SECTION A

A SURVEY OF ANCIENT ROMAN HISTORY FROM THE COLONIZATION OF LAZIO TO THE PRESENT DAY -ANTICIPATING RUINS, RESTORE D OR NEW BUILDINGS / MONUMENTS, ARTIFACTS, AND WORKS OF ART ON THE MUST -SEE LIST OF THE ITINERARY FOR OUR TRIP TO ITALY IN MARCH, 2013

S fe ra con Sf er a ( Sp h er e W ith in Sp h er e ) is a m on u m en t al b r on ze fr o m a ser ies of s im i lar l y n am e d wor k s b y Ita l ian scu lp tor Ar n a ld o Po m o d o r o (b . 1 9 26) . I t s tan d s w i th in th e h i gh e st ter r ace of th e Va tic an M u seu m s ( a sp ac e a f fec tio n ate l y kn o wn as th e Cor t il e d e l la P i gn a b ec a u se o f an en or m ou s An c ien t Ro m an scu lp tu r e o f a p i n eco n e . Th e Vat ic an Ci ty , o f co u r se , is v ie wed b y d evo u t Ca th o li cs as th e p o in t of or i g in f or h ist or i c an d m od er n in flu en ce of a g lob a l l y s i gn if ic an t n atu r e . Th e s u r fac e o f Pom od or o s s p h er e li ter a l l y r e f lect s th e s acr ed b u i ld in g s wh ich su r r o u n d it . Th e m etap h o r i c r e ve la tio n o f a d i v in e l y -s an ct ion ed h i er ar ch y at th e h e ar t o f th e wor ld s tem p o r a l af f air s is ach ie ve d b y p u n ctu r in g an d p ee lin g b ack it s p lan etar y cr u st . Th e scu lp tu r a l fu s ion o f o r g an i c an d ar ch ite cto n ic f or m s is an op ti m i st ic st atem en t ab ou t th e f i x it y o f He av en ly p l an s f or an i m p er m an en t Ear t h .