Steve's Genealogy Blog

First View of Pompeii

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Steve

The ancient city of Pompeii, near Naples, Italy, was buried in ash and pumice when nearby Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD. Not until 1749 was the city rediscovered. Since that time, many structures have been excavated. Before entering the city, visitors see the external walls that reveal little of what lies inside. One of the first areas my group visited was the Casamera dei Gladiatori, the Gladiators Barracks. From here, one can see Mount Vesuvius, looming over Pompeii. From here, we walked through the Odeon, Pompeii’s small theater, originally covered with a wooden roof, that presented musical concerts, plays, and performances by mimes to an audience of up to 1000 people.

Pompeii Exterior

SOURCE: Pompeii Exterior (Pompeii, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Gladiators’ Barracks

SOURCE: Gladiators’ Barracks (Pompeii, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

View of Mount Vesuvius from Gladiators’ Barracks

SOURCE: View of Mount Vesuvius from Gladiators’ Barracks (Pompeii, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

The Odeon Theater

SOURCE: The Odeon Theater (Pompeii, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Italy, Mediterranean Vacation, Pompeii | Comments Off

More from the Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Amalfi, Campania, Italy

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Steve

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Amalfi Italy gets its name from the Apostle Saint Andrew whose relics reside here. Most of the relics were brought to Amalfi by Cardinal Peter of Capua in 1208 after the Siege of Constantinople. The relics of Saint Andrew are entombed in the cathedral’s crypt. The sarcophagus of Cardinal Peter of Capua serves as the main altar of the cathedral. Over the bronze doors at the entrance to the cathedral are representations of Saint Andrew and the Blessed Virgin.

Cardinal Peter of Capua

SOURCE: Cardinal Peter of Capua (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Ave Maria

SOURCE: Ave Maria (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Saint Andrew

SOURCE: Saint Andrew (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

The Author on the Portico of the Cathedral

SOURCE: The Author on the Portico of the Cathedral (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Amalfi, Italy, Mediterranean Vacation | Comments Off

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew in Amalfi, Campania, Italy

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Steve

Sixty-two steps lead to the bronze doors of the Amalfi Cathedral (the Cathedral of Saint Andrew) in Amalfi, Italy. The architecture is Romanesque with Arab influences. From the portico, there is a commanding view of the Piazza Duomo and the surrounding area.

The Cathedral of Saint Andrew

SOURCE: The Cathedral of Saint Andrew (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

The Author at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew

SOURCE: The Author at the Cathedral of Saint Andrew (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed for Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

View Through the Lattice Work on the Portico

SOURCE: View Through the Lattice Work on the PorticoÂ (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

The Cathedral Portico

SOURCE: The Cathedral Portico (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

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Amalfi, Campania, Italy

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Steve

After traveling by boat from Salerno to Amalfi along the beautiful Amalfi Coast, I arrived in Amalfi itself. The tower of the Cathedral of St. Andrew was prominent in the view of the town, with the dolomite cliffs looming overhead. A brief stop in Amalfi allowed for a little sightseeing, a little taste of gelato, and a sip of one of Amalfi’s specialties: limoncello, made from fermented lemons steeped in a mixture of sugar and alcohol. Locals call limoncello “sunshine wine”. Lemon trees are plentiful along the Amalfi coast, grown in terraces on the steep hillsides.

Amalfi

SOURCE: Amalfi (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Amalfi and the Cathedral of St. Andrew

SOURCE: Amalfi and the Cathedral of St. Andrew (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Bustling Amalfi Street Scene

SOURCE: Bustling Amalfi Street Scene (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Amalfi Alleyway

SOURCE: Amalfi Alleyway (Amalfi, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Amalfi, Italy, Mediterranean Vacation | 3 Comments

Villages on the Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy

Posted on September 10, 2011 by Steve

Sailing from Salerno to Amalfi, we passed the villages of Vietri sul Mare, Cetara, Maiori, Minori, and Atrani.

