Live your life as time flies!

Day 2

Temperature: 30 °C

WHAT. A. DAY! Sooo much walking! So many amazing things seen!

I began the morning exploring around the hotel, meandering up and down the cobblestoned streets and stairs (so many stairs!). It was a beautiful day, with perfect blue skies and not a cloud to be seen! The sun was warm, and I may have even picked up some colour. Come on winter tan! You can do it! The city streets smelt of jasmine flowers and fresh fruit... basically it smelt like summer!

I’ve decided I absolutely love watching the traffic in Rome. Not only does it seem that road rules are only a suggestion, but parking rules as well. The term double parked is the norm here, with multiple cars parked behind angle parked cars. I must admit if I had a red car like the one in the photo, I would totally park it like that! I mean come on, it's within the lines and not obstructing traffic! Definitely legal.

 

The Vatican City wall was within a few minutes walk from the hotel. It was a formidable brick wall Cyprus trees over hanging it. After following the wall along the road, in what I hoped was the direction of Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square) I saw a water fountain. Rome has many fountains like this which bring up the spring water from the aqua reservoirs below the city. This water is safe to drink (you're basically buying it in the shops if you buy water) and is cold and refreshing. I must admit it is a bit odd filling up your water bottle from a water fountain on the Vatican Wall.

 

On the corner of the next street I spotted the columns of the Piazza San Pietro. It was just tucked down at the end of a street, no biggie. The beautiful white marble columns towered over everything. It wasn't until I got closer (and through the people spruiking their 'skip the line' tours) that I saw the line... It was insane! I had heard that people can wait about 4 hours to get into the Vatican, and like the naïve person I am, I thought that was just an exaggeration.... Well, I can tell you, IT'S NOT! This line went forever. It extended its way out of the Vatican building through the column walkway under the statues of saints and out into the entrance of the Piazza. It was crazy! Just meters and meters of people standing waiting to enter. Thankfully my tour includes a trip to the Vatican and the Vatican museum on Thursday, with skip the line privileges (THANK GOD!). I walked along the columns and out into the centre of the Piazza. It was magnificent to say the least. Although I am not a religious person, I must say it took my breath away and gave me goose bumps. It was definitely a sight to behold. I walked over the cobblestone pavement to the grand obelisk in the centre. From here I could take in every detail of the surrounding buildings and monuments. The architecture of the main building itself was amazing, with intricate details adorning the front façade, and statues standing on the roof that seemed to either be welcoming or guarding this sacred space.

There were so many religious people there too (yes, I know, duh! But I was still surprised) in their various uniforms. It was fantastic to see. Despite the huge line of people, snaking its way through the columns surrounding the piazza, and the couple of hundred or so people simply wandering through the centre, it was strangely peaceful. Unlike other monuments in Europe that I have visited the Vatican was quiet. It was as if everyone were whispering and silently taking in this magnificent place.

 After our Vatican visit in the sun, it was time to sample some of the local cuisine - Gelato. What better way to enjoy the Italian sun than by standing watching the tourists join the line for the Vatican tours eating a true Italian Gelato. These small gelato/ deli/ bottle shop venders are everywhere in Rome, especially near major landmarks. If you want to drink it, eat it or slurp it, they probably sell IT!

 

I then walked back following the Vatican wall, to the hotel for a short pit stop prior to heading off the meet my Crypts and Catacombs tour group at Piazza Barberini. I decided to get the train from Cipro (Musei Vaticani) station, the apparently 'close' station. Just follow the Vatican wall around to the other side of the Vatican and badda-bing, badda-boom you're there. Right? Wrong! Well, kind of. My map neglected to show elevation data. THANKS! My walk included stairs, a walk basically straight up a hill for what felt like 20minutes, and down the other side (which wasn't so bad). Surprisingly, I also kept feeling as though I was headed in the wrong direction, and with time constraints (I needed to be at Piazza Barberini at 2:15 to meet the group) the pressure started to build. Eventually I found the station, after asking a local and following them out of Roman suburbia to the subway station. After buying a daily ticket (€6) and boarding the train, I shortly arrive at Piazza Barberini. Unfortunately, the beautiful Fontana del Tritone was surrounded by large fences as it was being refurbished, but the Piazza was still nice. I found a quaint Pizzeria and had a light lunch (trying to avoid the inevitable Italian weight gain reported by everyone I know that has visited Italy!!!). It was lovely, with homemade bread and fantastic olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

