A glimpse at Rome - part 1

Roman columns and the church of Nome di Maria

Visiting Rome between May 10 and 17, I came back with hundreds of photos which I will share with you from time to time. Today I ask you to find yourself in Piazza Venezia, close to the monument of Vittorio Emmanuele II, a monument known as the wedding cake. Close to it are two domed churches, one of which was open, known as Nome di Maria (Name of Mary.) Close to it are some ruins from 2000 years ago. 

Incredible bas relief detail of the Trajan's column - click to enlarge

Next to the church is a famous column known as Colonna di Traiano (Trajan’s Column,) which commemorates Emperor Trajan victory at the Dracian Wars. Completed in AD 113, the freestanding column is most famous for its spiral bas relief, that artistically describes the epic wars between the Romans and Dacians. It is 98 feet in height, and the shaft is made from a series of 20 colossal Carrara marble drums, each weighing about 32 tons, with a diameter of 11 feet. On December 4, 1587, the top was crowned by Pope Sixtus V with a bronze figure of St. Peter, which remains to this day.

The Church is called “Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano” and was built between 1736 and 1751 by the French architect Antoine Derizet. It is obviously Baroque in style and has 7 small chapels, decorated with polychrome marble.