Wednesday, July 6, 1983
I handed in my letter of resignation today at Kinderspital Wildermeth,
90 days before the end of October. (I was feeling shunned by the CP Station
staff.)
Found a four-leaf clover.
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| Four-leaf clover |
Thursday, July 7, 1983
Found another four-leaf clover.
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| Four-leaf clover |
Finished work at 16:00, showered, finished packing, then Marsha Cotter
and I left to walk down to the train station. After passing the stalls of the
monthly market along Nidaugasse, we stopped at McDonald’s for fish sandwiches.
When we arrived at the station, we asked about a one-way ticket to the border:
40 CHF/$20. So even at half-price, the day pass was a better deal to use. We
caught the 18:34 train to Bern, running into a sudden lightning and thunder
storm. Arrived in Bern at 19:00, and went straight to the train to Roma. Since
two French-speaking girls had our window seats, we took the aisle seats. We
were joined by an Italian-speaking man and his about 6-year old daughter. The
train left at 19:21. Our cute attendant took our half-price passes and our
Italian train passes. When we got to Brig, the customs officials came through.
Finally after leaving Domodossola in Italy, Marsha and I climbed to our top
bunks which were already made up. The little girl was whining because she
wanted the top bunk. I thought about giving her mine, but then decided she
might fall out. But later, the two girls in the middle bunks took the net bag
hanging over one of their bunks, and stretched it between the two like a safety
net. They tossed their jackets on it. I slept pretty well between stops, but
always seemed to wake up when the train was stopped. Once they turned off the
power to the cars, and it got really hot and stuffy without ventilation.
Friday, July 8, 1983
Got up at 7:00 and went to the First Class car lavatory to wash up,
since our lavatory was busy. The train was an hour late, arriving in Roma at
9:15. The station was as usual crowded. Security is tight these days, and we
finally found an open exit. Marsha Cotter and I marched straight past the
wandering men with hotel information, and out onto the hot and hazy streets. I
managed to find my way fairly directly to the YMCA in Piazza Indipendenza. The
receptionist finally found our reservation and he took my passport. We were
given the key to room 506. We went up to dump our things and use the bathroom.
Soft white toilet paper! We found the shower, too.
We walked out to Piazza dei Cinquecento where there were buses
everywhere, and no longer only green buses, as more than half were orange. We
looked all over for bus #64, and finally asked at the main ticket kiosk. We
were told, “Over there.” We went over there, and tried to buy two tickets,
since I figured the system had changed and it was no longer possible to buy
tickets on the bus. That is not always true, but better to be safe… We couldn’t
buy just two tickets because the guy didn’t have change, so we got 10 for 4,000
ITL/$2.60. One guy asked if he could buy a couple tickets from us and I was
able to give him 200 ITL change for a 1,000 ITL bill. Another guy wanted to buy
a couple tickets with 1,000 ITL, but I didn’t have any more change. Marsha just
gave him the tickets (about 50 cents worth!)! I had to go back because I forgot
to ask about the #64 bus, and this time it was over his shoulder. We finally
found it at the far end of the square. We boarded the bus and heard the driver
didn’t have change to sell tickets, so we were glad to already have ours.
We ended up standing near the center exit doors, and as people got off
the bus, I was pushed down into the stairwell. When the door folded open, it
squashed my bag. In holding the pole above me, my elbow stuck out in such a way
that it was aimed at a man’s crotch. He began rubbing against my elbow, so I
snatched my arm away. Another guy casually dropped his arm and let it swing
against my shoulder, then it got stuck there. He had plenty of elbow room. Am I
too American in wanting my personal space?
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| Roma bus ticket |
We passed the
Diocletian Baths ruins and the Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri Church.
Went around the Piazza de la Repubblica, then down the long Via Nazionale. The
Piazza Venezia had a lot of scaffolding and Mussolini’s balcony was hidden by
an exhibition banner. We continued along Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and crossed
over the Tiber River, which seems to have more water and is cleaner. All along
the lower quai were booths with red, white and green striped awnings on the stairs
down to the quai from the bridges; the Tevere/Tiber Expo. We circled
around Piazza San Pietro/St Peter’s Square ad were dropped off just
outside. We headed straight away around the walls to the right, passing under
the passage that connects the Castel Sant’Angelo to the Vatican, and an
entrance to the Vatican guarded by dark blue uniformed Swiss Guards. We arrived
at the entrance to the Musei Vaticani/Vatican Museums and purchased the
3,000 ITL/$2 entrance tickets.
