Orvieto, part 2

As Orvieto was built on top of a plateau, space was limited, so there are many narrow streets and tall buildings. These make for very picturesque photos, in my opinion!

Another view from our B&B  

 Brighter skies the next morning!

The north side of town, facing east

 View to the north

View to the west

Orvieto, part 1

We were in Orvieto just for ~24 hours. The day we arrived, it was overcast all afternoon and evening. The next morning dawned clear and beautiful!

Funicular ride up to the town

View from our room in our B&B

Similar view from just down the street

 This door was open, so we peeked inside

 Courtyard and pillars

 Lovely garden!

Duomo

First view of the colorful Duomo (cathedral)

Duomo

The streets are too narrow and the cathedral too large 

to get the whole facade in one photo!

Detail shot 

 More details

Looking straight up!

Foro Romano

After our visit to the Colosseum, our tour took us to the Forum and Palatine Hill.

Near the entrance

Ruins of Basilica Aemilia

In the background (columns), Temple of Castor and Pollux

To the left (in front of The Thinker), the Temple of Caesar, on the spot of his funeral pyre

Triumphal Arch of Septimus on the left

with the Monument to Vittorio Emanuele in the left background

Walking up the Via Sacra with the round Temple of Romulus on the left

Palatine Hill in the background

This is what the Temple of Romulus looks out on

Temple of Romulus

Can't remember what this is!

View back over the Forum with the Arch of Titus behind my right shoulder

View toward the Colosseum (far right) from Emperor Augustus' gardens

Augustus' gardens, recreated

 Floor from Augustus' palace

Some big, ruined place

I can't remember what the guide told us this was

Cool ruins

Colosseum

We went on a City Wonders Colosseum Underground tour on Thursday, May 15. This tour took us under the Colosseum arena floor, on the arena floor, and high up in the third tier of seats. (It also took us through the Forum and Palatine Hill, but that'll be another post.)

Walking onto the arena floor

View at floor level

(There used to be a floor all the way across, of course.)

Gus 

Contemplating life as a gladiator

Under the arena floor

Ground level

Looking down an old corridor

One of many underground passageways

 Third-tier passageway

People would walk through here to get to their seats.

View from above

 Another view from above

Gladiator pigeon plotting my demise

View looking northwest from the Colosseum

The Monument to Vittorio Emanuele II can be seen in the background 

(white with statues on top)

 View to the west overlooking the Forum

Pompeii, part 3

Note: Click photos to see larger versions.

 Another street shot

Tile entryway

 Pompeii's Forum

Columns in the Forum

 Temple of Jupiter

with Vesuvius looming in the background

 Temple of Jupiter

See the guy in the white shirt in the center?

Look directly above his head to see a sculpture of Jupiter's head 

Jupiter, close up

Pottery

These sheds are full of pottery found in Pompeii

Another courtyard

Murals

If you go through the doorway in the previous photo and turn left,

you'll see this wall of art

 Detail

Edge of town

This was the view when leaving Pompeii