Christmas in Rome

This will be my third Christmas living in Rome, and I am developing a few favourites, especially the lovely Christmas lights, and the massive holiday tree in Piazza San Pietro at the Vatican.

For a chance of pace, a Christmas tree in the piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina seems to be decorated with movie film and is sitting on a giant film reel - perhaps in honour of the former Etoile cinema in the square that is now a very large and beautiful Louis Vuitton store (which runs old movies in the store in honour of its origins as a cinema.)

I really love Christmas lights!

On Rome's central Via del Corso, the lights this year are decorated in the colours of the Gay Pride flag (which caused some controversy on city council!) 

Meanwhile, as I was walking around the Vatican today, to see how Christmas preparations were going, I took a few photos from outside the rear walls of Vatican City.

Buon Natale!

A December evening in Rome

When I heard this week that the cleaning of Bernini's Fontana del Tritone in Piazza Barberini had been completed, I strolled over there after work to see it for myself. It really looks lovely!

Triton was a minor sea god and here he is shown as a kind of merman, head thrown back as he drinks from a conch shell.

I especially enjoy the depictions of dolphins in Renaissance and Baroque-era sculpture, as some kind of vicious sea creature with sharp teeth and menacing expressions.

Interestingly, there was also a very large, metal Menorah in the Piazza celebrating Hanukkah.

And, as I walked home I noticed that more and more businesses on my street are putting up pretty little Christmas decorations and pine boughs around their doors.