Month: November 2017

Tuesday, November 28

Well, ten is small exaggeration but we did visit quite a few.  We found an interesting article on the web where this person describes his 10 Favorite Churches in Rome.  Shockingly we had only been to three of them and hadn’t know about the “good parts” of one we had seen.  So, we set out to see what we could see.

First was San Gregorio Magna al Celio.  This one was not on the list but it looked interesting and was on the way to our first target.  We decided to take a look.

The complex includes a Benedictine monastery, an ancient church dating back to around 575, a convent of nuns and a homeless shelter run by nuns of the order of St Theresa of Calcutta.  We also enjoyed a short walk around the cloister near the convent.

Next up was Basilica Santi Giovanni e Paolo  We’d been there before.  We had known that the first version of the church dated from 398.  What we hadn’t know before was that the church was built on top of several Roman houses dating from the first and fourth centuries.  Excavations beneath the church in the 19th century found these houses.  Supposedly many of the original walls, frescos and other decorations are well preserved.  Of course, access to the excavation was closed the day we were there.  I guess we’ll have to go back a third time!

We tried to visit Basilica di Santa Maria in Domnica alla Navicella but it was closed.  The new subway line is being built right in front if the church and it will be closed for the duration of the construction.  It doesn’t appear that we will get to enjoy the Byzantine mosaics installed there.

The Basilica di Santo Stefano Rotondo is a somewhat unique church.  It is round with a round pulpit in the middle.  Around the perimeter are numerous chapels all containing frescos depicting brutal acts against Christians.  In one case a man was hanging by his arms while flaming torches were applied to his body.  In another soldiers were killing women and children.  It was a sight to see.

(Torturing Christians)

Next up was Santi Quattro Coronati.  This place dates from the fourth or fifth century.  Today it hosts a monastery and cloister.  At one time the complex was a fortified Cardinal’s palace.  The palace had its own chapel, which dates from the 13th century.  For the cost of €1.00 apiece we were permitted to enter and see the restored frescos.  We also paid a fee to tour the cloister; this is a common practice to raise money.  Entry to all churches is free.

(Restored 9th Century Frescos)

You would think that we would be have been tired at this point but we pushed on and visited Basilica di San Clemente.  This one was not on the original list but it was one we had been intending to visit anyway.

The site of the church has undergone many transformations in its long history.  It was originally private homes.  It was used for Christian services in the first century before Christianity was legalized and starting in the 6th century it became a grand basilica.  Excavations one layer below the church have found a previous version of the church and at a second level down have found the original Roman houses.

(Fresco from the excavations under the Basilica)

At this point we decided to take a break for lunch.  We found a small restaurant  with terrific prices (Ristorante Colosseo “Luzzi”).  The best part though was the food.  It was as close to home cooking as you will get in any restaurant.  We knew it would be good when we noticed many locals seated nearby.  We had the Pollo alla Romana.  The waitress said it was chicken in tomato sauce with pepperoni.  It turned out to be chicken in tomato sauce with peppers.  We didn’t care.  It was delicious!

Fully rested and refreshed we pressed onward.  Our next stop was Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri or as it’s more commonly known to our readers, “The Church with the Hole in it”.  This church was on the list but we intended to go back anyway and search for the second light source.  We had studied the photo from the museum carefully and were sure we could find that second light source.

We looked for some time but couldn’t find it.  The current version of the church doesn’t resemble the photograph from the museum in several ways.  We suppose that the hole was covered in one of the more recent renovations.  I can’t understand why they would do that.  It’s very sad.

Our last church for the day was Sant’Andrea al Quirinale.  This church was designed and built by Bernini.  It’s main architectural feature is its oval dome.  The church is not very large nor is it highly decorated.  The only art of Bernini’s there is a fresco over the main alter and it can’t be seen unless you are standing on the alter.  We tried to see Chiesa di San Carlino alle Quattro Fontane, which was a church on the same block designed by Bernini’s main rival but it was closed.

