18. Of Barns and Basilicas! Mini Pod
Ancient Rome had, and Christian Rome still has, lots of buildings called "basilicas." But this important word is used in two senses. So just what is a basilica? This pod explains both the architectura...
12 Nov 202011min
17. A First Visit to Vatican City and Saint Peter's Basilica
We here survey and introduce the main sites of Vatican City and Saint Peter's Basilica. These include the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, and other parts of the Vatican Museums; the Vatican Necropo...
10 Nov 202021min
16. The Colosseum and the Looting of Jerusalem Mini Pod
Where did the Flavian Dynasty get the resources needed to build the Colosseum? The sorry condition in which Nero had left Rome and epigraphical evidence suggests it had to have come from the looting o...
5 Nov 20209min
15. A First Visit to the Colosseum
This first of four pods on the Colosseum offers a general overview of the structure, including its architecture and the materials used to build it. We also consider why the Flavian Dynasty of Emperors...
3 Nov 202021min
14. Fewer Halos, More Nudes Mini Pod
The art in Rome's churches and museums includes many characters with halos and many without clothes, but these two groups rarely overlap. This pod first encourages visitors to Rome to observe when and...
29 Okt 20208min
13. Introduction to Modern Rome
Italy was not unified until 1860, and even then it lacked Rome, which remained under papal rule until 20 September 1870. Why did the supporters of the Risorgimento want to change Rome, and how did the...
27 Okt 202023min
12. Going Up! Rome's Changing Ground Levels Mini Pod
We here observe several places in Rome that offer dramatic evidence of how much ground level has changed over Rome's long history. Doing so deepens our understanding of how much time has passed since ...
22 Okt 20209min
11. Introduction to Christian Rome
This pod presents a quick overview of how Rome changed after it became Christian, both in its prevailing art and architecture and in its soul. It notes that at the same time as official Christianity t...
20 Okt 202025min
