LA GRANDE BELLEZZA
An image from March 2022, around my dear wife Els' birthday.
We travelled to Rome to cheer on a couple of friends who were going to run the Rome Marathon.
We arrived a few days early.
This gave us the opportunity to explore some areas of the city that are not so much on the regular tourist track.
The area around the Piramide, Testaccio (lovely popular quarter), Gazometro (up and coming), Gianicolo (great views over the city), Trastevere but not the touristy bits, etc.
I had been introduced to a few of those areas while shooting images for "500 Hidden Secrets Rome".
I was glad to finally have the chance to rediscover them more at my ease and with Els. Joy shared is double joy.
This playful fisheye portrait is on Gianicolo hill.
You may recognize the building with fountain and balcony (Fontana dell'Acqua Paola).
It is featured prominently and dramatically in the opening scene of "La Grande Bellezza".
This is Paolo Sorrentino's stupendous love letter to Rome and Fellini ...
... while also an equally melancholy reflection on hte relativity of fame and age.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Beauty
Go see that movie if you haven't already. Or watch it again.
And while you are at it: "La mano di Dio" is equally beautiful and poetic, but in/about Napoli.