Plenty of Nothing

The Tarpeian Rock, 1780

The Tarpeian Rock as it appeared in 1780, watercolour by Francis Towne. Persons thrown off the rock include: Tarpeia, Marcus Manlius Capitolinus, and Simon bar Giora.

Colosseum, 1804

François Marius Granet, Interior View of the Colosseum in Rome (1804). Source.

The Arch of Constantine, ca. 1720

Bernardo Bellotto, The Arch of Constantine (ca. 1720). Source.

Young Hercules

This bronze statue of young Hercules was uncovered in Rome in 1864 near the Theatre of Pompey. It had been ritually interred after being struck by lightning. Source.

The Mirror of Venus

Lago Specchio di Venere is a lake contained in a volcanic crater on the island of Pantelleria between Sicily and Tunisia. Source.

Sant'Adriano al Foro, 1909

The Church of Saint Adriano in the Forum (the building between the pillars) started life as the Curia Julia, the meeting-house of the Roman Senate. Source.

The Master of the Blue Jeans

Blue denim has been worn in Italy since the 16th Century. The word "jeans" possibly derives from the placename Genoa. An anonymous 17th-Century painter who specialized in portraits of peasants dressed in denim is now known as the Master of the Blue Jeans.

Perdonanza Celestiniana

When he became Pope in 1295, Celestine V issued a plenary indulgence to any penitent who entered at the Holy Door of the Basilica di Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L'Aquila, Abruzzo, the site of his coronation. To this day the event attracts pilgrims and is celebrated as a local festival. Source. Also.

L'Uomo Meccanico (1921)

Movie. Review.

Abruzzo Lion

Italy hasn't run out of archaeology yet. This sandstone lion from the 13th Century was uncovered in L'Aquila in 2014. Source.