The final stop on our Italy trip was Rome where we spent three nights and two full days. And they were very full days!
After dinner on our first night in Rome Father Jamie told our group that he had an adventure planned for whoever wanted to go. The only thing he told us about the adventure was that we needed to be willing to spend $15 on a drink. Now Father Jamie is a night owl so Tom and I were a little concerned that he would keep us out past our bedtime. But we also figured that since we only had a few more days left in Italy we could manage those days with a little less sleep. And the adventure turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. After meeting in the hotel lobby our adventurous group walked a few blocks to the taxi stand and Father Jamie helped us secure a ride to our destination - a rooftop bar with absolutely spectacular views of the Vatican at night. Definitely worth every penny and a few less winks.
The next morning we loaded the bus for a daytime tour of St. Peter’s Basilica as well as the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. We had Mass in the crypt of the Basilica and then met our guide for a tour of the museums where we saw amazing artwork in the forms of marble statues, tapestries, travertine floors, and frescoes. I was a little disappointed in our tour of St. Peter’s Basilica because the gorgeous altar was completely covered with scaffolding as they are preparing for the 2025 Jubilee.
But we did get to see the amazing Pieta by Michelangelo
as well as the statue of St. Peter. Forty years ago I was able to touch the right foot of the statue but they no longer allow visitors to do that as the toes have been so worn down.
Our next stop was the Catacombs of St. Callixtus where 500,000 people have been buried in four underground levels. We went as far down as the second level where we travelled through narrow walkways amongst the burial plots. It was definitely a place where you didn’t want to get lost or even go if you were the least bit claustrophobic.
Our final stop of the day was at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. It is a beautiful church that was founded by the Emperor Constantine over the burial site of the apostle Paul who was executed outside of the walls of Rome. One interesting feature of the church are the pictures of all of the Popes that are placed close to the ceiling.
On our final day in Rome we had the choice of an audience with the Pope or visiting some other sights with our group. We opted to avoid the crowds at the Vatican and stay with our group as we would have had to navigate our way to the Vatican by ourselves and then try to meet up with them later in the day. Our first stop was at the Church of St. John Lateran which is known as the cathedral of Rome. It features huge statues, a gorgeous gold-leaf ceiling, the relics of Sts. Peter and Paul, and a wooden frame made from the table of the Last Supper.
Next we went to the building that houses the Holy Stairs. These are the stairs on which Jesus walked when he was going to meet Pontius Pilate. They were brought to Rome by Emperor Constantine’s mother, St. Helena. The only way to go up the 28 stairs is on your knees and offer a prayer on each step. Tom chose to do this but I instead walked up the stairs that flank the original ones.
Then we toured the Church of St. Pudenzia and the Basilica of St. Mary Maggiore. On our way to St. Mary Maggiore I finally saw a quilt store! Unfortunately we were in the bus and not able to stop. I would have loved to purchase some Italian fabric. Maybe on our next trip!
Our final stop was at the Church of St. Clemente. This was an interesting church as it was built on top of two layers of Ancient Rome where we saw medieval frescoes and Roman columns.
The floors in this church were beautiful - like many that we saw in Italy - as they reminded me of quilting patterns.
After this last day in Rome we finally felt like we were ready to go home. Good timing on our part! It was a wonderful trip where we saw 34 churches, ate lots of great Italian food, drank a lot of Italian wine, and travelled with people who have become our good friends. We can’t wait for our next trip!
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