The next day was beautiful in the port city of Civitivecchia, Italy. Chrissy and I were eating breakfast on the lido deck while the Captain finished docking the ship.
After breakfast, it was off to a full day of sightseeing in Rome. It's pretty easy to tell when you're getting close to Vatican City...
Of course, drivers aren't overly careful. When lanes were merging as we got closer to our turn, a delivery truck got a little close to the front passenger side of our bus and side swiped us. Only we bus passengers reacted, though our tour guide was brave enough to lean out the door in traffic to check the damage a little farther down the road. I promptly forgot about it and never looked as I was getting on and off. Apparently, it wasn't too bad, as I didn't notice anything, and I used the front door to get on and off.
Our first stop was Vatican City and St. Peter's Square. Coming out of the alleyway onto the street leading to the square, this was my first look at St. Peter's Square.
Okay. My second look. The first one has some random topless dude in red shorts covering up that little piece of the Colonnades on the left.
On the boat, they had indicated we should take our passports if we were going to Vatican City, but no matter how hard I looked, I was unable to find anyone to stamp my passport. Though, there was nobody there to stamp, though there were some Vatican police standing around the area where Vatican City begins.
The square is impressive. Bernini's students added the statues of the 144 saints above the Colonnades after his death. They are each 3.2 meters tall, so veritable giants of saints at over 10 feet tall.
On the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, 10 of the 12 apostles and John the Baptist flank Christ the Redeemer. The statues of Peter and Paul are stand-alone structures inside the square. It is interesting to note that Judas Iscariot is not one of these statues. He was replaced by the new apostle St. Matthias when Judas was kicked out of the club after selling out to the Roman soldiers. Matthias was voted in by the remaining apostles after Jesus was arrested and before the descent of the Holy Spirit.
If you look closely at that picture, you can see the statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. They're those tiny specks over the black squares on either side of the basilica. We didn't get over to St. Paul's side, but I did get a good shot of St. Peter. These two statues are also about 6 meters tall (the same height as the apostles on the facade of the basilica). They are on pedestals, but there are announcement screens in front of the pedestals.
Because the basilica was closing early the day we visited, the lines to enter were more enormous than normal, and we were not able to tour the interior.
The obelisk was moved from the site of Peter's crucifixion to the center of the square under the orders of Pope Sixtus V. It now functions as an hourglass around the square. Those open windows are the parts of the Pope's apartments from which he makes his weekly address.
While the Vatican and Italian police do most of the police work in the square, the Swiss Guard can be seen guarding the entrance to the barracks and presumably other locations where access to the Pope may be available. Historically, these were the best mercenaries money could buy. Now, their function is primarily ceremonial, though they are still tasked with the Pope's safety, like a papal secret service. On the day we were there, they were in their doublets and berets, so we didn't get the full effect of the uniforms. You could see some of the Medici finery peeking out under the doublets.
After wandering around the square, Chrissy and I took a break and had some gelato for a snack. It was heavenly!
After seeing St. Peter's Square, we got back on the bus where we drove past Castel Sant'Angelo, AKA The Hadrian Mausoleum,
the Ponte Sistus over the Tiber River, and
the Supreme Court building
before disembarking at Piazza Navona. The earliest history of this plaza was as a stadium for games, especially chariot races. Legend has it that Agnes of Rome (then 12 or 13) was dragged naked through this plaza to a brothel when she refused to marry any of several suitors. The legend says that every man who attempted to rape her during this fiasco was stricken blind. There are multiple versions of the martyrdom of Agnes, but it is believed she was killed in this plaza. While the church venerates her for protecting her chastity, I tend to praise her for attempting to protect her autonomy and to direct her own life instead of leading a life as a piece of chattel in a patriarchal society. But enough with my proselytizing. As time went on, three fountains were erected in the square. The Fountain of Neptune is in the north end of the plaza.
In the center of the plaza is Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers. I simply could not get a good picture of this fountain, with or without the entire obelisk in it, but it is a very imposing and beautiful fountain. But, then again, I am partial to Bernini works.
In the same general time period as Bernini was designing the Fountain of Four Rivers, Pope Innocent X ordered the design and construction of a church dedicated to Saint Agnes next to his family's palace. It was supposed to be their family chapel. The Pope hired his family's architect, Girolamo Rinaldi and his son, Carlos, to design and build it. However, father and son could not agree, and after significant arguments, Francesco Borromini was hired to actually complete the project. Several architects were hired and fired, and Carlos Rinaldi was ultimately the final architect on the church, though most of the work is attributed to Borromini. Saint Agnes was entombed at a different church outside the city walls, and a church was erected there in her honor. Most of her bones are still entombed in the catacombs of that church. Apparently, her skull was moved from there to this church. Pope Innocent has a modest tomb inside, as well. Unfortunately, time did not allow us to see the inside of this church, but the outside was beautiful. Disregard our guide's head.
