Three unusual Roman photos

She wolf nursing Remus and Romulus

I share with you three unusual photos I took while in Rome earlier this year. The first one is a silhouette of the symbol of Rome, the Remus and Romulus figures, the two toddlers who were fed by a wolf when they were young. The tradition says that Rhea Silvia conceived the twins by the god Mars, or by the demi-god Hercules; once the twins were born, they were abandoned to die in the river Tiber. They were saved by a series of miraculous interventions: the river carried them to safety, a she-wolf found and suckled them, and a woodpecker fed them. A shepherd and his wife found and fostered them to manhood, as simple shepherds. The twins, still ignorant of their true origins, were natural leaders. Each acquired many followers.

Veiled woman in Barberini Museum

The second one is a sculpture in the Barberini Museum and shows a fascinating figure of woman whose face is veiled in a piece of see-through linen, and which makes the work of the sculptor truly special. It’s tough enough to produce a face out of marble, but to be able to create the face, as if covered with a veil and still bring out all the details is truly remarkable.

2 domes and the Maltese Knights flag

The third photo shows a dome of a church, close to Piazza di Spagna, with the dome of St Peter’s in the distance on the left, and a surprising Maltese Knights flag with the Maltese cross flying on the right side, possibly of an Embassy or office of a Maltese connection.