At 2:15 I met my tour guide Barbara (pictured with Microphone) at the Fontana del Tritone, along with the rest of the tour group. Due to the sights visited on this tour being religious sights, no photography was allowed, and therefore I have no photos of the crypts or catacombs to show you. However I will do my best to describe them :)

Our first stop on the tour was across the road from the Piazza Barberini, the Crypts of Cappuccini. After a short but very informative discussion regarding the history of the Cuppuccini, we walked through the museum and down into the crypts. These amazing crypts have been decorated with human bones from Capuccin monks. Cappuccin monks are members of the Franciscan order of monks. This decorative method is thought to have originated in France and brought the to the Cappuccin monks by one of their brothers. The ornate decorations were fascinating and included clocks, archways, and full skeletons of monks still in their 'habit'. These bone decorations have not been moved since their installation. Today, this decorative design is illegal, and as such, if a bone is to fall from the walls or roof it can not be returned to its original location. It must be buried in the ground. Each room has a message to convey to those viewing it. The Cappuccin monk's message was clear - live life to the full as "time flies".

Our second stop on the tour was outside of the ancient city walls, La Catacomba Di San Callisto. Built in the early second century, located on Via Appia Antica, this is where early Christians would bury their dead. According to Barbara, people were not buried within the city, as Romans worried about decomposing bodies contaminating the underground water supply and the 'shadow people' (ghosts) that are brought out by the activities and movement of the living. Christians have buried millions of people in these catacombs, including 16 popes and many martyrs. Barbara explained that if the underground tunnels of the catacombs were put together it would connect Rome to Florence. The catacombs were named after the deacon Callixtus, who was commissioned in the third century to be the administrator for the cemetery. From this point onwards it became the official cemetery of the church of Rome.

Prior to heading underground, Barbara discussed the history of the secret symbols used by the Christians for communications as they were originally not able to openly profess their faith and would paint or carve the symbols in the catacombs. The main symbols seen in catacombs were the Good Shepard Praying (sheep on shoulders of Jesus- representing Christ the Saviour and the soul that he saved), the monogram of Christ (the first two Greek letters of the Greek word for Christ - Christos, woven together. Put on tombs to identify the dead as Christian) and the Fish (the epitome of the symbol of Christian faith. IXTHYC [fish in Greek, said Ichthus] which when arranged vertically represent the first letters of Iesus Christos Theou Uiòs Soter - Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour). Another symbol that I saw often when in the catacombs was the anchor, the symbol of salvation indicating that the soul had successfully reached the port of eternity. It was absolutely fascinating to hear the history behind the catacombs and these symbols used centuries ago.

The catacombs were used for burying the dead until the 5th century when the church returned to burying people exclusively above ground. When the Barbarians came to Rome, they destroyed many monuments and raided various places, including these tombs. However, unlike many other places in Rome, there were no valuable items in the catacombs, and the Barbarians started selling the bones of martyrs and popes to the church to make money. The popes of the late eighth and early ninth century ordered the removal of the relics from the tombs and relocated them within Rome, including under the Pantheon. After this, the catacombs were completely abandoned and overtime the entrances became hidden. In the last century the exploration of the catacombs was done by Giovanni Battista de Rossi who is considered the founder and father of Christian Archaeology.

