Steve's Genealogy Blog

The Arch of Titus was built in 81 AD by the Emperor Domatian to celebrate the deification of his deceased predecessor and brother, Titus. The arch is located at the east end of the Roman Forum, close to the Colosseum.

Inside the arch, one can see an image of the deification of Titus directly above, in the coffered soffit. On the interior, to the North, is a relief of the spoils of the temple in Jerusalem and, to the South, is a relief of Titus as Triumphator, riding in a quadriga – a chariot drawn by four horses.

The Arch of Titus

SOURCE:  The Arch of Titus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 10 August 2011.

Detail of the Arch of Titus

SOURCE:  Detail of the Arch of Titus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

The Spoils of War

SOURCE:  The Spoils of War (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Titus as Triumphator

SOURCE:  Titus as Triumphator (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Temple of Divus Romulus (Tempio di Romolo) in the Roman Forum was constructed to honor Romulus, the deified son of Emperor Maxentius in 309 AD. In the sixth century, the temple was converted into the vestibule for the Basilica of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Inside, there are several decaying frescos on the walls and visitors can peer into the basilica through a gate.

The Temple of Divus Romulus

SOURCE:  The Temple of Divus Romulus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Fresco of the Virgin and Child

SOURCE:  Fresco of the Virgin and Child (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Fresco of Christ

SOURCE:  Fresco of Christ (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Decorative Fresco

SOURCE:  Decorative Fresco (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

View into the Basilica

SOURCE:  View into the Basilica (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Moving through the Roman Forum to the southeast, one passes the Tempio del Divo Giulio (Temple of Caesar). Construction of this temple was begun after the Roman Senate deified Julius Caesar and was dedicated to the cult of a comet that appeared soon after Caesar was assassinated. This comet was considered to be the soul of Julius Caesar.

Close to the Tempio del Divo Giulio is the Tempio di Vesta (Temple of Vesta). Here, the Vestal Virgins tended the fires of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth.

The Tempio dei Castori (Temple of Castor and Pollux) has only three columns remaining. It was built to commemorate the Roman victory at the Battle of Lake Regillus in 495 BC. According to legend, Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus and Leda, appeared on the battlefield to aid the Romans.

Construction of the Tempio di Antonino e Faustina (Temple of Antonino and Faustina) was begun in 141 AD by the Emperor Antoninus Pius in honor of his deceased wife Faustina the Elder. It survives today because it was later converted to the Roman Catholic Church San Lorenzo in Miranda.

Tempio del Divo Giulio

SOURCE:  Tempio del Divo Giulio (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Templo di Vesta

SOURCE:  Tempio di Vesta (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Tempio dei Castori

SOURCE:  Tempio dei Castori (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Tempio di Antonino e Faustina

SOURCE:  Tempio di Antonino e Faustina (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Curia Julia in the Roman Forum holds several important objects including the Plutei of Trajan, a pair of stone balustrades found in the Forum. These balustrades were not part of the Curia Julia, but they are historically important because they show the structures of the Forum as they once appeared.

Also on display in the Curia Julia are a number of paintings, including one from 1899 by Henryk H. Siemiradzki entitled “The future victims of the Colosseum”.

Next to the Curia Julia are the remnants of the Basilica Aemilia. This basilica was a Roman public building rather than a church. Very little remains of the Basilica Aemilia today.

Pluteus of Trajan – 1

SOURCE:  Pluteus of Trajan – 1 (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Pluteus of Trajan – 2

SOURCE:  Pluteus of Trajan – 2 (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

The Future Victims of the Colosseum

SOURCE:  The Future Victims of the Colosseum (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Remnants of the Basilica Aemilia

SOURCE:  Remnants of the Basilica Aemilia (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Curia Julia was one of the buildings where the Roman Senate gathered. The reason why the Curia Julia has survived while most others have not is that the building was converted into the Basilica of Sant’Adriano al Foro in the seventh century. Construction of the Curia Julia was begun during the reign of Julius Caesar but it was not completed until after his assassination.

Several sculptures are also displayed in the Curia Julia. The first, the torso of Nero, is probably here temporarily during the Nero Exhibition in the Forum. It is described as a Cuirassed Statue of Nero and is from the Piazza dei Celestini in Bologna. The second is a Statue of Agrippa Minor perhaps recut from a statue of Messalina. This statue is originally from Herculaneum. The third is described as Togate Statue with Portrait of a Princess (Claudia Octavia?). It is from the Forum at Rosele.

The Curia Julia

SOURCE:  The Curia Julia (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Torso of Nero

SOURCE:  Torso of Nero (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Agrippa Minor

SOURCE:  Agrippa Minor (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Claudia Octavia?

SOURCE:  Claudia Octavia? (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Forum was the center for public life in ancient Rome. Today, the Forum lies mostly in ruins. At the northwest corner of the forum stands the Arch of Septimius Severus dedicated in 203 AD to commemorate the victories of Septimius Severus and his sons against the Parthians. Near the Arch stands the Column of Phocus dedicated in 608 AD to the Eastern Roman Emperor Phocus. The Church of Santi Luca e Martina, commissioned in 625 AD, is also nearby. Of the Temple of Saturn, the oldest temple in the Forum, only eight columns and the podium remain. Even less of the Temple of Vespasian and Titus has survived. Only three columns remain standing.

