church.

Hard to believe that so much beauty lies inside such a nondescript building (pictured at the top of those very steep stairs).

Next up was another headliner of our time in Rome, the Capitoline Museum. Home of some of the finest works in Rome. The museum itself is also a beautiful piece of art. Michelangelo designed the Piazza in which the museums sit.

Michelangelo's famous staircase - the Cordonata

Michelangelo's famous staircase - the Cordonata

I loved my visit to the Capitoline Museum which was "free" with our Roma Passes. I studied Classical History and Archeology in university and it was thrilling to see my textbooks come to life. Seeing these pieces of history in person is indescribable.

The first thing that we saw, pieces of the colossus of Constantine, was not even housed inside but is instead in the entrance courtyard to the museum.

Capitoline Museum - Constantine

Entrance courtyard of the Capitoline Museum

The only thing that really marred our visit to the museum was the fact that we seemed to be followed by a very loud school group. The students did not seem to care about what they were seeing and always seemed to be blocking our path or obstructing our view of the artwork. We did eventually lose them as they outpaced us thankfully.

If you are going to visit museums in Rome make sure that the Capitoline is at the top of your list!