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| Vatican Museums ticket |
We went into the courtyard to check the maps and
determine which letter tour we should follow for the mist complete tour. Tour D
was meant to take five hours and it was about 10:30 when we started. (It took
us about three hours.) First we were directed to the Egyptian Museum to see the
sarcophagi, including three of black basalt, and several mummies in varying
degrees of decay. Through the halls of statues and portraits, and a room of
roman copies of Greek statues. More mummy cases, then objects found in tombs,
including scarabs.
Next we directed
into the vast Cortile della Pigna/Courtyard of the Pine Cone, then back
in to the Galleria Chiaramonte, a long corridor with Roman copies of Greek
statue remnants. We found the Hygeia (goddess of health and cleanliness, i.e.,
hygiene), but no colossal head of Augustus. We entered the octagonal court of
Belvedere with the plaster copy of the Greek bronze of the Belvedere Apollo,
described as “plastic beauty with matchless delicacy.” Then on to the plaster
casting of the Laocoön group, of a
Trojan priest of Poseidon and his sons being attacked by sea serpents in
revenge by the gods.
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| Laocoön group |
Laocoön is the one who warned the Trojans about accepting the Trojan Horse from the Greeks. When the statue was found, Michelangelo was present when it was identified, and it is said his sculpture was greatly influenced by it, as well as by the Belvedere Torso. Across the court and back inside, we found the Belvedere Torso, a large sculpture fragment of a well-muscled nude male. We missed seeing the sculpture of Apoxyomenos, an athlete scraping the sweat off his arm.
(Marsha and I had both read “The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone, a biographical novel about Michelangelo. Our quest on this trip is to see the works of art mentioned in the book, especially the works of Michelangelo himself. We have already seen his Rebellious Slave and Dying Slave in the Louvre in Paris.)
We entered the Hall of the Animals with animal sculptures, and mosaics from the floor of Villa Adriana/Hadrian’s Villa. We noted the statue of Meleager with his hunting dog and the head of a boar. Next the Hall of Muses, more sculptures, and the Round Hall with a large mosaic on the floor of the battle between the Greeks and the Centaurs. There were also a large marble basin, a gilded statue of Hercules, and clingingly-draped goddesses. A smaller hall had two marble tomb-like sarcophagi, one believed for Constantine’s mother and the other for his daughter.
Up some stairs to the Hall of the Chariot to see the marble chariot and other sculptures including discus throwers. The Galleria of Candelabra held bits and pieces of sculptures. The Tapestry Gallery had tapestries made by the New School disciples of Raffaello/Raphael. The Map Gallery had maps of various regions of Italy painted on the walls.
Next the Raffaello Rooms, starting with the Stanza dell’Incendio/Room of the Fire, with its main painting being of the fire in the Borgo district, which was extinguished when Pope Leo IV made the Sign of the Cross. It was painted by pupils from Raffaello’s design. The paintings on the other walls were the Crowning of Charlemagne and the Victory of Pope Pius IV at Ostia, On the ceiling were Trinity frescoes by Perugino. Then the Stanza della Segnatura/Room of the Magistrate, which contains frescoes by Raffaello. The Dispute Over the Sacrament supposedly has Dante Alighieri, Girolamo Savonarola, and Donato Bramante somewhere in it! Across from it is the School of Athens, with philosophers hanging out in a place inspired by Bramante’s plans for St Peter’s. In the center, Plato (using da Vinci as the model) points to heaven and Aristotle points to earth. A figure reclining on the stairs is either Diogenes, and Heraclitus (Michelangelo as the model) is writing at a table/box. Raffaello was supposed to be third from the right in 3/4 profile (?) watching Euclid or Archimedes (Bramante as the model) doing geometry. The guy third from right was looking in the wrong direction. Raffaello also painted the poets in the Parnassus painting over the window.