On the way home we came across the Quirinal Palace.  This is a former home to Popes and Italian royalty.  Today it functions as the Presidential Palace.  We’re going to have to go back and explore that area some more.  There’s always something to do 😋.

If you’ve read this far I’m going to share with you the big news of the day: we reserved an apartment in Sofia, Bulgaria from February 1 – March 15.  The fun never stops.

Deborah just hasn’t been able to shake her cold so we’ve been taking is easy these past few days.  For two days we just sat around in the apartment.  Never fear, we still have a few recent things to report on.

Saturday, November 25

We went to the Museo Corsini last week.  Those tickets entitled us to go to the  Palazzo Barberini within 10 days.  Since the tickets were about to expire we decided to venture out and see what they had to offer.

The museum is housed in what was the Barberini mansion.  Most of the artwork was from the Barberini collection which contains a great many Byzantine and 1500s era Flemish paintings – that’s an unusual combination that you don’t see everyday.

(Henry VIII by Hans Holbein)

In one gallery we were shocked to see a famous portrait of Henry VIII. The artist, Hans Holbein, had been Henry’s official portrait artist.  We assumed this painting would be hanging in the National Portrait Gallery in London and couldn’t imagine how it got to be on permanent display in Rome.  It turns out that the original was destroyed by fire.  During Henry’s lifetime several copies were made by various artists – including Holbein.  There is strong evidence that this copy was made by Holbein himself.

(Narcissus by Caravaggio)

We managed to find one Caravaggio that wasn’t sent to the Milan exhibit.  There are a number of Caravaggios in churches around Rome; those are never loaned out.

On the way home from the museum we just couldn’t resist the opportunity to visit The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli⁩.  This church is perched high on top of the Capitoline Hill and is accessed by a very long set of marble stairs.  The front of the church commands an excellent view of the entire city.

In the fourth century B.C. the site was occupied by the temple of Juno Moneta.  The foundations of the present day church were laid in the 5th century A.D.

The church is notable for many reasons.  It contains relics of Saint Helena, who was Constantine’s mother, and many other holy items.  Perhaps the most famous item in the church is the Holy Child of Aracoeli.

(The Holy Child of Aracoeli)

According to tradition a friar in Israel carved the statue out of a single piece of olive wood from the Garden of Gethsemane.  The friar was unable to finish painting the statue because he ran out of money.  One night an angel appeared and completed the statue.

The friar then boarded a ship in order to bring the statue to Rome.  During the voyage the ship encountered a storm and the statute was lost overboard.  When the ship finally arrived in Italy the statue was found laying next to the ship.  Subsequently the statue was placed in the church and has been venerated ever since.

Monday, November 20

We decided to take a break from the world of art and do something completely different.  We checked out the Foro Italico.  This is a sports complex that was started in the 1920s under Mussolini and was intended to host the 1944 summer Olympic games.  The complex is richly decorated with mosaic flooring and a large number of sculptures.  It was intended to show modern day Italy being an outgrowth of ancient Roman culture.

(Tennis players know it as the home of the Italian Open)

The complex includes the Olympic stadium, a tennis stadium, Olympic sized swimming pools, diving pools and a track and field stadium.  Today the complex is used for international competitons and as a school for Italian national teams.

During the year the several red clay tennis courts are part of a private tennis club.  The courts and the associated stadium are used each Spring to host the Italian Open.

(The Track and Field Stadium ringed by sports themed sculptures)

That evening we decided to go out and see the lights of the city.  We walked around Tiber Island and took some pictures.

(A remnant of a bridge that crossed the Tiber)

Tuesday, November 21

Now, back to our regularly scheduled program – today we went to the Museo e Galleria Borghese.  This villa/museum/park/garden complex was owned by the Borghese family until 100 years ago, when it was taken over by the Italian government.  The villa has been converted into a museum which houses a very fine collection; it includes an enormous number of Bernini sculptures that were commissioned by the Borghese family for their home.  They also own a large number of Bernini paintings, some Caravaggios, paintings by Raphael, Titian, Reubens and many others.

