Will Venice Create Electricity from Algae on Cruise Ship?

The city of Venice has announced a plan to produce 50 percent of its electricity needs from an algae-based power plant instead of fossil fuels. This is the exact kind of local thinking, innovation, and planning that the G20 meeting on April Fool's Day cannot create.

The water-filled city is turning what has become a nuisance into a renewable energy resource. The city will be producing electricity from two types of algae that are brought in clinging to ships and regularly grow over the seaport; Sargassum muticum and Undaria pinnafitida. The algae will be cultivated and treated in laboratories to turn it into fuel. The fuel will then be used to power turbines in a new 40 MW power plant in the center of the city.

In order to make the new power plant truly carbon neutral, any CO2 produced by the process will be fed back to the algae.

The algae plant project will cost the city $264 million and should be operating in two years. WebVisionItaly.com will follow the story - sounds so good let's hope it's not an April fools!

Getty Museum and Florence Museo Archeologico Nazionale Partner

The J. Paul Getty Museum has announced that it has established a partnership with the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Florence to exhibit works from that museum. The first work to be shown at the Getty under this arrangement will be “The Chimaera of Arezzo,” an Etruscan bronze sculpture dating to the early 4th century B.C. depicting the mythological beast made from parts of a lion, a serpent, and a fire breathing goat. The exhibition will also include antiquities from the Getty’s collection as well as works on loan from museums in Rome, Naples, Basel, New York, Boston, and Atlanta; it is scheduled to run from July 16 through Feb. 8, 2010. The Getty said it hoped to collaborate with the Museo Archeologico’s sister institutions throughout Italy in the months ahead.

For more about Italy visit WebVisionItaly.com

The Beautiful Landscapes of Cayo Largo in Cuba

Cayo Largo del Sur, also known simply as Cayo Largo, is a small resort island belonging to Cuba, in the Caribbean Sea no more than 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) long and 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) wide. It is the second-biggest island in Cuba's Canarreos Archipelago.
Cayo Largo del Sur stretches along 27 km of virgin beaches with warm and crystal-clear waters. The sand is very fine, white and permanently fresh, characteristics which are unlikely to be found in another site in Cuba and rarely in the world. The always-turquoise sky contrasts magnificently with the white coral sand. The moderate tropical weather boasts an average temperature of 27c and has few rainfalls.
Tainos Indians lived here 800 years ago. This place is a natural kingdom of ecological beauty in perfect balance that is home to 350 iguanas, chelonian, pelicans, parrots, and herons. The sea contains colorful and varied fauna, as well as a 19 nautical mile coral reef where different kinds of black coral can be admired in less than 35 m of water. A diversified flora characterized by coastal vegetation and four species of mangroves decorate the old dunes and beaches.

More Pictures of Lake Tahoe in California

Beautiful Pictures of Lake Tahoe in California

Best Travel Destination of Lake Tahoe in California

Lake Tahoe is a large freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains of the United States. It is located along the border between California and Nevada, west of Carson City, Nevada. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake in North America. Its depth is 1,645 ft (501 m) making it America's second-deepest.

The lake was formed about 2 million years ago and is a part of the Lake Tahoe Basin with the modern Lake being shaped during the Ice Ages. The lake is known for the clarity of its water and the panorama of surrounding mountains on all sides. The area surrounding the lake is also referred to as Lake Tahoe, or simply Tahoe.

Lake Tahoe is a major tourist attraction for both California and Nevada. It is home to a number of ski resorts, summer outdoor recreation, and tourist attractions. Snow and skiing are a significant part of the area's economy and reputation. Mountain and lake scenery are attractions throughout the year. The Nevada side also includes large casinos. Highways provide year-round access from Reno, Carson City and Sacramento. Read full at http://en.wikipedia.org

More Pictures of St. Maarten

The Open-Air Market at Marigot

Eastern end of Front Street

Wharf at The Center of Town, Front Street, Philipsburg

Sunrise at Guana Bay

Philipsburg, the capital of Dutch St. Maarten

Philipsburg, the capital of Dutch St. Maarten, fills a narrow stretch of land between Great Bay and the Great Salt Pond. Founded in 1763 by John Philips, a Scottish captain in the Dutch navy, it soon became a bustling center of international trade. Today it is as bustling as ever, with lively shopping streets, cafes, and hotels.

