After nearly 8 years, I found myself back in Rome, but with a fresh perspective. Life had undergone significant changes, notably marked by the release of a book detailing the city’s urban evolution from 1870 to 1945.
Viewing the monuments through new eyes allowed me to truly appreciate their intricate details, the grandeur of their architecture, and the clandestine messages they harbored. Some of these messages had been obscured, erased, or manipulated over time, while others had been deliberately accentuated.
Yet, strolling around the Colosseum today, a harmonious blend of past and present emerges, inviting a quest for a deeper, more sensorial understanding. As my gaze shifts towards the Temple of Rome and Venus, the majestic Basilica of Maxentius, and the verdant slopes of the Palatine Hill, I notice tourists capturing moments at the Arch of Constantine.
Little do they know, just meters away, the Museum of the Forma Urbis—a testament to Severan Rome in marble—has recently opened its doors, awaiting discovery.
Alessandro Sebastiani 