The Stanza di Eliodoro/Room of Heliodorus was for the glorification of Pope Julius II, rich in color with more contrast. The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the temple recalls Julius II driving out the invaders of Italy. Julius is shown as a spectator sitting on a chair held by attendants. On the opposite wall is Attila fleeing from Leo I which represents Leo X driving out Louis XII. On the wall opposite the window is the Mass of Bolsena where Julius II is pictured kneeling to the right of the altar. This painting recalls the miracle of the Host where a priest doubted the transubstantiation and is then convinced when blood flows from the wafer. On the wall over the window was the amazing Deliverance of St Peter (a reminder of the future Leo X being captured by the French) with the effect of the four lights; two bright angels, the moon, and a torch. Finally the Sala di Costantino/Room of Contantine, which was painted by the students of Raffaello,with works depicting a victory of Constantine, Christ appearing to him in apparition, and his swearing fidelity to the Pope.
We were directed to the Cappella Niccolina to see the frescoes by Fra Angelico, representing the life of St Stephen in the upper areas, and the life of St Lawrence in the lower. We retraced our way through the Raphael Rooms, and went down to the Borgia Apartments, richly decorated especially the ceilings: Hall I with sibyls and prophets in lunettes by the school of Pinturicchio. Hall II with the Credo with prophets and apostles holding ribbons inscribed with the words of the Apostles Creed, after the design by Pinturicchio. Hall III of Liberal Arts with paintings by Antonio da Viterbo. Hall IV of the Saints, a Pinturicchio masterpiece. Hall V of the Mystery of Faith by Pinturicchio. Hall VI of the Popes by Perino del Vaga and Giovanni da Udine. These rooms included a few pieces of modern sculpture.
We hurried through the rooms of modern art to reach the Cappella Sistina/Sistine Chapel back upstairs. We entered from the wrong end as considered by Michelangelo. We entered on the altar side, and thus did not see the panels of creation in order from bodily servitude to heavenly release of the soul. The Sistine Chapel is where they hold the conclaves to elect a new Pope. If you face the altar, on the left wall are frescoes on the Life of Moses, Starting from the altar are 1) Journey of Moses into Egypt by Perugino, and also the Circumcision, 2) Moses and the Daughters of Jethro, or the Burning Bush by Sandro Botticelli, 3) The Crossing of the Red Sea/Defeat of the Pharoah by Biagio d’Antonio, 4) Destruction of the Golden Calf by Cosimo Roselli (Moses Delivering the Commandments), 5) Punishment of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (with the roman arch of Constantine in the background) by Sandro Botticelli, 6) The Death of Moses (giving the staff to Joshua) by Luca Signorelli. On the right wall from the altar we could see 1) The Baptism of Christ by Perugino, 2) The Temptations by Sandro Botticelli, 3) Calling of Peter and Andrew by Domenico Ghirlandaio, 4) The Sermon on the Mount by Cosimo Rosselli, (3 and 4 were behind scaffolding), 5) St Peter Receiving the Keys by Perugino, and 6) The Last Supper by Cosimo Rosselli.
And now for the masterpiece, the ceiling by Michelangelo of the Creation. Above the pillars are the huge figures of the sibyls and prophets. In the lunettes above the windows are the forefathers of Christ. Surrounding every other panel are nudes, or Michelangelo’s idea of angels. The ceiling panels are in order: 1) Drunkenness of Noah, 2) The Deluge, 3) Sacrifice of Noah, 4) Expulsion from Paradise (the serpent is female), 5) the Creation of Eve, 6) the Creation of Adam (God is a fatherly figure), 7) Separation of Land from Sea, 8) Creation of Sun and Moon, and 9) Separation of Light and Darkness. In the corner pendentives were 1) the Execution of Haman (left of altar), 2) the Brazen Serpent (right of altar), 3) Judith and Holofernes, and 4) David and Goliath.
