Palazzo Massimo: Mosiacs

In addition to its sculpture, an important part of the collection of Roman antiquities at Palazzo Massimo is the mosaics.

I always have a soft spot in my heart for geometric mosaics and tessellations.

Beautifully preserved cube floor mosaic

 

A simple but lovely pattern

 

Love the subtle color changes in this more intricate one, giving it a 3D look

Some mosaics give you the feeling of being in a garden, surrounded by flowers, watching the birds hop about.

A bird on flowers, with other birds on baths

 

More birds, with a decorative border

 

A floral border, again with a bit of a 3D effect

 

A simple but elegant vegetative border

 

Scattered, stylized flowers among a complex web of triangles, squares, diamonds, and hexagons

 

Lucious fruit

The simple monochromatic mosaics are lovely and sometimes humorous:

One of the seasons, personified

 

Fishermen on a boat, underneath which is…

 

…. a crocodile

Romans really liked their sea creatures, some of them mythical.

A dolphin and a funny looking fish

 

A half-bull, half-fish creature

 

Another crazy sea-creature

 

Love these detailed fish

More detailed mosaics have exquisite colors and depictions.

A mosaic centerpiece of Bacchus

 

The god Dionysus fighting Indians

 

The elegant, winged goddess Nike

 

A proud charioteer with his horse

 

A theatrical mask

I love this last one.  Apparently, cats haven’t changed much in the last 2,000 years!

A grey tabby cat and some ducks

 

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In the heart of Rome's Historic Center, between the beautiful Spanish Steps and the famous Trevi Fountain, this luxury two bedroom, two bathroom apartment is surrounded by fine dining and fabulous shopping. It is within walking distance of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, and many other historic sites and museums, and near the subway, taxi stands, bus stops, and bike rental. Located in a traditional Roman palazzo, the apartment was fully renovated in late 2010 and is now available for vacation and short-term rental.