The Coloseum, Rome, Italy

Pieta, Michaelangelo
My apologies right off the bat to those of you who are art purists. I have indeed altered this photo of a perfect work of art, but not without good reason. The photo was taken holding the camera up over the tops of hundreds of heads with a telephoto lens and through a bullet-proof barrier. Since it was slightly blurry, I felt free to play a bit with it and add a water-color type of finish.
There are hundreds of statues from that time period, but when one compares them to the likes of Michaelangelo's Pieta, one can then understand why his work is so revered.

Vatican: Walkway to the Cistine Chapel.
This photo is not altered, except for cropping. The walkway is absolutely magnificent, and a work of art in its own right. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will notice a leg hanging down at the very top edge. There are actually figures of naked women hanging three dimensionally from the ceiling every so often.