Michelangelo’s other masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel is The Last Judgment on the wall behind the altar, wit the dead rising from the graves on the left, and on the right the damned are going to Hell where Charon awaits to ferry them across the River Styx. In the center, Christ the judge is surrounded by the Virgin Mary and saints. Bartholomew holds his flayed skin, the skin being Michelangelo’s self-portrait. In the bottom right corner is a figure with ass’s ears, wrapped by a snake, who is the figure of Minos and looks like Biagio da Cesena, the Pope’s master of ceremonies who did not like the nudes. Later Pope Pius IV ordered Daniele da Volterra to paint drapery to make the nudes modest. We stood a while over the cool air flowing up from floor vents, to try to take in the grandeur of the chapel.
Next we headed to the Vatican Library, passing through rooms with manuscripts, mostly closed cases, and some cases of early Christian artifacts (Aladdin’s lamps!). We saw gifts from several nations, including the large porcelain swans of peace from the U.S. There was a modern art exhibit in one side hall. We came out to where we had started and crossed over to the Pinacoteca/Picture Gallery. Room I: Byzantine and Primitives, II: Giotto di Bondone’s Stefaneschi triptych, III: Beato Angelico, IV: Melozzo da Forli, V: 15C including a Pietà by Giovanni Bellini (or Lucas Cranach the Elder?). VI: Polyptych collection, VII: Perugino, VIII: Raffaello Room including the Crowning of Mary, Madonna di Foligno, and the Transfiguration of which he painted the upper portion. There were also many tapestries woven on his designs. IX: Sketch of St Jerome by Leonardo da Vinci, X: Titiano’s Madonna dei Frari, XI: Girolamo Muziano, etc., XII: was supposed to have the Deposition by Caravaggio, but did not, XIII: Pietro da Cortona, etc., XIV: 17C Still Life collection, XV: Giuseppe Maria Crespi, etc., XVI: Triumph of Mars by Peter Paul Rubens, XVII: Portraits. We left the Pinacoteca before it closed at 13:45 and went to the cafeteria for something to eat. Got a plate with two pieces of chicken, and Marsha also got some watermelon.
Next we went to the New Wing to pass through the bits of classic sculpture. Most of the wing was closed. Stopped at the gift shop for postcards and wrote them out to mail them at the post office there. We caught the 14:10 bus to Piazza San Pietro/St Peter’s Square. It cost 1,000 ITL/65 cents but took us through the Vatican grounds past villas and gardens. They even have their own railroad station!
We were dropped off past some Swiss guards. We had to check them out, to see the uniforms designed by Michelangelo. I had read the Swiss Guards come from the Valais in Switzerland, but it is that they have contributed the most men over the years. We entered the square through the colonnade at the side, and we were too close to see the dome. We saw the Baroque façade of Basilica di San Pietro/St Peter’s Basilica with the grand stairway and the huge statues of Sts Peter and Paul guarding it. There are eight Corinthian columns and atop the balustrade are gigantic statue of the other apostles with St John the Baptist and Christ. The central balcony, the Loggia of Blessings, is used to announce a new Pope.
In the portico, opposite the main door, is a mosaic designed by Giotto di Bondone that was in the old basilica, showing St Peter walking in the sea. The central bronze door has Christ, Mary, and Sts Peter and Paul. To the left was the more modern Door of Death. We went to the right to enter through the Holy Door. The Holy Door (one each in the four basilicas of Roma) are only supposed to be opened every 25 years for the jubilee. But Pope John Paul II declared this the Holy Year of Redemption and had the Holy Doors opened. The doors themselves were nothing to look at, but people knelt and prayed before passing through, and kissed the doorframe. We felt fortunate to be able to pass through the Holy Door, too.
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| Basilica of St Peter Holy Door |
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| Michelangelo’s Pietà behind bulletproof glass |
The idea for a Pietà is Gothic or northern, and refers to the subject of Mary cradling Christ’s body after being taken down from the cross. Here Christ is sculptured in a classic manner, and Mary is shown as young and beautiful, which is Michelangelo’s idea of showing the soul rather then the physical. There was no spiral column next to it, but above was the fresco by Giovanni Lanfranco of the Triumph of the Cross.