Two main roads cut across the length of Philipsburg--Front Street and, yes, Back Street. Front Street, the main thoroughfare, is lined with duty-free shops offering everything from Italian leather goods and Japanese cameras to native crafts. Narrow alleyways lead in either direction to arcades and courtyards filled with flowers. Visitors will also find examples of traditional West Indian architecture, including characteristic pastel-colored houses with second-story verandas looking out over the street.

Front Street's most prominent landmark is the Courthouse, built in 1793. A grand white wooden structure topped with a cupola, it now serves as St. Maarten's courthouse. Also on Front Street is the Simartin Museum, which gives visitors an excellent introduction to local history. Among the artifacts on display are pottery from the island's original inhabitants, the Arawaks, and cargo salvaged from a British ship which sank off the coast in 1801.
Two historic forts bear witness to Philipsburg's strategic importance in St. Maarten's history. Fort Amsterdam, built in 1631 on a peninsula between Great Bay and Little Bay, was the first Dutch military outpost in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, it was soon captured by the Spanish, who made it their most important bastion east of Puerto Rico. The Spanish abandoned the fort in 1648, and since then it has remained in Dutch hands. All military operations ceased in the 19th century, although the fort was used as a signaling and communications station into the 1950s. A few walls of the original bastion remain, and the site provides an outstanding view of modern Philipsburg. Fort Willem, easily recognizable by its television transmission tower, lies just to the west of downtown. Built in 1801 by the British, it was taken over by the Dutch in 1816. It's an easy hike up to the fort, with a lovely panorama of Philipsburg and neighboring islands at the top.

Today, Philipsburg combines its historical legacy with 20th century excitement. Its waterfront has become a popular stop for cruise ships, and the town's many restaurants, cafes and night clubs offer entertainment well into the night. The town offers accommodations to suit every need, from modern resorts to intimate guest houses.
Source :http://www.geographia.com/

Greece returns looted frescoes - Medieval works stolen in 1982, recovered on Greek island

Last week Greece returned to Italy two medieval frescoes looted from a tomb near Naples in 1982.

The frescoes of two saints were recovered by Greek antiquities police in a raid on Greek art traffickers on the Aegean island of Schinoussa in 2006.

They originally adorned the walls of one of the famous tufa chambers called Fornelle at Calvi south of Monte Cassino, site of the Ancient Roman city of Calves.

The particularly ornate chamber - many of whose frescoes are still missing - is believed to have been the tomb of 11th-century Count Pandolfo and his wife Countess Gualferada.

Handing over the frescoes, Greek Culture Minister Antoni Samaras said the event marked ''another important stage in collaboration with our Italian friends and partners in the fight against art theft''.

Italy and Greece launched a joint battle some years ago to crack down on trafficking and reclaim smuggled works from museums around the world.

Italy recently signed landmark deals with New York's Metropolitan Museum and the John Paul Getty Museum in California, among others, hailed as possibly paving the way for a wider-scale return of looted antiquities.

By setting a precedent that could be used by other countries, notably Greece, the accords sent alarm bells around the art world.

The 1970 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization convention bans the import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property.

Berlusconi inaugurates Frecciarossa - High- speed train links Milan to Rome in three hours

High- speed train links Milan to Rome in three hours

(ANSA) - Rome, March 24 - Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi was aboard on Tuesday for the inaugural run of the high-speed Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) train which travels from Milan to Rome in three hours.

Riding for some of the trip in the locomotive, Berlusconi said that the last time he remembered being on a train was when he was a boy and left Milan with his parents on a local train to pick flowers at Lake Como.

The engineer even let Berlusconi sit in the driver's seat and the premier quipped how with everything computerised ''driving a train is a lot easier than governing the country''.

''This can be defined as an historic moment,'' Berlusconi observed, ''because it marks the beginning of the third era of rail travel in Italy; the first being the start of service on the Portici-Naples line in 1835 and the second the arrival of the Pendolino'' tilting express train in the 1960s.

The new high-speed (AV) train can travel at speeds of up to 360kph and the inaugural run on Tuesday was made possible by the completion of the mountain tract between Florence and Bologna, which reduced travelling time from one hour to 35 minutes from station to station.

''This difficult tract was completed in a relatively short period of time and involved boring a tunnel for 73 of the 79km between Bologna and Florence,'' the premier observed.

''Being able to travel from Milan to Rome in three hours is a way of making Italy even more united and is sure to give Alitalia some competition,'' Berlusconi added.

The now-private Italian airline flies between Rome and Milan in about an hour but their airports are significantly outside the city center and baggage claim can also add to the travel time. The Frecciarossa will not be in service between Milan and Rome until mid-December when the AV train will run from Turin to Salerno.

