Trinita dei Monti
Not the most spectacular of Rome’s churches (of which there are many) but we popped in as it holds a commanding position at the top of the Spanish Steps:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
The Spanish Steps
The Spanish Steps, another of Rome’s famous tourist attractions, are so called because they are situated in the Piazza di Spagna (or Square of Spain) home to the Spanish Embassy. Apart from that they have little or no other connection to Spain, being designed by an Italian and paid-for with French money.
The 135 step staircase, built in 1725, links the piazza to the Trinità dei Monti, the late-Renaissnce Roman Catholic church that stands at the top of the steps and provides some great views of the city.
Unlike the cramped surroundings of the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps are an engaging place to sit and watch the world go by for awhile or to indulge in a spot of people watching.
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Trevi Fountain
The Fontana di Trevi, so called because of the ‘tre via’ (three roads) that lead to it, is one of Rome’s top tourist attractions…..but if I’m being honest, I’m not entirely sure what to make of it.
The fountain itself, completed in 1762, is undeniably impressive, taking up one entire side of the 17th century Palazzo Poli. However it just appears a bit out of place now compared to the more humble buildings that surround it and the fact that it feels a bit too big for the relatively small piazza in which it sits.
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Roman Forum
Dating back some 2,500 years, the Forum developed over-time into the centre of political, commercial and religious life in ancient Rome…..the beating heart of the Roman Republic and subsequent Roman Empire.
To be honest you really need to make sure that your powers of archaelogical interpretation are suitably well tuned (and that ideally you’ve done a little research/reading beforehand) to have any hope of making sense of the jumbled and confusing mass of ruins…..although looking down from the terrace of the Palatine Hill, as in the last two images below, does help a little with understanding the layout.
Having said that, if Roman history is your thing (and with an active imagination) it would be almost impossible not to be impressed by the fact that famous historical figures such as Julius Caesar, Cicero, Pompey and Mark Anthony (to name but a few) once walked these cobbled streets.
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Colosseum
Built by the Emperor Vespasian between AD 69-79, the huge 50,000 seat Flavian Amphitheatre (better known as the Colosseum) is perhaps the most famous of Rome’s ancient monuments. It’s certainly the most popular attracting more than 6 million visitors a year:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Rome
We’ve just come back from a few days away visiting the “Eternal City” of Rome. By way of introduction I’ll start with this image of arguably Rome’s most impressive ancient monument, the nearly 2,000 year old Flavian Amphitheatre, better known as the Colosseum:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Berrington Hall – Interior
A gallery of images from the neo-classical Berrington Hall in Herefordshire:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Berrington Hall – Exterior
The late 18th Century Berrington Hall is a neo-classical country house about three miles north of Leominster in Herefordshire. The estate grounds at Berrington were the last to be designed by Capability Brown….landscape architect/gardener to the fabulously wealthy British landed gentry:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Dunham Massey – Interior
I like taking shots of the interiors of country houses, the fascinating details, rich colours and window light:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
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Dunham Massey – Exterior
A few shots of the exterior of Dunham Massey Hall near Altrincham in Cheshire. Although originally built in 1616, the buildings have undergone extensive re-modelling at various times during the following three centuries upto 1976 when the management of the house and estate passed to the National Trust:
© Mark Simms Photography (2019)
