Roma, Italy

All roads lead to Rome, they say. That is for sure true, given that I was here a long ago. Since I left, I have been always on the way to come back, that is for sure. Even though that can be said for many other places, Rome has always been somewhat special. Despite it being the capital of Italy, despite the hordes of tourist that many other cities can envy and many other cities are happy not too have, Rome can still sometimes feel like a big village. In a way how Amsterdam used to be. Or Bruxelles for that matter.

Shall we…?

Basilica Papale di Santa Maria Maggiore

Italian churces and cathedrals tend to have very long names, this is not an exception. Little did we know, when we were there that Pope Francis would pass and be buried at this exact cathedral, the first one since Pope Clement IX (1600-1669).

No one pays attention to the artwork that defines the roof.

Colosseo

I don’t have to describe how immense this structure is, the largest amphitheatre ever built (and it still is). Built in the 1st century, it has been the center of attention ever since.

Just a stone throw awayfrom Colosseo, on the way to Monumeno a Vittorio Emanuele II is where the Foro di Traiano is located.

Monumeno a Vittorio Emanuele II

No, this is not the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. This immense structure was build between 1885 and 1935 as a monument to Victor Emanual II, the first ruler of a unified Italy. And no, there is no shopping mall inside there either.