When in Rome…
11th May 2016
Three nights in Rome to get away from everyday life and of course I end up surrounded by travertine, limestone and marble! How could I not blog about it!?
I’m not going to give you a history lesson but Rome is known as the lasagne city, built in layers and as archaeologists carefully unveil each one to discover history, they also unveil marble laid thousands of years ago. The Bianco Carrara was everywhere, used all those years ago and yet still a hugely popular choice to this day, a timeless classic.
Visiting the spectacular colosseum, made of travertine, to wandering through the beautiful Roman Forum each bit of history is sculpted in natural stone. As a sign of wealth, Roman mansions were built in travertine, and marble was used to clad walls and tile floors. Beautiful colours used from marbles sought from around the world such as Egypt and Africa emphasised affluence.
What really caught my eye was the striking floors in the Vatican City museums. Intricate patterns created from recycled marble from around the world, laid centuries ago, in rooms that artists such as Rafael and Michelangelo once worked. These are a few examples:
There were also beautiful tiles with on trend geometric patterns that deserve a mention:
Rome lived up to all of my expectations, glorious weather, delicious food and wine and so much to see in a short city break. We managed to squeeze in everything we wanted, the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Vatican City including the museums, St Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel all made for a memorable trip.