Arch of Septimius Severus

SOURCE:  Arch of Septimius Severus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Church of Santi Luca e Martina / Arch of Septimius Severus

SOURCE:  Church of Santi Luca e Martina / Arch of Septimius Severus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Column of Phocus

SOURCE:  Column of Phocus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Column of Phocus / Temple of Saturn / Temple of Vespasian and Titus

SOURCE:  Column of Phocus / Temple of Saturn / Temple of Vespasian and Titus (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 13 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains (San Pietro in Vincoli) is located near the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. Its façade is modest. If one did not know the basilica was there, one might pass by, thinking that the structure was an office building or a residence.

The most amazing possession of the basilica are the chains on display, thought to be the chains that held Saint Peter while he was imprisoned in Jerusalem and in the Mamertine Prison in Rome.

The basilica is also famous for a monument to Pope Julius II which includes Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses. Original texts describing Moses as he descended Mount Sinai describe Moses face as “radiant”, although Jerome, who translated the Old Testament into Latin, described Moses as “horned” rather than “radiant”. In any case, Michelangelo sculpted Moses with horns. While the monument to Pope Julius II is located in San Pietro in Vincoli, his tomb is located in Saint Peter’s.

Another striking feature of the basilica is the tomb of Cinzio Aldobrandini, the nephew of Pope Clement VIII. Aldobrandini was a cardinal in the Roman Catholic Church and lived much of his life in service to the Vatican. His tomb is decorated with an impressive sculpture of Death.

The altar of Saint Sebastian is related to an outbreak of Plague in Pavia that could only be abated if an altar to Saint Sebastian was constructed in the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Pavia. Presumably, this story was told in Rome and an altar to Saint Sebastian was also constructed in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. A mosaic of Saint Sebastian hangs over the altar.

The Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains

SOURCE:  The Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

The Chains of Saint Peter

SOURCE:  The Chains of Saint Peter (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Monument to Pope Julius II

SOURCE:  Monument to Pope Julius II (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Tomb of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini

SOURCE:  Tomb of Cardinal Cinzio Aldobrandini (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Mosaic of Saint Sebastian

SOURCE:  Mosaic of Saint Sebastian (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

As the Tiber River winds through Rome, Italy, pedestrians can stroll along at the level of the river itself or on the streets above the walls that protect Rome from flooding. From the north, one passes a number of bridges including the Umberto I Bridge (Ponte Umberto I)that leads to the Palace of Justice, the Sant’Angelo Bridge (ponte Sant’Angelo) leading to Castel Sant’Angelo, the Victor Emmanuel II Bridge (Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II)Â and the Prince Amedeo Bridge (Ponte Principe Amedeo) just below Castel Sant’Angelo, the Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge (Ponte Mazzini) with its fascinating lamps, and the Palatino Bridge (Ponto Palatino) and the ruins of the Rotto Bridge (Ponte Rotto), just below the rapids.

Victor Emmanuel II Bridge and Prince Amedeo Bridge

SOURCE:  Victor Emmanuel II Bridge and Prince Amedeo Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Giuseppe Mazzi Bridge

SOURCE:  Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Base of Lamp on the Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge

SOURCE:  Base of Lamp on the Giuseppe Mazzini Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Palatino Bridge and Ruins of the Rotto Bridge

SOURCE:  Palatino Bridge and Ruins of the Rotto Bridge (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

The Palace of Justice is located along the right bank of the Tiber River in Rome. Over the front door is a sculpture of Justice flanked by Law and Strength. In front of the building are statues of Cicero, Papiniano, De Luca, and Vito. Atop the structure is a sculpture of Winged Victory.

The Palace of Justice is approached by the Ponte Umberto I, a bridge honoring the second king of a unified Italy.

The Palace of Justice

SOURCE:  The Palace of Justice (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Winged Victory

SOURCE:  Winged Victory (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Ponte Umberto I

SOURCE:  Ponte Umberto I (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko

Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, Italy is in remarkably good repair considering that it is over 1800 years old .  The fact that the structure has been in nearly constant use since it was built undoubtedly has contributed to its preservation.

From the upper battlements, visitors to Castel Sant’Angelo enjoy a panoramic view of the Eternal City. Looking southeast, one can see the broad dome of the Pantheon, the National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, and the domes of several Roman churches. Among those domes is the somewhat octagonal dome of Chiesa del Gesù, directly in front of the Victor Emmanuel Monument. Also seen are the domes of San Salvatore in Lauro just to the left of the dome of Sant’Agnese in Agone in the Piazza Navona. Further to the right are the domes of Santa’Andrea della Valle and San Carlo ai Catinari.

Directly west of Castel Sant’Angelo stands Saint Peter’s Basilica in the State of the Vatican City.

Tower of Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Tower of Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Atop Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  Atop Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

View to the Southeast of Castel Sant’Angelo

SOURCE:  View to the Southeast of Castel Sant’Angelo (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

View of Saint Peter’s Basilica

SOURCE:  View of Saint Peter’s Basilica (Rome, Lazio, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 12 August 2011.

Copyright © 2011 by Stephen J. Danko