Commanding a view from the Palatine Hill to the Capitoline Hill and Roman Forum, what in front of the eyes could very possibly be the densiest concentration of history and civilization known to mankind. This is the navel of Rome, the central playground of gods and heros, of poets and peasants, and of saints and whores alike.

The prominent monuments in the photo are, from left to right, Tabularium, Temple of Vespasian, Monument Vittorio Emanuele II (the ugly big white one), Arch of Septimius Severus, Church Santi Luca e Martina, and the Curia Julia.