!!!Rome

by Stanislav Sedov and Dmitriy Moiseenko,
members of the [AirPano Team|Geography/About/Consortium/AirPano,_Team] that is a member of the [global-geography Consortium|Geography/About/Consortium]. \\

21 August 2013

with kind permission of [AirPano|http://www.AirPano.com]

Rome is one of the most famous and beautiful cities in the world. You've
all heard the legend that it was founded by two brothers, Romulus and
Remus, sons of the god Mars raised by a she-wolf. And then the first
brother killed the other and founded a new settlement in the same place.
It was a time of iron age and cruel hearts!

The origin of the legend is unknown. In fact, Rome, like many other
cities, was founded by the Etruscans in the 8-9th century BC. Palatine
and Capitoline hills had a very strategic location; moreover, there was
a river Tiber which supplied people with water.

According to historical documents, the downfall of the Etruscan dynasty
was brought upon by the king Tarquin's son lack of self-restraint. He
dishonored a certain Lucretia, a lady of high society, which led to her
suicide. Lucretia's relatives and friends didn't stop at getting
vengeance only on the offender, but raised a large-scale riot against
the Etruscan rule.

[{Image src='01_Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna.jpg' caption='Spanish Steps, Piazza di Spagna' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='449'}]

So in the 509 BC the famous Roman Republic started, and its size and
wealth grew with each passing day. The subsequent history of Rome, even
as a brief retelling will take a few pages in the smallest font. The
Punic Wars and Pyrrhic victory, Hannibal and Carthage, Gaius Julius
Caesar and Spartacus, Nero and Caligula, Mark Antony and Cleopatra, the
Flavian dynasty and Constantine the Great. In fact, during that time the
life of whole Europe revolved around the Roman Empire.

"All roads lead to Rome", "Rome is the Eternal City" — no one would
understand you, had you decided to argue with these statements during
those ancient times. It was only in the 5th century, when Rome was
captured by the Visigoths and ransacked by vandals, that the Republic
lost its influence on the rest of the world. As a result of the ensuing
bloody wars, Rome became weaker and weaker, and by the mid-century the
only country it controlled was Italy.

[{Image src='02_St Peter_s Basilica and Saint Peter_s Square.jpg' caption='St Peter_s Basilica and Saint Peter_s Square' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='449'}]

However, the fall of the empire didn't affect the city's renown: its
glory wasn't tarnished, but became of a different character. Nowadays
countless sights of Rome built during legendary times attract many
tourists.

Let's just say that we have to thank the bloodthirsty emperor Nero for
building the Cathedral of St. Peter in Vatican, the same place where he
executed Apostle Peter. The Pantheon in Rome, built at the turn of the
old and the new era, is now a national mausoleum. It was built as the
"temple to all gods" and has been used as a tomb: among those who are
buried there are the great painter Raphael, King Victor Emmanuel II,
Umberto I, and other famous people.

The Capitoline Hill, as the site of the city's foundation, was an "apple
of discord" between the brothers Romulus and Remus. Since the Punic
Wars, the Roman Forum has been the center of political, religious, and
economic life of Rome. The Colosseum, a famous sight that ends up on
every photo of Rome, was opened by the Flavia family.

[{Image src='03_The Colosseum.jpg' caption='The Colosseum' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='595'}]

Piazza Venezia, situated between the Capitol and the Forum, has been a
major transport point since Roman times. Piazza Navona is another city
square that was built thanks to Gaius Julius Caesar. For a long time it
has been used as a stadium of sorts (hence the name of the Greek
origin). The beauty of the surrounding buildings makes it the perfect
example of Baroque architecture.

Castel Sant'Angelo that served as a tomb, the Pope's residence, and a
prison has turned out to be one of the most interesting museums in Rome.
It's connected by Sant'Angelo Bridge that looks very solemn and is lined
with marble slabs. There was a time when heads of executed criminals
were hung along the bridge as a terrible warning to others.