In order to compete with air travel, the FS Italian railways said that starting in December AV trains linking Rome and Milan will leave every 15 minutes for a total of 51 daily connections of which 19 will be non-stop.

FS said it will also introduce a more flexible pricing system to encourage the use of the AV trains by reducing rates depending on the time of year, departure times and day of the week.

Also riding with Berlusconi on the Frecciarossa's inaugural run were Cabinet Secretary Gianni Letta; Public Works Minister Altero Matteoli; the chairman of parliament's public works committee, Luigi Grillo; Lombardy Region President Roberto Formigoni, Milan Mayor Letizia Moratti; FS CEO Mauro Moretti; and Chairman Innocenzo Cipolletta.

The Frecciarossa was met on its arrival in the capital by Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno and Lazio Region President Pietro Marrazzo.

For video of how to buy a TrenItalia train ticket in Italy click How to Buy a TrenItalia Ticket.

For the Frecciarossa Italy train schedule click Italy High Speed Train Schedule.

Authentic Italian Pizza Vending Machine Cooks by Machine Fresh Authentic Italian Pizza?

(ANSA) - Rome, March 16 - Italian pizza makers said Monday they were unfazed by news that a Rovereto businessman has developed the world's first automatic vending machine for freshly made pizza.

''Something that comes out of an automatic machine has nothing to do with Italian pizza,'' said Pino Morelli, head of the Association of Italian Pizzerias (API), dismissing 56-year-old entrepreneur Claudio Torghele's 'Let's Pizza' invention.

''It might be alright for McDonalds and other fast-food chains or for foreign markets like the US, China and India, but anyone wanting to eat a real pizza has to go to a traditional pizzeria''.

Torghele's machine, which is set to debut in Italy and neighbouring countries this summer, cooks pizza from scratch in three minutes, first beating flour and water into dough and stretching the mixture into a disc before adding tomato sauce and fresh ingredients.

Torghele told the New York Times that customers can choose from four varieties (cheese and tomato, vegetable, ham or bacon) and pizzas will cost as little as 3.5 euros - a couple of euros less than the price in a sit-down pizzeria.

Customers can follow the progress of their pizza through little windows in the machine.

Morelli said he did not think the public would abandon pizzerias as a result of the invention, pointing out that Italian pizza-makers are ''envied and in demand across the world''.

''The craft of the pizza-maker has been rediscovered and the number of people wanting to learn the art of the pizza is growing,'' he said, noting that professional courses saw a 25% increase in uptake this year.

''It's a reliable and well-paid craft - for instance, an Italian pizza-maker can earn 7,000 euros a month in Australia, excluding food and lodging''.

Morelli added that while pizza makers ''certainly do not fear competition from any machine'', the image of the Italian staple could be at risk from the venture.

''The pizza is a symbol of the Made in Italy brand, and we should let it live and prosper in peace,'' he said.

The photo above is from Brandi Pizzeria in Naples, Italy, inventor and home of the Pizza Margherita made of the first time for Queen Margherita in 1889. The ingredients of the first Pizza Margherita remain today the colors of the Italian flag, basil is green, mozzarella is white, and tomato is red. The next time you travel to Naples Italy be sure to visit Brandi Pizzeria.

The Exotic Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are voluminous waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.

Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections separated by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, the majority of which lies on the Canadian side of the border, and American Falls on the American side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island. Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide. More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow,[1] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.[2]

The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.
Article Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls

The Excellent Places to Hike Around Las Vegas

Travel to Las Vegas and you'll likely hear plenty about nearby attractions like the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, and Lake Mead. There are even places right on the Strip where you can take part in guided tours of these places. These highly publicized attractions are well worth it and have many interesting sights and are great ways to escape the lights of Vegas. But in addition to these high traffic tourist spots, there are a couple of not so highly publicized areas that are well worth your time, and cost no more than a rental car and a camera.

Red Rock Canyon is located about 15 miles west of the Strip. It is just outside of the city - you can take Charleston Boulevard all the way there. Charleston crosses the strip just north of the Stratosphere. Hop on Charleston and go west. Once you pass Red Rock Casino and Highway 215, you're almost there.

When you first get to Red Rock, there is a visitor's center where you can get out and check out some of the history of the canyon. You can learn about the Native American's who first lived in the area as well as the animals and plants that populate the canyon.

The canyon itself is made up of red sandstone which is very striking in color when the sun bounces off the canyon walls. There are numerous hiking trails that you can stop and hike. They range from easy to difficult. The canyon is also popular to rock climbers, who can often be seen scaling the cliffs and rocks of the area.

