Lawrence of Rome

In ancient times the Roman Coliseum was the most prominent form of entertainment in the Roman Empire. The coliseum was a way for Rome’s strongest warriors to prove themselves while fighting to the death in an enclosed arena. Those who partook in these morbid conflicts often gained fame and fortune for themselves depending on how entertained the crowd was. However these grisly battles also led to the deaths of several people who were either prisoners of war or people who had committed harmless…

Women’s roles in Christianity are an excellent example of the unevenness of women’s contributions to history. Women were the last disciples at the cross and the first at the empty tomb. They remained integral to the work of the church in its early centuries. Traditional Christianity believed that the statements attributed to St. Paul in I Timothy 2 that women were created second, sinned first, and should keep silence. Women traditionalists believed and accepted these teachings as true. Jesus’…

For as long as the Roman Catholic Church has been around, it has tried to solidify its control by strengthening its orthodoxy. One way the Church did this was through persecuting the populace for heresy. It is then ironic to find out that one of the churches most influential organizations, the Jesuits, were disbanded by the pope on rumors of heresy. The pope, Clement XIV, did not suppress the Jesuits for heresy but for more political reasons. After losing the support of Portugal, he dispersed…

Although Caravaggio did not begin in Rome, he transformed it from his arrival in 1590 with his varied stylistic development (hall, 249). He was very against the falsifying of truth in pursuit of beauty and the evasion of “ugliness and pain” which led him to evolve this new dramatic style…

Galleria Borghese: An examination of the power of patronage Located in the public park Villa Borghese, this historical home, turned museum, hosts one of the most important italian art collections. The Galleria contains a range of works, majority being Baroque and Renaissance art. The patronage of the Borghese family yielded massively important original Baroque masterpieces, and helped foster and shape some of the era’s greatest talents, like that of Bernini. “Three things are needed for…

The prior rule of Constantine brought about the constructs of a New Rome and the usage of mosaics as a primary medium for church decoration. As we have seen before, emperors erected statues, monuments and various other symbols of themselves in order to solidify their rule over the people of their empire and prove their divine right to rule. Justinian’s rule started in 527 and this is where you will see him use the mosaics, the new found medium, to draw a connection between himself as emperor…

Raphael was one of the greatest artists of all Renaissance time. Raphael was best known for his Madonna's and for his large figure compositions in the Vatican in Rome]. Raphael was one of the best at using depth perception in his work. Raphael had some amazing talents but they were often over looked by people because they were more interested Michelangelo and DaVinci works of art. Even though Raphael is often in the shadow of other artists, he was still one of the great artists of the…

Anthony Van Dyke was one of the most famous and exquisite artists of the Baroque Period. Being Raised in a home of art and drawing, Van Dyke was exposed to becoming an artist at a very young age. By becoming a amateur artist at a early time in Anthony’s life, he had the opportunity to work with some of the most exemplary artists of all time. Anthony Van Dyke was one of the leading lights of the Baroque Period. Being Born at Antwerp in the year 1599, Anthony would start his life learning about…

Lazio is also known as Latium. It is located in center of Italy and it is home to the capital city of Rome. Lazio is the third most populated region in Italy it has 5,732,212 population in 2011 estimation. The region total area is 6,655 sq mi. Shares it's bounded by the Apennine Mountains to the east and the Tyrrhenian coast to the west, Lazio is occupied with woods and pastures, hills and valleys, rivers and lakes, and as many as twenty-five nature parks and reserves. Lazio experienced a rush…

The Durham Cathedral stands out as one of the most elaborate and beautifully constructed cathedrals in England. This very distinct Norman architecture has made many of the English cathedrals very iconic in design dated around this same period. This cathedral, constructed between 1093 and 1133, uses very large columnar piers to support the entire structure from the nave arcades, to the grand central openings, to the large ceiling vaults. From the pictures I can conjure up, the building is…