Foro Italico : Stadio dei Marmi and other Rome, Italy Off The Beaten Path Tips

A Moss-covered Discus Thrower,

Rome, May 2007

by von.otter , 4 more photos

�The fate of nations is intimately bound up with their powers of reproduction. All nations and all empires first felt decadence gnawing at them when their birth rate fell off.�
� Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)

Il Duce built Foro Italico, a sports complex in the north of Rome, in the 1920s as a testament to the culture of power and strength as exemplified through athletic prowess.

Although Foro Italico is located outside Rome's historic center, it is nonetheless easy to reach by public transportation. And it is well worth the small amount of effort needed to get there if you enjoy sculptural art as much as I do.

Take the No. 2 tram from just outside the Porta del Popolo. The stop is to the left and across the street as you exit the gate. Ride the tram to the very last stop. You will need to cross the River Tiber but from the last tram stop you can easily walk to Foro Italico.

See von.otter�s Rome Travelogue, 'Marble Athletes', for more details and more photos, about the stadium.

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Parks & Gardens: Foro Italico : Black + White Mosaics

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Written by von.otter

on Apr 11, 2009

Foro Italico, Tennis Mosaic, May

2007

by von.otter , 4 more photos

�Fascism is a religion. The twentieth century will be known in history as the century of Fascism.�
� Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)

Il Duce was right about what the 20th century will be remembered for. The pain and destruction brought about by Fascism will long out live this political philosophy. It produced few good things.

Foro Italico, a sports complex in the north of Rome, built in the 1920s as a testament to the culture of power and strength as exemplified through athletic prowess is a notable exception to the destructive nature of Fascism.

It is well worth the small amount of effort needed to get to Foro Italica if you enjoy sculptural art as much as I do. See von.otter�s Rome Travelogue, 'Marble Athletes', and my Rome Things-To-Do Tip, �Foro Italico : Stadio dei Marmi� for more details and more photos, about the stadium.

In addition to the marble athletes, the courtyards between buildings are paved with black and white mosaics. These simple but effective works seek to capture the Ancient Roman art form to glorify a modern-day emperor, Il Duce, and the athlete in action.

Although Foro Italico is located outside Rome's historic center, it is nonetheless easy to reach by public transportation. Take the No. 2 tram from just outside the Porta del Popolo. The stop is to the left and across the street as you exit the gate. Ride the tram to the very last stop. You will need to cross the River Tiber but from the last tram stop you can easily walk to Foro Italico.

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Walking around: The Lion�s Share

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Updated by von.otter

on Jan 15, 2009

#1 Villa Medici, Rome, May 2007

by von.otter , 4 more photos

�War alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and imposes the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to make it.�
� Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)

THE COURAGE OF A LEO Perhaps Italy�s most infamous Leo, Il Duce, was born on the 29th of July.

Is your astrological sign Leo, the lion? If it is, or if you travel with some who is a Leo as I do, here is a fun way to honor that person and that birth sign and to make unique photos: pose with lions, not real ones, but architectural ones, decorative ones.

The Eternal City does not want for lions: indoor, outdoor, ancient, modern, large and small, on doors as knockers and integrated into fountains, there�s a lion for every Leo in Rome.

The lion, the king of animals, was mainly associated by the Romans with Hercules, who was always portrayed wearing a lion�s skin. This association was not lost and was used again in many Renaissance works. Lions protected the dead in the Roman sarcophagi. Ancient Romans were fond of scenes that showed a lion hunting and killing a deer.

Photo #1 � The lions that flank the steps leading to the gardens of the Villa Medici are copies. The originals had stood there since they were sculpted by Flaminio Vacca in 1600. At the end of the 18th century, Villa Medici was sold by Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and the originals were moved to Florence. When, in 1803, Napoleon relocated the French Academy to the Villa Medici, the copies were added.

Photo #2 � The lion detail from Gian Lorenzo Bernini�s 1650 marble grouping �Daniel in the Lions� Den� in the Chigi Chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo.

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Ancient Rome: Pie di Marmo: Getting a Kick out of Rome

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Updated by von.otter

on Mar 19, 2009

Tom + Pie di Marmo, May 2007

by von.otter