From the visitors center you can take the scenic loop, which is a 13 mile loop that winds its way through the canyon with numerous places to stop to either hike or take pictures. One of the stops along the loop is the Ice Box Canyon trail which is a two mile moderately difficult hike that includes some rock scrambling. This trail works it's way back into a canyon which is known for the cooler winds that blow through the rocks. While hiking be sure to look up the canyon walls as you can often see the climbers scrambling up their lines.

Along with the desert vegetation you're likely to see different animals in the conservation area. Bighorn sheep and deer accompany the wild burros that roam the land. The burros are rather tame and will often come up to car windows looking for food - though it is recommended not to feed them as this increases their independence on the tourists of the area. A picture of a burro sticking his head in your car window is often a great picture to share with friends back home.

The great thing about Red Rock is that you can see the sights without ever leaving the air conditioning of your car - or if you're feeling a little adventurous you can venture out on one of the trails and make your way a little off the beaten path. Even though you are just outside the sprawling city of Las Vegas, a trip to Red Rock is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of the city - a great way to take a vacation inside your vacation.

By: Patrick Treadway

Arkansas' Natural Treasure: Maumelle Park in Amerika

Arkansas is not called, "The Natural State", for any old reason. The state of Arkansas is home to a fabulous wealth of mountainous landscapes, valleys, plains and woodlands. Positioned not far from the state capital of Little Rock is the Pinnacle Mountain Valley, a 2000 acre site situated around the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Within the beautiful Pinnacle Mountain Valley is the Maumelle State Park, one of Arkansas' natural treasures and also one of the top locations for visitors to the Little Rock area, especially for all nature-lovers.

At Maumelle Park, visitors will find a diversity of wildlife in a variety of habitats. The area may be of particular interest to bird watchers, as it attracts an exciting assortment of birds and wildlife. Hikers are also well catered for, with various hiking trails traversing the region, so visitors who enjoy nature walks will find Maumelle Park and the surrounding Pinnacle Mountain Valley a delight; these trails include the Arkansas Trail through the Arkansas Arboretum (a 71-acre site dedicated to representing Arkansas' six main natural divisions); the Kingfisher Trail next to the Little Maumelle River; and the 223-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail.

With so many hiking trails to enjoy, visits to Maumelle Park can often exceed the remits of a day trip. But with over 129 campsites to choose from, all of which are equipped with water and electricity, visitors to Maumelle Park will find camping a comfortable experience. Maumelle's Parks campsites are also open to visitors to the neighbouring Pinnacle Mountain State Park, which has no camping areas of its own. Its optimal site is situated just next to the Arkansas River which means that campers can enjoy beautiful vistas, as well as tables and grills nearby, bathhouses with hot water, a playground and a boat ramp for anyone wanting to sail or paddle through the park rather than hike.

However much you enjoy the beauty of Maumelle Park, camping may not always seem to be the most enjoyable mode of accommodation for a vacation, especially when with family members. Thankfully however, Maumelle Park is only a convenient fifteen minute drive away from the city of Little Rock where you can choose from a number of comfortable hotels. Maumelle Park's proximity to Little Rock means that visitors, if they choose to stay in the city, can enjoy the comforts of urban accommodation whilst revelling in the delights of the park's natural scenery and clean mountain air. Many of the hotels in Little Rock often offer package deals for larger parties, so that groups or families travelling together can often find some great deals to enjoy during their holiday to Maumelle Park.

By: Michael Hanna
Michael is a keen writer living in Edinburgh. Michael's Website: Belfast Airport Taxis.

Nicaragua Travel Destination

Wedge-shaped Nicaragua may be the largest country in Central America, but it is also one of the least visited. Even after more than a decade of peace, Nicaragua is synonymous in the minds of many with civil war; this reputation, when coupled with the dilapidated infrastructure of a country that has fought its way not only through a bloody conflict but also an American economic blockade, scares many off. Still, many travelers who spend any time there find - much to their surprise - that Nicaragua is their favorite country in the isthmus. Perhaps because it doesn't yet fully cater for the tourist experience, Nicaragua is an incorrigibly vibrant and individualistic country, with plenty to offer travelers prepared to brave Nicaragua's superficial obstacles of economic chaos, cracked pavements and crammed public transport.

Piaggio's Vespa Sales Continues in United States

Piaggio, best known for its Vespa, Group Americas CEO Paolo Timoni discusses the Vespa's growth and Vespa's sales strategy in the United States.