Over the entrance to the next chapel was a statue of Pope Leo XII by Giuseppe de Fabris. Across from it was a monument to former Queen Christina of Sweden, who gave up the throne to convert to Catholicism. The next chapel had a mosaic of the Martyrdom of St Sebastian, after a painting by Domenichino. The supposed paintings over the altars were actually mosaics! We saw the tomb of Innocent XII with statues of Charity and Justice. The mausoleum of Countess Matilda of Canossa had a statue by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. We went into the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament to pray (it was only open for prayer), entering through the gate made by Francesco Borromini. On the altar was a bronze tabernacle, fashioned after the Bramante model of the Basilica, made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Behind the altar was the only painting in the Basilica, of the Trinity by Pietro da Cortona. On the right was a mosaic of Domenichino’s Ecstasy of St Francis.
Back out to continue down the right aisle of the Basilica, we saw the statue of Pope Gregory XIII, who reformed the calendar. Around the corner was the Cappella Gregoriana, the chapel designed by Michelangelo, but it was closed! Next there was the mosaic of the Mass of St Basil with the swooning emperor. In the right transept, we saw mosaics of St Wenceslas, the Martyrdom of Sts Processus and Martinianus, and the Martyrdom of St Erasmus. Around the next corner was an Antonio Canova sculpture of Pope Clement XIII with lions. Over the altar was a mosaic of St Peter walking on water, then a mosaic of St Michael the Archangel by Guido Reni. At the end of the aisle was supposedly the most beautiful mosaic of St Peter with St Petronilla, but it was very dark.
Going toward the apse on the left, first there was a mosaic of St Peter Resurrecting Tabitha. In the tribune is a giant bronze and gold fantasy of four saints holding the chair of St Peter, done by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It is said to hold the relic of the wooden chair of St Peter, inlaid with ivory. Above it is the stained glass window of the Holy Spirit, with bronze rays which we found to be typical of Bernini. To the right is a Bernini sculpture of Pope Urban VIII, and to the left is Guglielmo della Porta’s Paul III.
On the left side of the apse was a mosaic of St Peter Curing the Paralytic. Farther on is the tomb of Pope St Leo the Great, with a high relief of the Pope stopping Attila the Hun, while Sts Peter and Paul look on. On the far left wall is the Chapel of the Madonna della Colonna, with an image that is said to be painted on a column of the old basilica.
We headed up the left aisle, starting with Bernini’s tomb of Pope Alexander VII, which had an amazing marble drapery held up by skeletons. Across from it was a more modern mosaic of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In the left transept were mosaics of the Incredulity of St Thomas, Sts Martial and Valeria, and the Crucifixion of St Peter. In the passage to the left was a mosaic of the Lie, showing Ananias’s suffering after having lied to St Peter. Opposite was the mausoleum of Pope Pius VIII, through which you could go through the sacristy to the treasury. We thought to take a look at the sacristy, but it is blocked off. We continued along the aisle to see the mosaic of the Miracle of St Gregory (white chalice cloth holding sand is stained with the blood of saints). then the tomb of Pope Pius VII by Bertel Thorvaldsen. Across from it was a mosaic of the Transfiguration by Raffaello.
We stopped to look up at the mosaics in the cupola, in the dome designed by Michelangelo when he took over being the chief architect for the Basilica in 1546. The mosaics portrayed Old Testament scenes and the Evangelists. We walked across to the last pilaster on the right to see the bronze sculpture of St Peter, whose right foot (replaced at least once) is worn smooth by touches and kisses of the faithful.
Michelangelo’s dome is held by four great pillars with statues of saints in the niches, and with balconies above, all by Bernini. Under the cupola is the Baldacchino/grand canopy (that shelters the main altar), also made by Bernini, mostly of bronze from former roof of the Parthenon. It stands on spiraled columns with a host of angels or cupids. In front of the Baldacchino is the sunken Chapel of Confession, supposed site where St Peter confessed before being martyred. It was curtained off hiding the statue of Pope Pius VI by Antonio Canova. Around the railing are 89/95 lamps that burn day and night to illuminate the tomb of St Peter. We went behind the first right pillar to descend into the crypt, passing several chapels, both old and new, with tombs of the Popes. We passed the tomb of St Peter behind glass doors, then down a hall of tombs including that of Pope John Paul I. Down here we found Canova’s statue of Pope Pius VI. We also passed under a grating that looked straight up into the cupola. We overheard a tour guide say that Michelangelo was not only an artistic genius, but also a man of God in order to come up with such a grand monument. Marsha got goose bumps!
