View of the Colosseum from the Orti Farnesiani

The virtues of heaven and earth merge in this luminous landscape, as a monk sits on an overturned capital of a column, repurposed as a place to rest. In the distance, the brilliant midday light envelops the ruins of the Colosseum and the Arch of Titus, reminders of the glory of ancient Rome. The monk’s mind is elsewhere, perhaps absorbed in daily prayers. He’s a Capuchin, identified by his light-brown robe with a small hood, called a cappuccino. Urban legend has it that the popular coffee drink is named after the color of the robe.