Christian Rome

I saw dozens of churches in Italy.  I guess that isn't a very surprising announcement.  I saw churches that were "new," built in the 1600's, and others that were built before Columbus sailed the ocean blue - like, 300 years before.  Some churches were very humble, with crumbling frescoes that were almost washed away by time and room enough for no more than 100 people. Others were ornate, decorated with art and sculpture by masters recognized during their lifetimes and considered priceless today, enhanced with marble and gold leaf for their hundreds of parishioners to admire. It is amazing to me, regardless of the scale of the building and level of adornment, and I can't help but wonder how many prayers have been said, how many candles lit, how many tears have been shed, how many babies blessed, how many weddings...that's a whole lotta faith going on.

Santa Maria Della Vittoria - a lot of Roman Renaissance-era churches actually have a similar facade.  As opposed to a lot of Assisi's simple/more simple churches, Rome's are extremely ornate, this one being one of the most I saw.

the reason for the visit, Bernini's "Ecstasy of Saint Teresa"

Basilica of Sant'Agostino

"Madonna di Loreto" by Caravaggio

Rome trumps all with, of course, St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.  A grander, more jaw dropping Catholic house of worship can not be found.  It instantly draws your eyes up, and it is amazing how small one can feel in such a place.  After spending some time exploring the basilica, Ann and I took a Scavi tour, where we got to go underneath the St. Peter's to where it is believed St. Peter himself is buried.  There is actually a whole necropolis where pagans and early Christians were buried under there, and it was eerie walking along what used to be streets with above ground tombs that looked like home fronts.  Over time it was built upon, and then built up on again, creating layers of the Basilica, the lower chapels only available to the Pope and Cardinals (but which can be seen on this tour), as St. Peter's became the structure that it is today.  It is hot down there, most of it due to the visitors themselves.  Only small groups of no more than 14 are allowed at a time.  St. Peter's supposed tomb is actually extrememly unpretentious, and nothing has been done to set it apart.  The current Pope Francis is actually the only pope to have ever even been down to the necropolis.  The main altar of St. Peter's is built directly above the unmarked grave.  Of course, there is a whole story (see Wikipedia) of  how and why it is believed that this is the place Peter was buried, with archaeologists and historians involved in its verification.  But regardless if I or anyone else believe that Peter truly was buried there, it was a neat experience to see the "rock" that the Catholic church literally and figuratively built itself on.  

the wall surrounding Vatican City

passing through the wall and under the colonnade that leads to St. Peter's Square 

the fashion police - Literally, this is the modesty gate.  I saw people turned away.  I saw women with multiple scarves wrapped around them so they would pass the test.  I a family being escorted out, their little girl (maybe 7 or 8) bawling, because she was wearing a sun dress with spaghetti straps - the modesty clause applies to kids too.

Bernini's bronze Baldacchino and high altar of St. Peter's (directly over the tomb); this is about 1:30 pm

Michealangelo's "Pieta"

a mosaic of St. Peter holding the keys to the church

St. Peter

the high altar, also done by Bernini, called the "Throne of St. Peter"

another Bernini statue over an exit door

I talked to him...sort of

He actually came to Ann and me, with the help of the Italian  museum hottie on break.  I was too scared to walk through (everyone was staring and taking pictures of them), and "Only the penitent man will pass" kept running through my head

Yeah, talked to them too (we had to walk past them to get to the Scavi tour)

The Italian museum hottie.  Ann took this picture of him after asking him if he worked here.  He got this look on his face, tugged at the florescent vest, and gave her this "Would I be wearing this otherwise?" face.  We laughed and she took his picture.  Then he helped us with the Swiss Guard so we could figure out where to go for the tour (all I had was a confirmation email that said to go to the Excavations Office, but there were no signs indicating where that was.

The tour ended just underneath the Basilica at about 5:30 pm.  We could hear the organ playing for evening mass (that was cool), and we walked back in to see this:  the lowering sun beaming through the windows.  It was magnificent!  

the altar lit up for mass

this is from the very front entrance of the basilica