ITALY 2023 : 9/19/2023 ROME: Mercure Roma Centro Colosseo, breakfast Cafe MeMe, Ponte Sant 'Angelo, Castel Sant 'Angelo, St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, dinner rooftop terrace of our hotel

Today will be a long day for us. I hope we're up to it. Wish our legs were 10 years younger!

First stop is breakfast. Taxi from our hotel to Cafe MeMe. Cost 17.20€/$18.41. It's 9:20 am when we arrive at the restaurant. I found this place on line. Read the reviews, looked at pictures. Liked what I read and saw. Hoping it reminds us of breakfast back home. Can sit outside or inside. We sit inside. Encouraging sounding items on the menu. Drinks-cappuccinos for us both. I order the basic-scrambled eggs with cheddar cheese, bacon, toast. Richard orders bagel Atlantico-smoked salmon with stracciatella cheese and arugula. We both loved what we ordered. My scrambled eggs weren't mushy/runny. My bacon was crisp. Wish this place was closer to us. Cost 22€/$23.54. This place was perfect. Great food, great service. We are given directions by the MeMe staff as to where to get a taxi. We walk for a bit and then are able to get a taxi to take us to Castel Sant 'Angelo. The driver lets us off by the bridge at 10:30 am. Cost ??

Bagel Atlantico-smoked salmon, cheese, and arugula

Basic-scrambled eggs with cheese, bacon, and toast

Cappuccino

Walking to get a taxi

Taxi from breakfast area to Castel Sant 'Angelo

Approaching Ponte Sant 'Angelo

Ponte Sant 'Angelo. Originally the Aelian Bridge/Pons Aelius. This bridge will take us right to Castel Sant 'Angelo but first I want to really look at this bridge. Roman bridge completed in 134 AD by Emperor Hadrian. It spans the Tiber from the city center to his newly constructed mausoleum back then which is now the Castel Sant 'Angelo. Travertine marble and 5 arches-3 of which are Roman. Bridge is pedestrian only. There are several angel statues on this bridge. Statues of St. Peter and St. Paul. The 10 angel statues-5 on each side of the bridge-were all designed/sculpted by Lorenzo Bernini. Each angel carries an emblem of Jesus' death and suffering. Angel carrying the Column-represents the pillar to which Christ was chained while being whipped. Inscription "My throne is upon a column". Angel carrying the scourge/whip. Used by Romans to torment Jesus. Inscription "I'm ready for the scourge". Angel carrying the crown of thorns. Placed on Christ's head. Inscription "The thorn is fastened upon me". Angel carrying the sudarium/displaying Veronica's veil which was left with an impression of Jesus' face after it was used to wipe the sweat and blood from his face as he carried the cross to his crucifixion. Inscription"Look upon the face of your Christ". Also look at the base which was dented by a canonball discharged during the papal defense of the Vatican in 1870. Angel carrying the garment and dice. Represents the moment when Roman soldiers cast dice to determine who would receive Christ's seamless robe. Dice are held by the angel in the piece of cloth she clutches between her hands. Inscription "For my clothing they cast lots". Angel carrying the nails. Nail used to stake Christ to the cross. Inscription "They will look upon me whom they have pierced". Angel carrying the cross-represents the cross that Christ was forced to carry through Jerusalem before being crucified. Inscription "Dominion rests on his shoulders". Angel carrying the superscription reads INRI which stands for Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews. Inscription "God has reigned from the tree"-referring to the wood of the cross. Angel carrying the sponge. Per gospels of Matthew and Mark one of the soldiers who crucified Jesus placed a sponge smeared in vinegar on a stick and pressed it to Jesus' lips right before he died. Expression on angel-sorrow. Inscription "They gave me vinegar to drink". Angel carrying the lance. Weapon that Roman soldiers used to pierce Jesus' side, piercing his chest and confirming his death before lowering him off the cross. Inscription"You have ravished my heart". Fascinating.

St. Peter-holding a book

St. Paul-Holding a broken sword and a book

Angel with the Whips

Angel with the Crown of Thorns

Angel with the Sudarium (Veronica's Veil)

Angel with the column

Angel with the Garment and Dice

Angel with the Nails

Angel with the Superscription

Angel with the Cross

Angel with the Sponge

Angel with the Lance

Castel Sant 'Angelo. Has served as a fortress, palace, and prison. Originally built as a mausoleum for Roman emperor Hadrian. Completed in 139 AD. The tomb was built on the bank of the River Tiber and his ashes were placed there a year after his death. Current name due to vision had by Pope Gregory the Great in the 590s. Archangel Michael sheathing his sword over the castle signifying the end of the plague. Passetto di Borgo is an elevated corridor that links the Castel Sant 'Angelo with Vatican city. Escape route for Popes in case of an attack. Currently a museum with many works of art, statues, frescoes. On the roof is the sculpture of Archangel Michael. Admission 26€/$27.82 for both of us. You get a pamphlet that is very helpful. I didn't pre book tickets and when we arrived the line was very long. Hot sun beating down-no shade. In line for at least 30 minutes. Recommend getting tickets ahead of your visit based on our experience. I don't know what happened as I don't have many pictures. Were we following the suggested route in the pamphlet? What I remember is that it was a very hot day and we were both having issues with our legs which may have limited what we saw/where we visited in the Castel. Reading the pamphlet after the fact I am disappointed that we missed out on seeing things mentioned in the pamphlet. I can only think maybe we were just too hot to really appreciate this.

