I have been visiting the Eternal City for decades now, and Rome photography has always been a cornerstone of my work. But my trip to Rome last year was unlike anything I’d experienced previously. Pandemics can be difficult, as we now all know, and can cause us to change our plans and behaviours. However, some things still never change, like say… Rome for example.
Rome is an old, majestic city that has seen many things come and go over the millennia, and this was not the first disaster, let alone pandemic, to befall it. (BTW This does not in any way diminish the suffering that the Italian people have experienced over the last couple years).
Rome has a way of humbling you. I still remember the first time I walked into the Piazza Della Rotunda over twenty years ago; I emerged from a side alley and was suddenly thrust upon the Pantheon standing as it has for over 2,000 years. A monolith. A wonder of the ancient world. I just stood there for some time, no photographs, just awe-struck.
And then you realize that this architectural wonder has been on this earth way longer than you have, and will probably be here way after you’re gone. Its an awe inspiring experience to say the least, and it can give one a reckoning with one’s own mortality.
This is Rome. Eternal. The city seems to transcend any one pestilence, war, world catastrophe, or even one’s own lifetime. Somehow, this seems hopeful.
Rome Photography
Here are some photographs of Rome I took on this trip, some of which will be a part of my “Roman CityScapes” Portfolio which I hope to put together this year.
