Forced Smiles, Miles, and Cobblestone Tiles (Part 2)

Welcome back to part two of Forced Smiles, Miles, and Cobblestone Tiles. We appreciate you guys tuning back in for the last two days of our trip. It was definitely a wild and constant ride but we did have a lot fun. It's the people and the experiences that truly make a trip and we were lucky enough to have had both on our trip in Rome. 

Monday - November Sixth Two Thousand Seventeen
Monday was much more walking than was anticipated and the tour ran two hours over what it was expected to. We're not going to say that it wasn't fun but it took a toll on the morale of the entire group including the teachers. We visited where Julius Caesar was killed by his adopted son Brutus. As his son stabbed him he uttered the words "Et tu Brute," which in English mean even you Brutus. Caesar was shocked that even his son could be one of the masterminds that conspired to murder him. This spot is now a cat sanctuary where volunteers come and feed and take care of the cats that live there and people can come and talk to the volunteers if they would like to adopt any of them. 

THE VATICAN AND BRIDGE: There is a well varnished bridge full of statues and marble that you have to cross and other the other side of that bridge is Castel Sant-Angelo meaning the Castle of the Holy Angel. 

It used to be Emperor Adrian's Mosoleum. Today it is a museum where you can see the old papal ruins and the prison cells underneath. 

After a long walk down the main street the Vatican itself finally came into view and it is huge. While we waited in line Silvia talked about the Vatican. This church is dedicated to Saint Peter, the first Pope and one of the twelve apostles. The Lord told Peter "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church," and Peter became the head of the church because he recognized him as the Christ. 

Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter. His tomb and remains lie directly underneath the brilliant alter piece made entirely of bronze done by Bernini. To be a respected church you have to have relics and Peter's body is the highest of them all. The dome of this church is the tallest dome in the world. and the largest church in the world. The inspiration of the dome was the Pantheon in Rome and Brunelleschi's dome in Florence.

Michelangelo intentionally made the dome of the basilica 3 feet or so less wide than the Pantheon so that it could keep at least one record. 

Teusday - November Seventh Two Thousand Seventeen
It was a rainy day but not as bad as the weather reports were saying. The walk to the Pantheon wasn't bad we just made many stops in different churches on the way there. All of them were beautiful and intricate but you can get tired of experiencing churches. I think you end up losing the respect for religious presence since these churches become a sign of who had the most money at the time and who has the most power. 

THE PANTHEON: The first temple to stand in the spot of the The Pantheon was created by Marcus Agrippa. The emperor Adrian came and demolished it because he didn't think it was that great. He then designed a new one himself since he thought himself a talented designer and architect. He felt guilty about destroying the first temple so he engraved Agrippa's name onto the outer facade to give him the credit.

This is the only building that has survived in amazing condition because very early in history when Christianity began it was converted into a church. The structure is intact but the facade itself is lacking due to the Barberini Pope taking all of the bronze from the building in order to create the Bernini alter piece (the largest bronze sculpture in the world) in St. Peter's Basilica. The columns of the Pantheon are very rare because each one is a single slab instead of being created by circular segments like most columns. They came from Egypt.

The dome of the building is the most important part. It is hidden from the outside. Until Brunelleschi and Michelangelo built their domes, this was the largest dome in Europe. Both of them took inspiration from the Pantheon when they created their domes. The Pantheon is famous because the dome is intentionally unfinished. There is a large oculus (an eye) at the top of the dome meaning that it's open and that's the only source of light for the inside of the structure. There's no glass so when it rains or snows it gets inside the building but there is a decline in the ground where the rain falls and it leads to a drainage hole. It was also used in a way that they could measure the movements of the sun throughout the year. 

BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA SOPRA MINERVA: In English the name of the church is the Basilica of Saint Mary above Minerva.

 It is the church and convent of the Dominican Friars. While they were building the convent there was an ancient Egyptian obelisk buried in the garden. You have to report any relics you find. 

They told the Pope but also stated that they wanted it in front of their church and not to move it anywhere else. The Pope agreed and asked Bernini to create the monument for it. There are several theories as to why Bernini chose an elephant for the monument: 
- When Hannibal was trying to conquer Rome and he arrived with elephants that were carrying towers full of soldiers 
- The elephant in Christianity is a symbol for intelligence and patience
There is a Michelangelo statue of Christ inside the church that he made when he was younger. When he first sculpted it, Christ was completely naked. The Friars were upset because they didn't want a bare Christ. They commissioned an artist to create a bronze cloth that covered his nudity. There are also two other tombs which are the first two Medici popes (Leo the Tenth and Julio di Medici) who were cousins.There is also a very important relic inside the church which is the body of Saint Catherine of Sienna. The church has all parts of her body but the head. After she died her head was removed and taken to Sienna because her birth city wanted a physical piece of her. She is one of the most important saints ever because she is the first women who was a doctor of the church. 

All in all we'd say that it was a great trip to Rome and we're finally ready to take a moment and cool down and soak our feet. Until next time. To you, with love, from Rome.