Fabricio is another bridge that connects the Tiber Island to the left
bank of the Tiber River; it dates back to the year 62 BC (by the way,
its length is 62 meters, which is hardly a coincidence). Plaza de España
is famous for its stairs, the steps of which are made of travertine and
designed by architect Francesco de Sanctis in the middle of the 18th
century.

The Trevi Fountain, the largest fountain in the city, is also among the
most famous landmarks of Rome. It was built in the year 1732-1762 and
designed by architect Nicola Salvi in ??Baroque style; it's adjacent to
the facade of the Palazzo Poli, making it a single architectural
ensemble.

[{Image src='04_The Trevi Fountain.jpg' caption='The Trevi Fountain' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='450'}]

In the central niche of the palace there is a Neptune sitting on a sea
shell and pulled by sea horses and newts. Allegorical figures are placed
in the niches on both sides of Neptune and there are bas-reliefs above
them. One of them depicts a girl that points the Roman soldiers to the
source. In the 19 BC an aqueduct has been built that pumped water from
the source to Rome.

There is hardly a person who have been to Rome and didn't drop a coin
into the Trevi Fountain. There is a belief that one coin will ensure
your return to the Italian capital, two coins will lead you to your
loved one, three coins will lead to a wedding, but if you want to get
rich you need to throw four coins. As a result, the Trevi Fountain is
filled with about three thousand euros a day, and a million euros a
year!

Anyway, Rome is a city of fountains, museums, and squares where you can
see historical monuments and buildings on every step of your way. We
hope that "flying" over Rome with our panoramas will give you the
opportunity to enjoy the beauty and magnitude of the Eternal City.

[{Image src='05_Rome.jpg' caption='Rome' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='450'}]

And now let me turn the floor over to Stanislav Sedov, who will share
some of his impressions about the trip.

Our first photo shoot day in Rome started with an incident which could
have potentially ruined all our plans. I would like to express my
gratitude to the Italian police for their help in resolving this matter.
But let's start from the very beginning.

[{Image src='06_Rome.jpg' caption='Rome' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='567'}]

It so happened that I came to Italy with my family two weeks before the
planned photo shoot. I wanted to spend a couple of weeks wandering
through the streets of Rome, visiting museums and various places of
interest, because during the photo shoot Dima Moiseenko and I don't have
time for these activities.

Two weeks flew by very quickly, and I found myself on the way to the
airport on Leonardo Express to see my family off home. Dima arrived in
Rome practically at the same time, because the next day we had to take
pictures of the Colosseum. But in all the confusion of my family's
departure and meeting my colleagues I left my backpack with all the
documents, credit cards, and camera in the train car: I put it on the
top shelf and forgot it there when leaving the train. I realized that
only when the train already left the station.

[{Image src='07_Piazza Navona from the altitude of 160 meters.jpg' caption='Piazza Navona from the altitude of 160 meters' alt='' width='900' popup='false' height='504'}]

Dima and I went to the airport police station. After listening to my
story, the duty officer became very skeptical about our chances to find
the lost backpack: there was a commune of homeless people in Rome's
central station that searched arriving trains for things left behind.

However, when I told the officer which train I took to get there, he
contacted the train driver and asked him to search train cars for my
missing backpack. It was around the time when the train was about to
depart from the center of Rome back to the airport. Ten minutes later,
which seemed like eternity, the officer's phone rang. After a brief
conversation he smiled at me, "Looks like it's your lucky day, he found
your backpack."

Lucky doesn't cover even half of it! Passport, driving license, credit
cards, and a camera worth more than $3,000 were all in place. Dima and I
thanked the airport police for their help and went to the city center
towards our Roman adventure. But that's another story.

Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the officer, but once again
I would like to express my gratitude for his help! There is a part of
his work in our virtual tour of Rome.

\\ \\
[20 Panoramas of Rome|Geography/Europe/Italy/Pictures/Panoramas_of_Rome]










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