Vietri sul Mare

SOURCE: Vietri sul Mar (Vietri sul Mare, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Cetara

SOURCE: Cetara (Cetara, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Maiori

SOURCE: Maiori (Maiori, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Minori

SOURCE: Minori (Minori, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Atrani

SOURCE: Atrani (Atrani, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

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The Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Steve

After visiting four other countries (Monaco, France, Spain, and Tunisia), I returned to Italy to view the Amalfi Coast by motor launch. We traveled from Salerno to Amalfi and back. The weather was perfect; the sea and the sky were blue.

Amalfi Coast Promontory

SOURCE: Amalfi Coast Promontory (Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Amalfi Coast Ruins

SOURCE: Amalfi Coast Ruins (Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Amalfi Coast Promontory with Ruins

SOURCE: Amalfi Coast Promontory with Ruins (Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

Amalfi Coast Village with Cypress

SOURCE: Amalfi Village with Cypress (Amalfi Coast, Campania, Italy); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 08 August 2011.

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The Lower Level of the Antonine Imperial Baths in Carthage, Tunisia

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Steve

Built in about 157-161 AD, the Antonine Imperial Baths in Carthage, Tunisia were the largest public baths in Rome’s African provincesÂ and the third largest public baths in the Roman world. The baths themselves were on the upper level, but the lower levels (the hypocaust) contained furnaces that warmed the floors and walls above. After the Islamic Conquest of Carthage in the seventh century AD, the baths fell into disuse and the main floor collapsed. Much of the stone was removed and used as building material for other structures.

The Hypocaust

SOURCE: The Hypocaust (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Arches in the Hypocaust – 1

SOURCE: Arches in the Hypocaust – 1 (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

View to the Sea in the Hypocaust

SOURCE: View to the Sea in the Hypocaust (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Arches in the Hypocaust – 2

SOURCE: Arches in the Hypocaust – 2 (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Carthage, Mediterranean Vacation, Tunisia | 1 Comment

The Antonine Imperial Baths in Carthage, Tunisia

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Steve

The Antonine Imperial Baths were built during the reign of the Emperors Hadrien and Antonin (145-162 AD) and were used up until the sixth century AD. The baths served hygienic purposes, but the opulent surroundings provided space for social interactions. The baths included pools with water of different temperatures. The caldarium was heated from below and the frigidarium was unheated.

View from the Baths to the Sea – 1

SOURCE: View from the Baths to the Sea – 1 (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

View from the Baths to the Sea – 2

SOURCE: View from the Baths to the Sea – 1 (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Columns

SOURCE: Columns (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Arch and Column

SOURCE: Arch and Column (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Carthage, Mediterranean Vacation, Tunisia | Comments Off

From the National Museum of Carthage to the Antonine Baths, Carthage, Tunisia

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Steve

The first floor of the National Museum of Carthage includes several sculptures and many artifacts of ancient Carthage. The museum also holds a mosaic entitled “Pots of Roses in a Rose Garden”, but this mosaic is not actually from Carthage but rather from Sidi Ghrib, an archeological site located 30 km from Tunis. Traveling then to the Antonine Baths, the route passes ancient Phoenician graves, some of the few visible remains of the city before the Romans. Finally, just before reaching the Antonine Baths, the route follows a Roman Road, made of stone.

First Floor of the National Museum of Carthage

SOURCE: First Floor of the National Museum of Carthage (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Pots of Roses in a Rose Garden

SOURCE: Pots of Roses in a Rose Garden (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Phoenician Graves

SOURCE: Phoenician Graves (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Roman Road to the Antonine Baths

SOURCE: Roman Road to the Antonine Baths (Carthage, Tunis Governorate, Tunisia); photographed by Stephen J. Danko on 07 August 2011.

Posted in Daily Journal | Tagged Carthage, Mediterranean Vacation, Tunisia | Comments Off

The National Museum of Carthage in Carthage, Tunisia

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Steve

The National Museum of Carthage holds art and artifacts from ancient Carthage and nearby communities. On the second floor are several pieces of sculpture including Silenus and Maenad, Silenus Supported by Four Satyrs (reconstructed from numerous fragments but still missing two of the satyrs), the Head of Gaius Caesar (grandson, adopted son, and presumptive heir to Augustus Caesar; he died in Lycea at age 24 after being wounded in Armenia), and the Colossal Head of a Princess Antoine.