Two of our favorite Bernini sculptures…

 

(Hades and Persephone)

(Apollo and Daphne)

Thursday, November 23 (Thanksgiving Day)

We had planned to go out to one of our favorite restaurants from last summer but Deborah was a little under the weather so we decided to have dinner at home.  Instead of Turkey we had Chicken.  Close enough.

Actually the dinner consisted of chicken and spinach cutlets with pesto, crunchy “pizza” crackers with pesto, table cheeses and a very nice Chianti.  We had apples for dessert.  The Chianti is worthy of special note.  Previously we had been buying cheap Chiantis.  This one cost us €6.00 (about $6.50).  You gotta love Italy!  The entire meal was delicious.

(Thanksgiving Dinner)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from Rome!

 

Saturday, November 18

We started off going back to The Basilica of St Mary Major for the third time!  Why three times?  Well, the first time we were there we tried to buy tickets to the archaeological site below the church and were told that the tours were not available in the afternoon.  The second time we arrived bright and early, around 8:30 am, only to be told that a Russian diplomat was touring the archaeological site and the public tours might start again around 11:00 am.  In Italy waiting around for something that might happen is like saying you might become a little bit pregnant.  We decided not to waste our time and went off to do other things.  Apparently the third time was the charm.  We arrived bright and early and were told that the next tour would be in 45 minutes.  We started to get excited.

Some years ago the artwork in the church was suffering from the high humidity.  They determined that the humidity was coming from the levels below ground so they decided to create a series of passages below the church that could be sealed and  prevent the elements from invading the upper levels.  This required some excavation under the church.

While excavating they discovered artifacts from previous incarnations of the church as well as remnants of an ancient Roman house that the church had been built on top of.  The tour was fun and interesting and had been worth visiting the church three times.

(Fresco from the ancient Roman house)

Next we visited something really special: the Scala Sancta or Sacred Stairs.  These were the stairs on which Jesus walked on his way to his trial before Pontius Pilate.  The marble stairs have been covered in walnut.  Constantine I’s mother had the stairs moved from Jerusalem around 326 A.D.  Today the stairs  lead to the church of St Lawrence which abuts the same piazza where the Basilica of St John of the Lateran is located.

Tradition requires that penitents may only ascend the stairs on their knees.  It is not permitted to walk on the stairs at all.  When we were there we saw people stopping on each step to pray.  The entire ascent took about 30 minutes.  I would like to have climbed the stairs but in the absence of a passing lane I didn’t think my knees could take it.

(Penitents climbing the Scala Sancta on their knees)

The first historical reference to the Church of St Lawrence is in 772 A.D.; most likely it is older than that.  It is sometimes referred to as the Sancta Sanctorum because it used to house the bones of at least 13 saints.  The bones have since been moved to other locations.

Our last visit of the day was a tour of Domus Aurea also known as Nero’s Golden House.  After the famous fire in 64 A.D. which destroyed much of the city Emperor Nero built a gigantic villa that encompassed most of Esquiline Hill, a large part of the Palatine Hill and the entire area that the Coliseum stands upon today.  Apparently Nero never lived in the house.  He lived in a more fashionable neighborhood.  The villa had no bedrooms.  It was simply a place to entertain.

Fun fact: Nero built an enormous artificial lake in the area where the Coliseum stands today.

After Nero’s death Emperor Trajan repurposed most of the land and buildings that the villa stood upon.  On the Esquiline Hill he built a public bath directly over the domus, using the house as a foundation.  He stripped the house of all of its valuable statues and precious objects before filling the rooms with dirt.  He also drained the artificial lake and began construction on the Coliseum.

The excavation work on the villa is ongoing.  Many parts will never be recovered because they lie under modern day housing.

The best part of the tour: it came with hats!

(The entire tour was underground.  We were required to wear hard hats.)