Marches: Urbino Celebrates Young Raphael: Urbino played key role in Renaissance master's training

Marches: Urbino Celebrates Young Raphael: Urbino played key role in Renaissance master's training

(ANSA) Urbino, March 18 - The youthful experiences and early artworks of a man who would become one of the greatest Renaissance masters are spotlighted in an upcoming exhibition in this eastern Italian town of Urbino.

"Raphael" - Raphael Sanzio was born in Urbino in 1483, completed his training by age 17 and had already created a series of important artworks for his hometown by the time he left four years later.

Entitled Raphael And Urbino, the exhibition sets out to explore the two-way exchange between the youthful artist and his hometown, looking at how each influenced the other. ''This show will explain Raphael in the context of Urbino, not just as his birthplace but as a town that played a vital role in his training,'' said Marche region culture chief Lorenza Mochi Onori.

''Urbino remained an essential point of reference for the artist throughout his life, which can be seen in the fact he always signed his works 'Raphael Urbinas'''.

The main attraction will be 20 paintings and 19 drawings by a young Raphael.

These include 'The Resurrection of Christ', on loan from the Sao Paolo Museum in Brazil, 'The Holy Family with a Lamb' from the Prado in Madrid, and a section of an altarpiece showing the bust of an angel, from Brescia. In addition, the exhibit will also feature 32 paintings and 10 drawings by artists close to Raphael.

Raphael died in Rome in 1520 on his 37th birthday. He lives today inside the Pantheon, one of Rome's greatest buildings. Also buried in the Pantheon are Vittorio Emanuele II and Umberto I, as well as Umberto's Queen, Margherita, which is who the Pizza Margherita is named during a visit to Naples, is also in the Pantheon next to Vittorrio Emanuele. Also buried in the Pantheon s another painter like Raphael Annibale Carracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi.

Despite his short life, Raphael rose to become one of the most acclaimed painters of his time.

He was taught by his father Giovanni Santi - a painter whom 16th century art critic and painter Giorgio Vasari dismissed as possessing zero talent - and inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

The work on display includes pieces by his father, who was court painter to the duke of Urbino and owned a busy workshop. The third section features a collection of locally produced Renaissance ceramics bearing images by Raphael. Of particular interest here is a rare ceramic created using an original design by Raphael rather than an engraving.

Raphael's vocation for art was apparent at an early age, and he is thought to have played an important role in his father's workshop.

His duties probably increased after his father's death in 1494, although he later trained under Umbrian master Pietro Perugino. Raphael was considered fully trained by 1501 and his first documented commission was an altarpiece for a church in Citta' di Castello, a town halfway between Perugia and Urbino.

Over the next few years, he painted a series of works for churches in Urbino, many of which still survive. In 1504, he moved to Florence for four years before spending the final 12 years of his life in Rome, where Pope Julius II commissioned him to decorate four rooms in the papal apartment, now known as the Raphael Rooms.

The exhibition, entitled 'Raffaello e Urbino', is on show in the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino from April 4 until July 12.

photo: Raphael's The Holy Family with a Lamb.

New treasure joins Herculaneum show - Major exhibition explores life in ancient Roman town

(ANSA) - Naples, March 17 - A new treasure from Herculaneum was unveiled in Naples on Tuesday, where it will join a major exhibition exploring life in the Ancient Roman town buried by Vesuvius in 79 AD. The show, running until April 13, already features over 150 artefacts and human remains uncovered over the last three centuries but the new relief, uncovered by accident last month, is stirring fresh interest. The marble sculpture, dating back to the 1st century AD, apparently depicts two separate scenes centred on Dionysius, the Greek counterpart of Ancient Rome's god of wine and merrymaking, Bacchus.

''The relief is particularly fascinating for scholars as we are not yet certain exactly the tale that is being reproduced on the work,'' explained Herculaneum's excavation chief Maria Paola Guidobaldi.

''It almost certainly shows Dionysius and what appears to be one of his female followers, a Maenad, dancing. However, there are also two other figures, one with men's hair and the other wearing female clothes that aren't yet clear.

''Nor are we certain what gift is being offered to Dionysius. It was very probably some kind of offering, perhaps a thanksgiving, much as people make today to patron saints''. The Greek marble relief was uncovered by accident in Herculaneum on February 18, during regular maintenance work.

