Sunday, September 2
I had an awkward moment this morning. I thought on Tuesdays my Roman History class started at 9am, but it actually starts at 11am. So I got into class this morning & didn't see a handful of people I usually see in class. I checked my schedule & was like...oops. So here I am, writing a new blog post!
Sunday night I went to mass at a church in Rome called the Church of San Silvestro in Capite (http://sansilvestroincapite.com/).
"The Chiesa di San Silvestro lends its name to the square where it is located. The church is also known as 'in capite' because it boasts the head of Saint John the Baptist as a relic. The church has undergone various stages of restoration. The first took place at the beginning of the 13th century when the bell tower was added, and the next was between the 16th and 17th centuries when it assumed its present aspect. Other work was carried out during the later centuries. Famous names such as Maderno and Carlo Rainaldi contributed to this restoration work. The facade is richly decorated with capitals, pilaster strips, and an inscription. The facade also contains two huge statues. The church's interior is also interesting, and is entered through a portico rich in fragments of memorial stones and plaques. The Basilica is administered by the priests and brothers of the Irish Province of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate - The Pallottines (priests & brothers). This privilege was entrusted to the Pallottines by Pope Leo XIII in 1885."
Yes, I did see the head of John the Baptist. It was awesome. His head is in a glass lantern (pictures are on Facebook) that has gold edges, like book spines. The church was beautiful, very artistic. Everything on the wall, that wasn't glazed marble, was a painting.
After mass, we went for dinner at a little pub called Abbey Theatre (http://abbey-rome.com/). They have American food - burgers, fries, etc. But I'm not trying to eat American food in Rome unless I absolutely have to (because seriously, it's Italy). So I got an Italian inspired steak & salad with some potatoes. Not too shabby considering the rest of us were splitting pitchers of Guiness, Magners, and french fries - LOL.
Monday, September 3
We met on site for my Liturgical Art & Architecture class at La Piazza di San Pietro e La Citta` Vaticano (the Piazza of Saint Peter and Vatican City). Because we met there in the morning, we saw the whole piazza in sunlight & it was amazing. We're studying meanings & symbols to look for in different churches. We went into St. Peter's Basilica, which was breath-taking. I feel like I've done more in the week or so that I've been here than most Italians have done their whole lives. Everything was artistic. Security was tight, but I can't blame them.
First you go through metal detectors, then the "clothes police" stop you if your skirt is too short or your shoulders aren't covered. The sun was beating down on us while Dr. V was giving us the historical shpeal of the piazza. I've always seen picures of this place but it was different since I was there.
I have no idea what I liked most. I love Michelangelo's art, like the Pieta`. I did see it & it was beautiful, but there is an overwhelming amount of art in the basilica. The doors had pictures of saints carved on them. The domes & ceiling were completely covered in art of angels and heaven. There were tons of tourists - TONS. I would guess about 600 people were there. But St. Peter's is the biggest church in the world. I think the second is St. Patrick's in NY. We saw where the Pope lives, where the black & white smoke comes from, where the Sistine Chapel is (although we're going there in November I think), and so much more. The amount of information you could learn just from going to these places and studying its significance is unbelieveable.
After mass, we went for dinner at a little pub called Abbey Theatre (http://abbey-rome.com/). They have American food - burgers, fries, etc. But I'm not trying to eat American food in Rome unless I absolutely have to (because seriously, it's Italy). So I got an Italian inspired steak & salad with some potatoes. Not too shabby considering the rest of us were splitting pitchers of Guiness, Magners, and french fries - LOL.
Monday, September 3
We met on site for my Liturgical Art & Architecture class at La Piazza di San Pietro e La Citta` Vaticano (the Piazza of Saint Peter and Vatican City). Because we met there in the morning, we saw the whole piazza in sunlight & it was amazing. We're studying meanings & symbols to look for in different churches. We went into St. Peter's Basilica, which was breath-taking. I feel like I've done more in the week or so that I've been here than most Italians have done their whole lives. Everything was artistic. Security was tight, but I can't blame them.
First you go through metal detectors, then the "clothes police" stop you if your skirt is too short or your shoulders aren't covered. The sun was beating down on us while Dr. V was giving us the historical shpeal of the piazza. I've always seen picures of this place but it was different since I was there.
I have no idea what I liked most. I love Michelangelo's art, like the Pieta`. I did see it & it was beautiful, but there is an overwhelming amount of art in the basilica. The doors had pictures of saints carved on them. The domes & ceiling were completely covered in art of angels and heaven. There were tons of tourists - TONS. I would guess about 600 people were there. But St. Peter's is the biggest church in the world. I think the second is St. Patrick's in NY. We saw where the Pope lives, where the black & white smoke comes from, where the Sistine Chapel is (although we're going there in November I think), and so much more. The amount of information you could learn just from going to these places and studying its significance is unbelieveable.
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