Hair to die for

These cheery fellas were understandably keen to join the Sideburn skull parade. Spotted in the basilica of Sant'Agostino in Rome (known mainly for its Caravaggio), they're from the 1740s and were skulpted (ahem, thank you) by Pietro Bracci from a design by Paolo Posi. Unusual to see such well-coiffed death's heads, and the wing feathers are pretty fine, too. MP

Dead end

Another skull spotted in a church here in Rome, this one with full-on crossed femurs. It's in the portico of the 5th century church of Santa Cecilia in the restaurant-heavy Trastevere district. Eternity? Life's brevity? Or a warning not to have the shellfish on a Monday? MP

Skulls

I must be on a bit of a death kick. In between the bikes and the booze, the drugs and the garage punk I try to squeeze in a bit of so-called high-end culture here in Rome. I was wandering around the 8th century church of Santa Prassede the other day. It's famed for its mosaics, but this couple of fellas called me over to take their photos. Not overly chatty. MP

Danger of Death

In Britain, warnings about widdling on live railway lines and the like are depicted by the silhouette of a man being struck by a shard of frozen piss while disco dancing. In Italy, they prefer a more straightforward approach, with a hint of Long John Silver. MP

Thanks to -N-Root- at Flickr for the first image.