The portion of the villa we saw lies under the ruins of Trajan’s Baths and a public park.  The roots of the trees have penetrated the roof of the villa causing all sorts of damage and instability in the structure.  The excavations and restoration are on hold until the trees are removed and the park is replanted.  In the meantime only small portions of a few walls have been restored to give visitors an idea of how the villa had been decorated.

(A section of wall only partially restored)

The city of ancient Rome was fortified with imposing walls all around its perimeter.  Substantial sections of those walls still stand and can easily been seen as well as many of the associated gates.  St Paul’s Basilica was not within the city limits and as such was “outside the walls”.  Yes, that is its official name.

The Basilica is situated about an hour walk from our apartment so we decided to venture out on the bus again.  We caught the bus near the house and it left us off right in front of the Basilica.  We decided to walk back home and on the way stopped off at the Baths of Caracalla, which was the subject of a previous post.  In spite of taking the bus we walked over 10 miles that day – just a good stretch of the legs.

St Paul’s was founded by Constantine I in the early part of the fourth century and was built over the spot where St Paul was buried.  Over the years it has undergone extensive modifications and enhancements but managed to retain its ancient character.  The associated cloister was erected in the early part of the 13th century.

(The entrance to the Basilica with a statue of St Peter)

On July 15, 1823 roof repairs sparked a fire which lead to the near total destruction of the Basilica.  The decision was made to rebuild the Basilica in the same image as before and to incorporate pieces that had survived the fire.  The construction was an international sensation and building materials were donated from governments around the world.  The completed church was opened in 1840 and was re-consecreated in 1855.

(The ceiling of the apse)

(A rare 14th century icon that survived the fire)

Next to the Basilica is a park that contains the entrance to the Necroplis of St Paul’s where the saint’s body is interred.  The necropolis is not generally open to the public.  Entry requires special permission from the Vatican.  We arranged for a private tour on December 6.  We’re expecting great things.  We’ll keep you posted.

No, we’re not talking about baseball, we’re talking about churches – again!  The idea of a major basilica was introduced in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII.  He issued a papal bull stating that a full pardon for all sins would be granted to anyone who confessed all of their sins and also visited the basilicas of St Peter and St Paul.  In later years the basilicas of St John in the Lateran and St Mary Major were added to this list.  To this day many of the Catholic faithful still make pilgrimages to all four of these churches in order to obtain absolution according to the ancient rights set down in the year 1300.

In this context the term “Basilica” refers to a title granted by the Pope and has nothing to do with architectural style.  Any church, other than these four, that have “Basilica” in their title are considered to be “Minor Basilicas”.

Interestingly, only St Peter’s is within the confines of Vatican City.  The other three are in nearby Rome.  According to the Lateran Treaty of 1929 these other churches are considered to be the sovereign property of the Vatican.  They were granted extraterritorial status, as if they were embassies.

Last summer we visited St Peter’s Basilica along with the Vatican museum and St Peter’s Square.  We also had fun climbing the bell tower.  This Fall we visited the other three (we went to St Mary Major three times but that’s a story for another article).  We haven’t told you about our trip to St Paul’s yet but rest assured that article is coming.

For good measure we’ll be returning to St Peter’s in a few weeks; we have tickets to see the crypts beneath the Basilica, which includes the tomb of St Peter, and we have tickets to the Vatican museum.  We applied to the Vatican for tickets to the Christmas midnight mass in the Basilica – one of the masses that the Pope personally presides over.  Our application was accepted and we’re waiting to hear if we’ll get tickets.  Fingers crossed!

Pope Boniface VIII would be proud of us 😇.

On Friday we visited The Baths of Caracalla.  Construction on the baths was started around 212 A.D. by Septimius Severus and completed by his son, Caracalla, around 216 A.D.  For the Romans public baths were an integral part of their lives.  Not only were they used for bathing but they were an important component of Roman social life.

The Baths of Caracalla were built on an enormous scale and were the second largest public baths after those constructed by Diocletian.  (The Baths of Diocletian were converted into “The Church with the Hole in It” – see previous post.)  The complex covered more than 27 acres.  The pools alone could hold more than 1,600 people at the same time.

