Rome

These photographs of Rome were taken in 2010, spending three days on foot in this vibrant city allowed me to see the wonders that make it famous. I have chosen to present some of these images in black and white, as this gives them a timeless quality. Each view opens a window of time, both of today’s life and life of many yesterday’s before.  I wanted to capture the beauty of the buildings and of the quirky lives of everyday Italians. I soon discovered that if you want to park a car in Rome, you simply squash it into a gap, even if the positioning is totally impractical - most of the cars in Rome are full of questionable states of bumps and dents.
Enjoy my images, I shall be adding further images of this city for you.

Rome is a city which is full of history, architecture, romance and vibrant life. As you walk down the streets, narrow and sometimes steep. With an abundance of places to eat, peruse or just to relax, just around each corner, there will be a surprise to greet you. It could be a majestic fountain, a beautiful church or a piece of architecture from ancient times.  It is amazing how history from the last few centuries, blends so companionably with history from the time of the Ancient Romans.  Whilst you look in awe at the beauty of Rome and all that it has to offer, your other senses are being teased – the chink of glasses and the wafts of garlic from the street cafes and restaurants, where the gallant waiters, with their Italian charm beacon you to eat.

 
Our pictures take you through a City from the past and a city that is now. The arch of Constantine can be glimpsed through an ancient window of time, still standing majestically and proud, this preserved piece of antiquity lets us experience a time gone by.
The golden sandy coloured walls that make up the once beautiful architecture of Palatine Hill stand behind the tall pine trees which seem to protect this window of time. A single, elegant street lamp, reminds us that we are looking at various eras gone by. To imagine the life that once graced these walls, memories of the ghosts from Ancient Roman times. Touch the walls and imagine the others from long before. There are windows and arches that have provided views for those from another time, which to us, seem too far away to be real.  As we walk the streets of Rome, it is clear that there was a time that existed – another reality.

Whether we travel in the footsteps of the Ancient Romans, or follow the path from Angels and Demons, which takes us through the religious iconic structures of a more recent Rome, it is impossible not to be captivated by this vivacious city.
From on high, with every degree of a turn you will see a wonder spanning the landscape of this city. Tall columns, elegant domes and copulas of the many churches this city has to offer. The Copula of St Peter’s Basilica stands proud in the safety of the Vatican city, this majestic structure which makes the ‘Rome’ of today, just as the Coliseum made the ‘Rome’ of the ancient times. As the sun glints on this beautiful and special place, the magnificent silhouette only seems a hand’s reach away.
Boats laze quietly on the river’s bank, the bridges that cross take us into the heart of this city, a mixture of tranquillity, serenity and the hustle and bustle of modern Roman life surround the watcher.

To truly reflect on what this city has to offer, we have to step back from our thoughts and walk where our feet want to go, as the evening approaches, the life around changes, the buildings become illuminated to enhance their beauty even more. To watch the coliseum come to life before the eyes of the onlookers, the brilliance of the Vittoriano, as the night falls around this beautiful creation of man is captured in the images before you.

Words by Janice Hill taken from the forthcomming book Moments in words and pictures.