The Tower of Centum Cellas (also known as the "Tower of St. Cornelius"), located in the municipality of Colmeal da Torre in Portugal, is one of the most enigmatic monuments from the Roman period to be found in the country. These majestic ruins were part of a large Roman villa from the first century AD, situated on… Continue reading The Roman Tower of Centum Cellas, Portugal
Month: March 2014
Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble statue of Flora, goddess of flowers and the season of spring
As she talks, her lips breathe spring roses: I was Chloris, who am now called Flora. Ovid This week's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble statue of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and the spring season. While she was otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several fertility goddesses,… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble statue of Flora, goddess of flowers and the season of spring
Roman mosaics from Lusitania (Portugal)
Among the most impressive Roman remains that can be seen today in Portugal are the large, prosperous farms and luxurious villas built in the countryside by the elite. The villas were splendidly decorated with mosaics, frescoes, and sculptures. Some of the mosaics, still in situ or exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Lisbon, are often very… Continue reading Roman mosaics from Lusitania (Portugal)
Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble statue of a crouching Venus
This week's sculpture from Hadrian's Villa is a marble statue of Venus, the goddess of love, crouching at her bath. The statue is modelled after the Crouching Aphrodite type, attributed to the 3rd century BC sculptor Doidalsas of Bithynia. --- Venus crouches with her right knee close to the ground, turns her head to the… Continue reading Art and sculptures from Hadrian’s Villa: Marble statue of a crouching Venus
Photoset: The temple of Antoninus and Faustina, Rome
The Temple of Divus Antoninus and Divus Faustina (Templum Divi Antonini et Divae Faustinae) was built by the emperor Antoninus Pius in A.D. 141 on the north side of the Via Sacra shortly after the death of his wife, the empress Faustina. When Antoninus Pius died in A.D. 161 (on 7th March), the temple was… Continue reading Photoset: The temple of Antoninus and Faustina, Rome
Monsters and mythical creatures invade Rome (photos)
The Roman National Museum at Palazzo Massimo is hosting a superb and original exhibition called “Mostri, creature fantastiche della paura e del mito” (Monsters, fantastic creatures of fear and myth). The show brings together over 100 works from 40 museums depicting fantastical creatures, all in a series of dark passages intended to resemble the Minotaur’s… Continue reading Monsters and mythical creatures invade Rome (photos)
Photoset: The Roman Temple of Évora (Portugal)
The Roman Temple of Évora (Templo Romano de Évora), also referred to as the Templo de Diana (although there is no basis in fact for this designation), is an ancient temple in the historic city of Évora, Portugal. The temple is part of the historical centre of the city, which was included in the classification… Continue reading Photoset: The Roman Temple of Évora (Portugal)
Statue of Hadrian as Mars, Capitoline Museums
This statue depicts Hadrian nude, in the guise of Mars, the god of war, using a well-known classical body type of the divinity; the Ares Borghese, attributed to the Greek sculptor Alcamenes. Hadrian was the first emperor to be represented in this manner. The statue shows characteristics of early versions of Hadrian's portrait type, indicating that… Continue reading Statue of Hadrian as Mars, Capitoline Museums