December 11, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calendar

Fountain of the Sea Horses, in the gardens of the Villa Borghese, is an 18th-century work in marble by Christopher Unterberger.

December 10, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calendar

The Baths of Diocletian, built between 298 and 306 AD, were the grandest of public baths in ancient Rome. Today the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (designed by Michelangelo) occupies the space that was originally the frigidarium.

These colossal horse heads, discovered in Trajan's Forum in 1586, are in the garden of the nearby cloister (also designed by Michelangelo).

A museum exists today in other parts of the old bath structure and these horses can be found there.

December 9, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calendar

Fountain of the Naiads (water nymphs) including the nymph of the ocean riding a horse. (1901)

 
Piazza della Repubblica was the new name given to Piazza Esedra afterthe unification of Italy. The original fountain was commissioned by Pope Pius IX in 1870 and had water from the Aqua Pia . The original lions in the fountain were replaced with nymphs, including the "nymph of the ocean" riding a horse in 1901. The sculptures are by Mario Rutelli.

December 8, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calenadar

Today if you travel along the Via Appia Antica (The Appian Way) as it leads from Rome you will often see horses.

The Appian Way was one of the earliest and most important roads of Ancient Rome.  The Roman Poet Statius (45-96 AD) wrote:

Appia teritur regina longarum viarum.

"The Appian way is the queen of the long roads."

The road is named after Appius Claudius Caecus, who began and completed the first section of this road in 312 BC.

December 7, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calendar

Not far from the ancient Pyramid of Cestius, behind the Testaccio Post Office, is Piazza Albania. It received this name in 1940, one year after the annexation of Albania to the Kingdom of Italy. In the park facing the piazza is an equestrian monument to Giorgio Castriota Skanderberg, the 15^th-century national hero of Albania. (It is the work of sculptor Romano Romanelli.)

December 6, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calendar

Today the search for horses in Rome takes us to the National Museum of Oriental Art. This museum is an interesting collection of Eastern artefacts from the Middle East to Japan, ancient to modern, and many addenda to the collection because of Italian archeological exploration. You can find many interesting representations of horses. These are just a few.

The Museo Nazionale d'Arte Orientale is not far from the main train station in Rome, Stazione Termini. Via Meruluna, 248.

December 5, 2014: Horses in Rome Advent Calendar

Horses and carriages can often be seen carrying riders around the historic center of Rome.

Piazza Venezia

Via del Corso