The buildings included an olympic size swimming pool, a cold pool, tepid pool, a hot pool, dressing rooms, gyms, libraries, theaters and gardens.  The walls were decorated with marble and frescos.  The buildings contained hundreds of marble and bronze statues and the floors were made of intricate mosaics.

(Mosaic floor for one of the pools.  Imagine how it would have looked underwater.)

The site was in full operation until the 6th century.  Remnants of the mosaic flooring can be seen as well as the olympic size swimming pool.  The rest of the complex is mostly ruin.

(The gardens with the ruins in the background)

Some of the underground portion of the complex has been excavated and it is open to the public.  It consists mostly of enormous tunnels with vaulted ceilings that are several stories high and were wide enough for several wagon loads of supples at a time.

The tunnels ran the entire length of the complex.  They were used to bring in wagonloads of firewood to heat the pools.  They also contained the pipes that carried the water for the pools and fountains and they allowed all areas of the complex to be serviced.  A new aqueduct was built in order to supply the complex with enough water for all of its needs.

(One of the underground tunnels.  They’re much larger than this picture would suggest.)

 

 

Tuesday, November 14

Yes, we already posted about this date but we forgot one of the best things we’ve done since we’ve been in Rome.  We went to the Galleria Doria Pamphilj.  The Pamphilj family came into prominence when Giovanni Battista Pamphilj ascended as Pope Innocent X in 1644.  In those days the Pope was also King.  This brought enormous wealth and prestige to the family.  Since that time they have acquired numerous Villas and works of art.  Some of their art collection is housed in the Doria Pamphilj Palazzo in Rome.  The Palazzo itself it beautifully decorated with rare furniture, historical artifacts and frescos.  They posses innumerable paintings spanning from the Byzantine era to the 19th century.  The collection includes Bruegel, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Velazquez and much more.  It is an impressive and overwhelming collection.  We strongly recommend using the audio guide (it’s free).  It was the best we’ve ever used.

We didn’t take any pictures; we were too overwhelmed.

Wednesday, November 15

First thing on Wednesday we went to the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.  This is one of the National Museums.  Most of the National Museums/Galleries are hosted in Palazzos that were formerly in private hands.  One ticket is good for all four museums but it must be used within three days.  So, we went to two museums that day!

The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme has a wonderful collection of mosaics and frescos salvaged from ancient homes.

(The atrium of this villa had garden scene frescos on all four walls)

We also went to Museo Nazionale Romano Terme Di Diocleziano.  The museum contained a number of old sculptures that were in mediocre condition.  We really enjoyed the garden in the courtyard which contained a number of animal statues.

(The Cardinal who owned the villa collected animal statues for the garden)

Our favorite visit that day was to Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (or as we call it, “The Church With a Hole In It”).

The church was built on the site of ruins of the Baths of Diocletian.  The church actually uses the 2,000 year old baths as part of its structure.  The initial design was done by Michaelangelo but has been modified many times over the years.

In the 18th century Pope Clement XI commissioned a meridian line to be built inside the church.  It was actually a double meridian that would tell both the time of day and the positions of the constellations.  The stated intention for the meridian line was to check the accuracy of the calendar.  It was also to compete with Bologna, who had a similar meridian line in one of their churches.

According to the church museum there were supposed to be two holes in the church that would allow sunlight to illuminate the meridian at noon.  We searched and searched and were only able to find one hole.  No one we asked knew anything about the second hole.  We’ve been loosing sleep over this one so I guess we’ll have to do some more research and go back and look again.  We’re determined not to fail in this quest.

(The beginning of the meridian)

(The sunlight comes in from the hole in the wall)

Thursday, November 16

On Thursday we went to a private museum: Palazzo Corsini.  We were looking forward to seeing their Caravaggios; they were on loan to an exhibit in Milan.

The rest of the collection held only moderate interest for us.