Norms in Rome | Piazza della Rotonda

The Norms have arrived in the Eternal City, Roma, land of Emperors, Popes and SPQR. The Norms adore it. Why would they not? It’s a caramel city, imbued with the light of earthy terracotta and dark shiny cobbles. It prioritises La Dolce Vita, something very close to the Norms hearts. And above all things, it was the location of the Norms’ favourite ever film, Roman Holiday, so now, the Norms have gone off on their very own Vacanza Romana.

Norms in Rome | Piazza della Rotonda (©2018, Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, pen and ink on paper)

First stop: the Piazza della Rotonda, home to the most glorious and perfectly intact of all ancient Roman temples: the Pantheon, whose single-span brilliant concrete dome complete with illuminative ocular continues to defy architects to this day, and reminds the Norms of their own rotund figures. Outside that great Temple of the Romans, the Piazza bustles to the trickle of one of Rome’s many Papal fountains, while in buildings all around, cafes spill out onto the cobbles and enable the Norms to enjoy their favourite tipples to the accompaniment of street cellists and their assistants (for Norms only have one arm – playing a cello alone would be a challenge).

When in Rome, do as the Romans do – it’s the norm retold to all visitors. Now it’s very much the norm for the Norms too, and doing like Romans is something these Norms have taken very close to their heart.

© Nicholas de Lacy-Brown and The Daily Norm, 2001-2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material, whether written work, photography or artwork, included within The Daily Norm without express and written permission from The Daily Norm’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. For more information on the artwork of Nicholas de Lacy-Brown, visit http://www.delacybrown.com