Rome Stories and Traditions

Monday, November 8. A cloudy, rainy day today! We had our fourth Rome Stories and Traditions class this morning - the topic, “Secular Culture.” After taking the train into Rome we took the bus to the Pantheon. How do you describe it? Pictures do not do justice to the magnificence of the dome and oculus (especially with the rain falling inside, luckily it had slowed to a light mist when we were there). Seeing Raphael’s tomb and the guarded alter of Vittorio Emanuele II (the first King of united Italy) in the first Christianized pagan building in the city was interesting. On the walk we passed the modern Senate and State Archives, as well as many piazzas, which were not too crowded today due to the weather. We then went to the Piazza Navona, once the site of the Stadium of Domitian (a huge athletic arena) and now a

Oculus in center of dome of the Pantheon - I wish you could see the rain drops



Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers in the Piazza Navona



My espresso cup souvenir from the Caffe Sant Eustachio



showpiece of 17^th Baroque architecture with Bernini’s “Fountain of the Four Rivers” in the middle. We finished the day with an espresso from the Caffe Sant Eustachio (est. 1938). The coffee is made with water still carried in by an ancient Roman aqueduct. For those who were not as in awe of this fact as I was – there was gelato across the street. In over three weeks I still have not tasted it – what am I waiting for?

Some of the students going up the Scala Santa



Doors on the San Giovanni Laterano - originally from the Forum




The quilter in me loves the floor of the San Giovanni Laterano



Inside the Santa Domitilla Catacombs



The only catacombs that have a subterranean basilica, a 4th century sunken church where the tour begins.



Last Monday (November 1) our class topic was “Rome as a City of Faith.” We visited the San Giovanni Laterano, the Santa Scala (some of the students went up on their knees), and the Santa Domitilla Catacombs (too cool! There are over nine miles of underground burials, and frescos from the 2^nd century). Check out the student blogs for their insightful reflections on the question of whether history bolsters or limits one faith.