1. By Wayne Craig

2. ST. PETERS SQUARE QUIZ:True or False a) Bernini was assigned by PopeAlexander VII to construct St.Peters Square. b) It took 120 years to constructSt. Peters Square. c) Italians are artistic. d) Italians dont mind spendinga little time on a project.Answer: True for all of the above. 140 statueson 284 columns and everyone unique 3. WHAT AM I LOOKING AT ? The Colosseum built of concreteThe Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in and stone is considered one ofRome, between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. greatest works of RomanIt was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorateConstantine Is victory over Maxentius at the Battle architecture and engineering. Itof Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312.is capable of holding 50,000 spectators. The Trevi Fountain has Neptune (God of the sea) as the central figure , flanked by two Tritons. One struggles to master a very unruly "sea horse", the other leads a far more docile animal. These symbolize the two contrasting moods of the sea. 4. THE COLUMN OF MARCUSAURELIUS columndetailThe monument commemorates emperor Marcus Aurelius military campaignsagainst Germanic tribes who lived near the Black Sea.Made of carrara marble and some 30 meter high by 3.7 m wide, it bears a spiralingband of reliefs depicting events during the imperial campaigns in the north.Inside is a spiraling staircase that leads above to a platform where a statue of Marcusand his family used to stand. This statue was replaced by a statue of St. Paul on orderof Pope Sixtus V. 5. MORE ROMAN HIGHLIGHTS The Spanish StepsThe PantheonThe Pieta by MichelangeloThe Fountain of Neptune . . . and while Rome offers much more to see , other cities beckon. But first a break. 6. THE BREAK ..In North America we have enjoyed the benefits of many Italian imports .Fine wine, pizza, and Sophia Loren immediately come to mind.But we also got the Mafia. However, on the bright side, the later was not all badbecause it spawned a show called The Sopranos.Here comes the break part.In one memorable scene you may recall that the elder boss, Uncle Junior(Dominic Chianese) was coaxed into singing at a family get together.He sang the beautiful Italian song Core NGrato (Ungrateful Heart).Have a listen. . and now ,moving right along 7. THE BEST OF PISAThe Bell TowerThe Duomo The most famous of the buildings, the Leaning Tower, The Baptistry began its tilt during construction. This was caused by an inadequate foundation on ground too soft on one side. The tilt increased in the decades before the structure was completed, and gradually increased until the structure was stabilized (and the tilt partially corrected) by efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Clearly there are some citizens of Pisa who, are to this day, happy with the imperfection as demonstrated by the video. 8. Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, Central Italy,Lsituated on the river Serchio in a fertile plain near theUTyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca. Among other reasons, it is famous for itsCintact Renaissance-era city walls. Lucca is also knownCfor its churches, saints and really good food. Lucca WallsA . But Lucca is probably most famous as the birthplaceof Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) .There is little doubttoday, that of all operatic music, Puccinis is the mostuniversally known. La Bohme, Madame Butterfly andTurandot are among the most frequently performed."Nessun dorma" ( None shallLucca from above sleep) is an aria from the opera Turandot and is one of the best known tenor arias in all opera. Cathedral San Michele PUCCINI 9. FLORENCEFlorence (Firenze) is famous for many things and abounds in highlights. I would liketo focus on two. First the citys cathedral. It seems that almost every city in Italy has aCathedral some have two or more but Florence has outdone itself in themagnificent cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore. (Saint Mary of the Flower). With itsoctagonal dome higher and wider than any ever built, with no external buttresses tokeep it from spreading and falling under its own weight, the technical difficultieswere some of the greatest ever faced and overcome - in the history of architecture .The dome was constructed with 4 million bricks and remains the largest brick domeEver built. The overall construction time was 140 years (1296 1436). As earlier stated,Italians dont mind spending a little time on a project. Have a look. 10. SANTA MARIA DEL FIORE DETAILS 11. THE MAIN DOOR AND ABOVE 12. The exterior of the cathedral is faced withpolychrome marble panels in various shadesof green and pink bordered by white.The three huge bronze doors date from 1899to 1903. They are adorned with scenes fromthe life of the Madonna. 13. INSIDE THE CATHEDRAL Looking up at the dome In awe at the size of the nave 14. The Panoramic View 15. FLORENCE PART II (NOTICE THE ROMAN NUMERALS)In and around the Uffizi GalleryHere, the demi-god, Hercules, who killed Cacus,is the symbol of physical strength desired by theMedici. The pause suggests the leniency of theMedici to those who would concede to their rule,and served as a warning to those who would not,as this pause can be indefinite or temporary.HERCULES NEPTUNE 16. PERSEUS AND MEDUSA RAPE OF THE SABINE WOMEN 17. THE BEST FOR LASTA replica of the statue of David stands outsidethe Uffizi Gallery. The original now resides in theAccademia Gallery. When viewed from the front,the upper portions seem much larger than natural.But, when viewed from below, which is generallythe case, because of the height of the statue (17 ft.), this perspective creates the illusion of proportion.There, in part, lies the genius of Michelangelo whocreated the statue when he was 24 over a periodof 3 years.To see and gaze at the original David was anexercise in fascination. 18. and finally SCENES OF VENICEIf a trek through Italy were to beconsidered a series of main coursesthen Venice would be the dessert.Gondolas ready to rollor should I say row The Grand Canal 19. St. Marks SquareIn 2007 two cups of coffee and asmall dish of ice cream inSt. Marks Square cost 17 Euros( about $25.50 CDN). Knowingthat a return visit would not bein the near future it was wellworth it. In fact it was anecessity. St. Marks BasilicaThe Doges Palace 20. ON THE CANALS Typical Canal Bridge of SighsThe Rialto Bridge 21. 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