Category Archives: Rome

Walking through Rome and suddenly stepping onto Piazza della Rotonda to see the Pantheon in all its ancient glory is an unforgettable experience. First, you will note the domed ceiling, then the columns, and near the top of the Pantheon you will see some old writing. There is some complex history around the Latin words […]

If you come to Rome you will likely quickly notice its pine trees. The trees slightly resemble something that Dr. Seuss would have dreamed up, with tall and skinny trunks supporting widespread canopies of needles high in the air. These are the stone pines of Rome, sometimes also called umbrella pines or parasol pines for […]

Imagine walking among the ruins and urban buzz of Rome only to hear a parrot, then see the bright flash of its wings. Parrots in Rome are more common than you might think. However, these tropical-looking birds in Rome are actually brilliant green parakeets. Most are rose-ringed parakeets, to be precise. With so many parks, […]

I have struggled to watch some of the videos of an empty Rome, or to see normally busy sites in Italy completely deserted. It has been painful to see a country that is normally so full of beauty be laid so bare.  Today is the 30th day of our national lockdown. As the curve seems […]

The artist known as Raphael was born in the pretty little city of Urbino in 1483. After spending much of his early career in Tuscany and Umbria, Raphael came to Rome at the request of the Pope.   The High Renaissance artist spent the last 12 years of his life in Rome, creating a massive […]

In case you need your dose of goosebumps for the day, this performance by young guitarist Jacopo Mastrangelo should hit the spot. As church bells finishing sounding and the sun sets in the background, Jacopo hits the first notes of a song by beloved Italian composer Ennio Morricone. The song was created for Sergio Leone’s […]