Giorno 2: Lunedi, 19 Novembre
An Antipasti Platter of Roman History
"We'll start to peel away the jumbled layers of this fascinating city, learning about Rome as Italy's political capital, the capital of Catholicism, and the center of the ancient world. "
- Rome In Seven Days Itinerary, www.ricksteves.com
Day 2 begins....The first full day of the tour was a remarkable sampler platter of the history of Rome. We began at the Church of St. Peter-In-Chains, which looks quite plain outside, but inside contains Michelangelo's beautiful figures intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II, who has fascinated me ever since I read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" when I was in high school. (It's also a great movie!) The tomb features, at left, a figure which appears to be holding a can of spray paint. St. Taggus, patron saint of graffiti artists?
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Out along the Appian Way.From the church, we headed out of the city center to the catacombs of St. Sebastiano. The church above the catacombs contains some beautiful artwork, including a Bernini. The catacombs were very touching. One plaque marked the tomb of a child. The parents listed the exact years, months, and days she was with them. Another tomb, closer to the surface (which meant it was actually older) was the resting place of a Roman pagan, surrounded by the remains of his freed slaves. Our guide said it was not unusual for childless Romans to free and adopt particularly valued slaves, and create a family in this way. The top room was a dining room, used by early Christians to celebrate and remember their departed friends. Hey! I know this one! This is Dia de los Muertos! After, we walked along the ancient Appian Way.
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Heading back toward the city center, we visited St. Paul's Outside The Walls. I found this church very aesthetically pleasing, with clean, geometric lines, and sharp contrast between the brilliant white of the interior and the highly saturated blues and golds of the mosaics.
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After a tasty lunch at the cafeteria, we boarded the bus for the trip back into Rome. We passed through the E.U.R. While I can't say that I'm sorry I saw it, the view through the bus window was plenty.
We stopped at the Circus Maximus (left), the ancient Roman equivalent of NASCAR. It's still in use, as a prime place to let your dog spend some energy playing fetch! After a short rest back at the hotel, we accompanied Ben and some of the group to the Pantheon. Yes, we'd been there the day before, but you can never get enough of the Pantheon. We also explored the Gothic Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. |