Something funny happened on the way to the forum

Been a bit quiet on the blog front recently, pressure of real life. We did however recently have a break in Rome, and it was very good to get away from the hurly burly here. I have found visiting major cities in the winter works well as often the main attractions are fairly deserted, although you are always taking a chance with the weather. In this case we managed to miss the storms going out, the air traffic control outage while we were there and the fog coming home. Not hugely wargamery, but a few items of wargames interest below.

St Peters Basilica at sunset

Coliseum from the outside

and the inside. I thought those trapodoors in 'Gladiator' were made up, but evidently not. The remains of the lift shafts can be seen in the underfloor galleries.

Palatine Hill, it looks just like rural Italy

View from the Palatine across the forum

Julius Caeser. The Curia is just to the left and the Capitol up the hill to the right..

King Victor Emmanuel IIs monument, some people think this a bit over the top!

Trajans column. The source of so many shield and armour designs.

The pedestal of the column, legionary shield designs relatively evident.

JC again. This time the propoganda version with a full head of hair, in front of Caesers forum. Mussolini helpfully built a huge elevated road right through the middle of it.

Walls around the Vatican.

St Peters from inside the Vatican gardens.

The double spiral staircase in the Vatican museum.

Marcus Agrippas frontage to the Pantheon.

Ignatius Loyolas church. The leader of the counter-reformation can be seen in the tryptich in the foreground.

Marcus Aurelius's column

The inscription mentions both Marcus Aurelius and Maximus. Why do the common people care what happens in Germania?

The sun at mid-day shining through the oculos of the Pantheon.