The crypt tour led us outside, so we had to walk around to the front of the Basilica and re-enter. This time we walked through the central door and noted the large red stone in the pavement marking the spot where Charlemagne was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor. In the central nave, you could better appreciate the colossal size of the Basilica, meant to hold very large crowds. Down the center aisle were gold stars in the floor with Latin names of the largest cathedrals in the world, to show their lengths fit inside this cathedral.
We returned to the front end of the left aisle to resume our tour. There was a monument to Pope Leo XI, who was Pope for only 27 days, and opposite was the tomb of Pope Innocent XI. The Cappella del Coro was closed. Next was the monument for Pope Pius X opposite the tomb of Pope Innocent VIII. The Chapel of the Presentation of the Virgin had a mosaic of Mary in the temple. Next a monument to Pope Benedict XV and a monument to Maria Clementina Sobieska, the wife of the Old Pretender James Stuart III. James himself has a monument done by Canova.
The Baptistery contained a font, which supposedly was once the sarcophagus cover of HRE (Holy Roman Empire) Emperor Otto II. The gilt bronze font cover was by Carlo Fontana.
We exited the Basilica into the Piazza San Pietro/St Peter’s Square.
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| Piazza di San Pietro/St Peter's Square |
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| Four rows of columns merge into one |
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| Marsha in the Piazza di San Pietro and the Basilica di San Pietro in the background |
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| Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi/Fountain of Four Rivers |
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| Sant'Agnese in Agone |
The third fountain in the square, Fontana del Moro/Moor’s Fountain (1575) has a statue of the Moor (1673) by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. It was covered by the paraphernalia of a traveling circus. The church was closed and had dirty hippies lying in the steps.
We went to the outdoor café of Tre Scalini and ordered the famous Gelato Tartufo dessert; a large portion of chocolate ice cream covering a maraschino cherry, with huge chocolate chucks in and on it, topped by whipped cream and a rolled pizzeta. Yum!
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| Tre Scalini on Piazza Navona |
We were also given a pitcher of water with glasses. We watched the drunks nearby, and the sidewalk artists.
We walked across the square to Palazzo Madama (1505), a Baroque palace once housing Princess Margaret of Austria, but now the Senate. Next to it was the church of San Luigi dei Francesi/St Louis of the French. Everything was written in French, since it was built for the French people living in Roma. Inside, the fifth chapel to the left, Cappella Contarelli, contained three Caravaggio canvases, the Calling of St Matthew, the Inspiration of St Matthew, and the Martyrdom of St Matthew. We put in 200 ITL/15 cents to have the light turned onto them. Especially the first was an enthralling drama of light where the figures create and move in their own spaces. We became instant Caravaggio fans!
Next we went to the Pantheon, the best preserved monument of ancient Roma.
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| Pantheon |
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| Piazza Minerva |
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| Nunmobile |
The church of Santa Maria sopra/above Minerva (1280) was still open, so we entered. It was built on the site of a temple to Minerva, with a Renaissance façade. Inside we saw only the ogival vaulting in Roma. In the fifth chapel on the right, we saw the Annunciation (1482) with gold background by Antoniazzo Romano. Two chapels farther was the tomb of Cardinal Juan Diego della Coca. At the right end of the transept was the Cappella Carafa with the Filippino Lippi frescoes, one of the Annunciation above the altar, and the Assumption on the rear wall. The right wall had Scenes from the Life of St Thomas, also by Lippi.
Beneath the high altar was the body of St Catherine of Siena who died in Roma. Her head, however, is in Siena. Behind glass was a clothed effigy of the saint. To the left of the high altar was a sculpture of the Risen Christ holding the cross, where he dominated the small cross and holds a reed with the sponge dipped in vinegar. It was started by Michelangelo, but he abandoned the project when a black inclusion emerged from the marble. Later, a bronze drape was placed over his privates.