It was located in a luxurious residential building on the northwest block of the town, which has only been partly excavated so far. The relief was fixed in the eastern wall of a large room, at about two metres above the ground. It appears to have been designed as a partner for another relief, located at the same level on the southern wall of the room, which was removed in 1997. ''The find is particularly important owing to the interpretation of the scene it shows, which is still an open question,'' said Pompeii Superintendent Pietro Giovanni Guzzo. ''So far no one has been able to find a connection between the two separate scenes dividing the relief, the dancer and the homage to Dionysius''.

The show is already hosting dozens of statues, skeletons, artefacts and textiles from the small seaside town south of Naples, which was destroyed in the same Vesuvius eruption that buried Pompeii on August 24, 79 AD.

While Pompeii was covered by hot ash and lava, its less famous neighbour disappeared under an avalanche of molten rock. This mingled with mud and earth and solidified, allowing fragile organic matter like wood, fabrics, wax tablets and papyrus rolls to survive.

Archaeologists began digging at the sites around Vesuvius like Stabiae and Herculaneum at the start of the 1700s and continue to make discoveries today.

The exhibition is divided into three sections, focusing first on the magnificent statues of gods, heroes and emperors found among the ruins. The second section is dedicated to noble Herculaneum families such as that of the proconsul Marcus Nonius Balbus, one of the town's main benefactors, and also showcases many statues found at Herculaneum's largest residence, the Villa of the Papyri.

In the third section, the skeletons of fleeing townspeople are on show alongside everyday objects giving visitors an insight into the daily life of common people.

While bodies in Pompeii decomposed in the ash, Herculaneum's solidified mud preserved the skeletons intact, providing researchers with an extremely rare opportunity to examine remains of Ancient Romans, who usually cremated their dead.

The exhibition also includes an additional section at the end devoted entirely to Herculaneum's fabrics, which, like the townspeople, have been preserved in astonishing condition thanks to the sudden avalanche of molten rock at extremely high temperatures. Herculaneum: Three Centuries of Discoveries runs at the Naples Archaeological Museum until April 13.

For more video about Italy visit WebVisionItaly.com, the only Internet television network about Italy life today.

photo: the Villa of the Papyri.

History of Colosseum in Roma, Italy

Construction of the Colosseum began under the rule of the Emperor Vespasian[1] in around 70–72AD. The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Caelian, Esquiline and Palatine Hills, through which a canalised stream ran. By the 2nd century BC the area was densely inhabited. It was devastated by the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64, following which Nero seized much of the area to add to his personal domain. He built the grandiose Domus Aurea on the site, in front of which he created an artificial lake surrounded by pavilions, gardens and porticoes. The existing Aqua Claudia aqueduct was extended to supply water to the area and the gigantic bronze Colossus of Nero was set up nearby at the entrance to the Domus Aurea.

Although the Colossus was preserved, much of the Domus Aurea was torn down. The lake was filled in and the land reused as the location for the new Flavian Amphitheatre. Gladiatorial schools and other support buildings were constructed nearby within the former grounds of the Domus Aurea. According to a reconstructed inscription found on the site, "the emperor Vespasian ordered this new amphitheatre to be erected from his general's share of the booty." This is thought to refer to the vast quantity of treasure seized by the Romans following their victory in the Great Jewish Revolt in 70AD. The Colosseum can be thus interpreted as a great triumphal monument built in the Roman tradition of celebrating great victories.[11] Vespasian's decision to build the Colosseum on the site of Nero's lake can also be seen as a populist gesture of returning to the people an area of the city which Nero had appropriated for his own use. In contrast to many other amphitheatres, which were located on the outskirts of a city, the Colosseum was constructed in the city centre; in effect, placing it both literally and symbolically at the heart of Rome.

The Colosseum had been completed up to the third story by the time of Vespasian's death in 79. The top level was finished and the building inaugurated by his son, Titus, in 80.[1] Dio Cassius recounts that over 9,000 wild animals were killed during the inaugural games of the amphitheatre. The building was remodelled further under Vespasian's younger son, the newly-designated Emperor Domitian, who constructed the hypogeum, a series of underground tunnels used to house animals and slaves. He also added a gallery to the top of the Colosseum to increase its seating capacity.

In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged by a major fire (caused by lightning, according to Dio Cassius[12]) which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240 and underwent further repairs in 250 or 252 and again in 320. An inscription records the restoration of various parts of the Colosseum under Theodosius II and Valentinian III (reigned 425–450), possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; more work followed in 484 and 508. The arena continued to be used for contests well into the 6th century, with gladiatorial fights last mentioned around 435. Animal hunts continued until at least 523.