For art, Rome is one of the best cities in the world. Rome is the city of Michelangelo and Bernini (above).  It is also home to the ancient Romans and their early neighbors, the Etruscans.  Major examples of architecture cover the city of Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica with Bernini's Colonnade, created in the Baroque period. Bernini's colonnade opens like two arms, embracing the faithful who enter St. Peters.  It is based on an ellipse, a slightly unstable shape, adding an energy and sense of movement to Bernini's design.  Created simply of rows of columns, the arms of the colonnade open into space, defining it, but never creating a barrier.  This is a perfect symbol for the embrace of the church.

The Colosseum still stands in Rome, testament to the engineering skills of the Ancient Romans. It served as a source of ideas for later architects in the Renaissance and Baroque periods, including Michelangelo and Bernini.

Massive interior walls of Colosseum

For more colosseum shots, visit: http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/romancolosseum/romancolosseum.html

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