Farther left behind a railing was the tomb of Fra Beato Angelico. We left the church through a back door to head to Sant’Ignazio di Loyola. The ceiling has a three-dimensional look. On the altar in the right transept was a marble high relief of the Glory of St Aloysius Gonzaga. Beneath are the remains of the saint in large urn of lapis lazuli. On the altar at the left end of the transept was a relief of the Annunciation, and San Giovanni Berchmans, another Jesuit student, who died young of fever, is in a matching urn. A disc in the middle of the floor of the apse indicates the spot from which one can best see the “cupola.” It is actually a flat canvas that makes the ceiling look like a dome with an opening in the top. It was hard to believe it wasn’t real, except that the “dome” angled a bit towards the back.
Next we headed to Piazza della Colonna to see the Palazzo Chigi, the Prime Minister’s Office. In the center was the column of Marcus Aurelius, being restored. You could only see the top part of the spiraling bas reliefs depicting his victories. At the top there is now a statue of St Paul. We continued to the Fontana di Trevi/Trevi Fountain, Roma’s largest fountain, climbing the wall of the adjacent palazzo.
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| Trevi Fountain |
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| Marsha tossing a coin into the Trevi Fountain |
We climbed to Piazza Quirinale for a hazy view over the city. This was the highest of the seven hills of Roma. In the center of the square, the statue of Dioscuri/twins, Castor and Pollux, was being restored. The twins are at the base of an obelisk, and they are referred to as the Horse Tamers. The Palazzo del Quirinale was built as a summer palace for the Pope, then the King of Italy. It is now the residence of the Italian president. It has a Renaissance façade with a portal by Bernini with reclining statues of Sts Peter and Paul.
We headed down Via del Quirinale to the church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini in an oval form with more décor than architecture. We recognized the bronze rays of Bernini with the stucco work of Antonio Raggi. Farther ahead, but closed, was the church of San Carlino by Francesco Borromini, which supposedly has the same size and area as one of the pillars in St Peter’s Basilica. This church was located at the intersection with a fountain at each corner.
We continued along Via XX Septembre to Piazza di San Bernardo. To the right was the round church of San Bernardo built in a round hall outside the Diocletian Baths. Across the street was Santa Susanna. Crossing the intersection on the left, we came to Santa Maria della Vittoria, where a Mass was in progress. Once it was over, we entered to see the second chapel on the right with a painting by Domenichino. In the fourth chapel on the left housed the marble group of St Theresa in Ecstasy by Bernini. The sculpture is said to show “sexual-religious rapture rarely achieved in the cold medium of marble.” It was backed by the characteristic bronze rays.
We went to the Piazza della Repubblica with its central Fontana delle Naiadi/Fountain of Nyads, and the semicircle of loggias/arcades.
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| Piazza della Repubblica |
Across from the arcade are the ruins of the Diocletian
Baths, where Michelangelo built the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri/of Angels and Martyrs in the ruins over the tepid baths. It was
closed, so we headed to Piazza dei Cinquecento with the memorial to 500
soldiers who fell in battle in Africa in 1887. Behind it was the modern train
station called Termini, in “Fascist” architectural style.
We returned to the YMCA to freshen up before
going out to eat. We walked down Via Magenta but I couldn’t find the pizzeria I
had twice eaten at on previous trips. Instead on the end corner, there was a
modern Ristorante Mino. We sat outside under the awning and Marsha ordered a
“jug” of red wine, plus we had two demi-liters of mineral water. I started with
vegetable soup and had spaghetti carbonara, which was salty because of the
smoked ham chunks in it. Marsha also had the carbonara and a mixed salad. The
waiter gleefully shook pepper onto our spaghetti! One tour group left the
restaurant, and another arrived about 22:30. A kid walking by nearly walked
into a post, and on his way back he almost did it again. It began raining a
bit. We paid the bill of 15.500 ITL/$10, and walked over to the train station
to check the schedule for trains to Spoleto and Assisi.
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| Ristorante Mino dinner bill |
We returned to the YMCA to go to bed. It was
very noisy. I was coughing until my throat was sore. I sucked on throat
lozenges and drank water to no avail. I finally took aspirin that knocked me
out.
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