Time also didn't allow us to travel to the south end of the piazza to see the Fontana del Moro. Instead, we turned west, toward the Italian Senate building with its pharmacy conveniently located right next door. (Remember that I'm walking on cobblestones in a CAM walker. I didn't get all the pictures I would have liked.)
Our destination in this walk was the Pantheon.
The Roman Pantheon is believed to have been completed during Hadrian's reign, perhaps as a private temple. Upon arrival of the Byzantines, Pope Boniface IV converted it into a church consecrated to St. Mary and the Martyrs, a use that continues today. It's one of the best preserved ancient buildings because it has been in continuous use (with that level of maintenance) since it was erected. It's a beautiful building. There is minimal lighting, as the hole in the center of the dome provides much natural light.
With an intentional hole in the roof, there must be a way to handle any precipitation that falls in that spot. Therefore, the granite floor has holes drilled in various places throughout the rotunda.
Multiple leaders and artists have been entombed here, including Raphael. I took some pictures and then sat in the pews to rest while listening to our guide, through the headphones provided to us. It was a nice rest. Here are some pictures.
When we left the Pantheon, we walked along many narrow cobbled streets lined with little shops and cafes. In one area, Geppetto/Pinocchio shops were common. We didn't stop, which was a good thing. I might have ended up with a wooden Pinocchio if we had.
We also passed by the remains of the Temple of Hadrian. These Corinthian columns have been incorporated into the building behind it to help preserve them.
We passed wider streets with multiple street performers, street artists, and others hawking their wares.
And we finally arrived at the Trevi Fountain, where we hung out for a period of time, including having lunch. If you can get down to the fountain itself, you are to throw three coins in the fountain. The first is to ensure your return to Rome, the second is for a new romance, and the third is for marriage. Of course, you must get down the steps to the fountain first. I didn't even try it with my boot.
Chrissy and I went back a little alley with one of our tour guides to a cafe recommended by her. As a group, our choices were limited, but the pizzas were delicious! On our way out, we passed a restaurant that boasted higher views of the fountain. That might be a better option if you're in good enough shape to climb stairs and aren't on a tight schedule. I took this opportunity to take an extra 800 mg of ibuprofen for my foot.
Our walk back to the bus was strenuous. It was a 30 minute walk, almost entirely uphill. I could have sworn I took some pictures on the way, but I have none. We passed Bernini's Fountain of the Bees, the wedding cake church, and the Spanish Steps that I can remember. The wedding cake and the Spanish Steps were in the distance, but we passed right by the Fountain of the Bees.
When we got back to the bus, we headed to the Colosseum. On the way, we passed by another Bernini fountain,
the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs, which was converted from the ruins of a Sicilian Bath house,
some random church that I thought was where Bernini was entombed, but I can't confirm as such because it doesn't like the one on Google, and
we finally turned the corner and saw the Colosseum.
The Colosseum was built over a lake made by Nero during the Flavian Dynasty using the spoils from the Siege of Jerusalem, including slaves. It was used for games in which gladiators fought animals, prisoners, and other gladiators to the death. It was badly damaged by fires, earthquakes, and other disasters, and was usually rebuilt or repaired after each. With the arrival of the Byantines and the fall of the Roman Empire, it was used for several things, including a cemetery, until it was fortified and converted to a castle in the 1200s. In the 1300s, it suffered major damage from an earthquake and was not repaired. Instead, the stones were taken for use to build churches and other buildings throughout the city. It was consecrated as a holy place where Christians had been martyred by Pope Benedict XIV. Though the Catholic church made multiple attempts at restoring it, Benito Mussolini was the one who fully excavated and reinforced it. Our tour didn't include skip the line tickets and the line was several hours long, so we only saw the exterior. There is a gate on the grounds, and the Palatine Hill overlooks the Colosseum. We did not go to the Palatine Hill, but many of the structures were visible from the grounds of the Colosseum.
After the last walk back to the bus, I needed a nap before heading back to the boat. I definitely appreciated those ice packs the hospital on the boat sold me, even though they only lasted about 50 minutes.
