Like every other building, monument and statue in Rome, the Trevi is battling serious air pollution and tourist damage.
Next was a quick visit to the Chiesa di Sant' Ignazio di Loyola, a beautiful Baroque church from 1650 dedicated to Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus and beautifully cared for by the Jesuits.
This guy wanted to crown me with a laurel wreath and have his photo taken with me, but I was a bit shy!
By the way, I have a great free App on my phone from Australia Post called Postcards, so I uploaded this photo to the App and wrote Jack and Henry a little story about centurions in Ancient Rome. Push send and for $2.99 (formerly $1.99 but Australia Post is struggling!) Jack and Henry will receive a real, glossy postcard written by me, delivered to their letterbox in a couple of days. This grandma thinks it would be cheap at twice the price.
Parting company with my centurion, we wandered over to the Piazza Navona, built on the site of an ancient stadium or 'circus'. It looks to me as though the 'games' in this 'circus' included chariot racing as the large rectangular inner area has what looks very much like a race track around all four sides.
This piazza hosted Rome's main market from the 15C to 19C. These days it has great street performers in the late afternoon.
Next stop, Mercati di Traiano, Museo dei Fori Imperiali - the Markets of Traiano which is a museum of the Imperial Forums of Rome.
Despite a hefty entrance fee, poor audio-guiding, unhelpful staff and incredibly poor signage this place was amazing. Even my native Italian speaker was pulling his hair out in frustration. Trajan's Markets are thought to be the world's oldest shopping mall. As well as shops, the building also housed Emperor Trajan's administrative offices, some residences and a library.
The Mercati were built as an integral part of Trajan's Forum which itself is part of the area of Imperial Forums that stretch along the via del Fori Imperiali at the opposite end to the Colosseum. The Mercati were formed in a semicircular shape with Trajan's Forum at the front. It is a very big area.
Getting your head around the fora, the fori, the forums and whose forum was whose - is tricky. No where in the historical area of the ruins is there any easy, simple explanation. I've almost come to the conclusion that even the Romans don't know; and if they do, they're not sharing.
A very common statue in ancient Rome was a Winged Victory - a symbol of triumph in battle personified as a woman with wings. This fragment of a bronze female statue is a Nike (a right foot).
Meet Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire and its first Emperor, ruling from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.
Following the assassination of his great-uncle Julius Caesar in 44 BC, Augustus was named by Caesar as his adopted son and heir. Together with Mark Anthony and Marcus Lepidus he defeated the assassins of Caesar but was the only one of the three to retain power.
Despite an outward facade of the free Republic, he ruled as a military dictator although his was a relatively peaceful reign. He transformed Rome into a new image befitting its role as capital of a vast empire, and at the same time embeded his role as sole ruler. He never took the title of Emperor preferring Princeps or First Citizen of the State. He died at 75 and was succeeded by Tiberius.
The Mercati di Traiano, Museo dei Fori Imperiali was great. and with a bit more wandering around ruins I might be able to work out this 'forum' thing. I'll keep you posted.
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