Roma, Italy: Piazzas and Obelisks

Rome is home to an endless number of piazzas. Shots of several - Piazza di Navona, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Montecitorio- are shown below.

The Piazza Navona was originally a Roman stadium for the emperor Domitian, and it still retains its oval shape. It contains three fountains, an obelisk and some beautiful buildings.

The Piazza di Spagna - or Spanish Steps- shown several times in the recent movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley", lead to the church of Trinita dei Monti.

The Piazza del Popolo is a huge square, said to be in the heart of Rome, splitting it in two. It contains three churches, including the twin churches Santa Maria in M. Santa and Santa Maria d. Mitac, a large obelisk, statues, and two large fountains. One of the statues is of the She-Wolf, nursing Romulus and Remus. The legend of Rome was that it was founded by Romulus and Remus. These twins of the Roman god Mars were abandoned along the Tiber River. The She-Wolf raised them, and they founded the city. It is said that the brothers quarreled over who would rule the city, resulting in Remus' death at the hands of Romulus - hence the city takes its name from Romulus.

There are many obelisks found all over the squares in Rome. Many of these obelisks were not originally from Rome. The Romans had to learn to fight from the sea in order to conquer Carthage. Once they did conquer Carthage, they brought back many obelisks from there as well as Egypt.

The Piazza Navona

The Piazza Navona

Statue of the She-Wolf Nursing Romulus and Remus in the Piazza del Popolo

?Piazza Minerva?