 

Down below the ground the maze of catacomb tunnels is amazing. They are built from volcanic rock, which has solidified, creating what looks like concrete tunnels that run far beneath the ground. Along the walls of the tunnels and within the small crypts off the tunnels (for family plots) were empty rectangular holes, called Loculi. This is where people would be buried, sealed, ready to be resurrected and taken to the afterlife. It was eerie down in the cold, dimly lit tunnels. The only sound was that of the various tour groups discussing the crypts and the echoing footsteps through the tunnels. The architecture of the tunnels was incredible, considering the lack of excavation tools and that at the time people were only able to spend 15-20 minutes down there due to lack of oxygen. Some of the family burial crypts were decorated with colourful Christian symbols of Christ and the anchor. There were many small crypts along the walls. These were for children or babies. A sad fact of ancient times was the high rate of child mortality. This just reinforced the message of the Cappuccin monks. Life is short - LIVE IT!

 

The final stop on our tour was Basilica San Clemente. St Clemente, the third successor of St Peter in Rome, is considered a martyr, with fourth century accounts speaking of his forced labour in the mines near the Black Sea, and his missionary work there. This prompted Roman soldiers to bind him to an anchor and throw him into the Black Sea. Sometime later, it is said that the water receded on the 23rd of November, revealing a tomb built by angels from which his body was recovered and moved to the Basilica San Clemente.

Until the middle of the 19th century it was thought that the present day Basilica San Clemente was that mentioned in 392 AD, as a 'church in Rome [that] preserves the memory of Saint Clemente". However in 1857, Fr. Joseph Mullooly, then the Prior San Clemente, thought he heard running water under the Basillica floor. No one else could hear it. Mullooly, one night, couldn't sleep so went into the Basilica and began pulling up the marble floor. He uncovered not only the original, fourth century basilica directly underneath (which the current basilica was built as a replica), but also an even lower level containing the remains of a first century building. This building upon building is not uncommon in Rome. In ancient Rome, to build a new building where another one was, they simply imploded the building into the ground floor, covered the rubble with dirt and then built a new building on top of the old. Hence why people describe Rome as a "lasagne of history", with layer upon layer, upon layer.

Entering the present day Basilica you are hit with the beauty of the Basilica roof. A wooden roof decorated with gold paint glistened in the light from the stained glass windows high above the intricate green, red, yellow and white marble floor. The intricate paintings on the roof extend down the front wall, depicting Christ standing in the tree of life that has many branches extending out. Below this are the sheep, or Christ's followers. It was amazing how detailed the paintings were and how well they had stood the test of time. In the nave of this Basilica stood a great marble canopy over the tomb of Saint Clemente. This was brought up from the lower level Basilica, and a replica was taken down to replace it. Going down the stairs to the fourth century basilica was amazing. The original paintings depicting Saint Clemente's miracles in the nave of the church were still relatively intact, and vibrant. The basilica was exactly the same as the one above, however it had a strange feeling about it, being dimly lit by underground lights. We ventured further down, to about 50ft below ground level to the remains of a first century apartment building and Roman alleyway. The dark rooms of the house were still intact, and the brickwork was amazing. The floor was made of dirt, as it was above. It was here that the sound of running water was evident. In a small room off the alleyway was a river of cold, clear water. Barbara discussed how this was once used as a coin mint, and the spring water was used to cool and wash the freshly made coins. It was this water that Fr. Joseph Mullooly could hear from above.

Resurfacing from the first century building, through the fourth century basilica and back into the present day Basilica San Clemente makes you wonder what else lies beneath the bustling streets of Rome. It is a reminder of how young Australia and various other countries around the world are, and how amazing the history of this eternal city is, especially when you can walk an alley of first century Rome. To think a gladiator and ancient Romans may have walked exactly where I just did is amazing.

We made our way back to the Piazza Barberrini where our tour group dispersed, with a little more understanding of the history of this fascinating city. I took the train back to Cipro station. After another long walk up and down the hills of Rome I arrived, exhausted, at the hotel, ready for a carb hit! Bring on the PASTA! I had a Spritz aperitif at the bar (see picture) and then dined at the beautiful hotel restaurant on handmade red wine Tagliatelle sautéed in butter and pine nuts. All washed down with a glass of local red wine. Fantastic end to an amazing day!

Tomorrow will be free time for more exploring and then the welcome dinner for the Trafalgar tour! YAY!

 

M