Riding the Metro, Walking the Ancient Appian Way

Part of the church designed by Michaelangelo

The light which shines on the meridian on the winter solstice

The first visit today took us around the corner of our hotel where the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels has been constructed out of part of an ancient Roman bath. Portions of the church were designed by Michaelangelo. The entry is circular and crowned with a dome which reminds one of the dome of St. Peter's. 

Across the nave of the church is a meridian marked with a metal strip. High above there is a carving. The sun shines through an opening in this figure and illuminates the meridian at noon on the day of the winter solstice. It is an ancient time keeping device. I thought the church to be quite lovely.

The organ at St. Mary of the Angels

The altar and statue of St. Agnes

Our first trip out today took us farther from our hotel than we had traveled previously. Our goal was the Basilica of St. Agnes. It is here that the sheep are blessed whose wool is used to make the pallia that are given to archbishops in the Roman Church. It is the white, collar like thing with a lappet down the front and one down the back which has black crosses on it. 

The church is ancient and lovely with a very quiet atmosphere and a lovely garden at the entrance. One lady encountered on the street was very helpful in pointing us in the right direction. One of the problem encountered in Rome is that there are very few streets that run parallel with one another. Just when you think you’ve found the correct street there will be an intersection of four or five more streets going off in different directions. The signage is sketchy, sometimes on the buildings, sometimes on “street signs” as we would know them but most often, it seems, as nothing whatsoever. 

St. Agnes was found, visited, and then closed for the afternoon. Churches seem to be open in the morning, close for 4 hours in the afternoon and then open until 7 PM. Her relics are in the crypt. There are catacombs, but it was noon and we were headed to other catacombs.

A view across a green space in this crowded city

Our next destination was St. Lawrence. Two of us took the Metro part of the way, the third chose to walk. It was lovely in the shade when there was a breeze. The three of us met at a corner as we all were in a puzzle about which way to go. The church was discovered but it was after 12 so it was closed. We decided not to hang around until 4 and made other plans. 

Those plans included a trip to the Basilica of St. Sebastian and the nearby catacombs. We took the metro part of the way. Walked part of the way, took the bus part of the way and walked what I considered to be most of the way along the ancient Appian Way. This is one of the oldest roads in the world. It is still used by hundreds of autos who drive as if they are in a race. This would not be so bad if there were a sidewalk for those on foot. There is not. It is scary. We had to walk a long way because we got off the bus at the incorrect stop.

Bernini's Christ

We joined the English language tour 2 minutes before it began. The history of the catacombs was interesting. We were guided through several levels. The tour ended in the basilica which was a structure remodeled by the Borghese who had established the gallery in his home which we visited yesterday.

We boarded an available bus and were treated, accidentally, to quite a driving tour of Rome. Arriving finally at the place we determined to be most propitious we exited and then went off on foot to St. John before the Latin Gate. The church, which was supposed to be open, was not. The small octagonal structure which legend tells us was where St. John was boiled in oil and, in spite of the pain suffered did not recant his faith.  

The Campanile of St. John

We made our way wearily to the closest Metro stop and headed for our hotel stopping on the way for dinner and a very necessary gelato. Tomorrow we join the rest of the tour sponsored by Christ in the Desert Monastery in New Mexico.

A garden at St. Mary of the Angels

A portion of the ancient walls of Rome