Admission tickets

Information pamphlet

Line waiting to get in

Fountain of the Bees

View

Looking down-Ponte Sant 'Angelo

Archangel Michael

Helical ramp-level 0

Angel's Courtyard-level 1

View-level 2

St. Peter's Square. Large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave of Rome. Named after Saint Peter an apostle of Jesus whom Catholics consider to be the first Pope. Built at the site where St. Peter was killed. Dimensions 320 meters long and 240 meters wide-one of the largest and most beautiful squares in the world. At the center of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk erected at this current site in 1586. Bernini designed the square almost 100 years later including massive Doric colonnades, 4 columns deep, saying these are "the motherly arms of the church" which he wanted to embrace the faithful and bring people back to the church. Above the columns there are 140 statues of saints created in 1670 by disciples of Bernini. A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675. Another here was built first by Carlo Maderno. The square plays host to several religious events. At the front is a balcony where the Pope stands. As he stands he is level with the saints that line the top of the piazza's colonnade. Papal blessings can be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people.

Walking now to St. Peter's Square

Egyptian obelisk erected 1586

Egyptian obelisk

Fountain

St. Peter's Basilica. Located in Vatican City. Center of the Roman Catholic faith. Pilgrims come from all over the world. Italian Renaissance and Baroque. Michelangelo's dome. Initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the aging St. Peter's Basilica which was built in the 4th century by Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Many architects of which were Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Carlo Maderno........... Regarded as one of the holiest shrines. Tradition states that this is the burial site of Saint Peter who was chief among Jesus's apostles and also the first bishop of Rome. His tomb is supposedly directly below the high altar of the basilica-Altar of Confession. Facade-columns, statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. One of the decorated bronze doors leading from the entrance hall is the Holy Door opened only during jubilees. Majestic dome. Several chapels surrounding the dome. Interior decorated with marble, reliefs, architectural sculpture, and gilding. Many tombs of popes and other notable people. Michelangelo's Pieta. The canopy over the Papal Altar designed by Bernini-bronze, inspiration from baldachin/canopy carried above the head of the pope in processions, 4 twisted barley shape columns of bronze decorated with laurel leaves and bees which were the emblem of Pope Urban who commissioned the work. I could go on and on but you get the idea. This is one very important church! We are in a very, very, very long line. Have to go through security. It's so hot. While Richard's in line I drink some water from the fountains and splash some on my face. I thought by this time of day-almost 2:30 pm-the line would have been short. We are going to do the dome but will use the elevator which takes us up but not all the way. I think we'll do that first. We spend over 2 hours here and I wish we had had more time as I feel that I missed so much of what I wanted to see inside the Basilica. Before leaving I had to go to pick up our tickets for the papal audience tomorrow 9/20. I got a bit confused where to go and one of the Swiss guards showed me the correct door. I showed my approval letter (months ago I had requested this) and received my tickets. I'm all set!

Colonnade of saints

Think this is St. Nilammon

Think this is St. Marinus

Seats for ticket holders papal audience on 9/20

Finally we get through security and explore the portico/atrium. The portico has 5 large entrances from the piazza and 5 corresponding doors leading into the Basilica. There are statues of Constantine and Charlemagne. Ceiling is decorated with stuccos of scenes from the life of St. Peter.

Swiss guards

Equestrian statue of Charlemagne

Dome. We take the elevator. Cost for both of us 20€/$21.40. Doesn't take us to the very top. You have to climb many more stairs to get to the very top. It's difficult to see the artistry of the dome-all the mosaics-due to the black metal fencing that goes all the way around. I decide to climb the 200+ stairs to the top. Richard will wait here for me. When I get to the top I'm a bit disappointed as there is protective fencing so views weren't what I expected.

Getting on the elevator

Now we will enjoy the Basilica. Of course there's a big crowd viewing the Pieta. Michelangelo was only 24 when he did this famous religious sculpture and it's the only one he ever signed. Spiritual and Christian view of suffering. Virgin with the dead Christ in her arms. Her face shows sweetness, serenity, and acceptance of this sorrow along with her faith. Michelangelo did receive criticism for showing the Virgin Mary as too young. She would have been around 45-50 years old when he died. He said he did this on purpose because in his mind the effects of time could not mar the virginal features of this most blessed of women. I'm disappointed that it is set back so far and has that protective glass panel. When I first saw this it was at the NY City World Fair back when I was in college-think 1964 or 1965. Then you could get up close and personal to the state and really soak in what Michelangelo conveyed in this masterpiece. After an attack on the statue these current measures were taken to protect it from further harm. I don't feel the same emotion of overwhelming sadness like when I first saw this.

Since I've seen what is the most important for me I decide to explore the rest of the church. It's huge. Crowded. Bronze statue of St. Peter as he gives a blessing and preaches while holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Pilgrims who came to the Basilica would touch and kiss his foot praying that he be merciful and open the gates of heaven for them if they died during the pilgrimage. Look closely and you will see that the toes on his right foot are worn thin. There is so much to see. Mind boggling! Altars, statues, monuments............

Bronze statue of St. Peter

Monument to Leo XII

Altar of St. Sebastian

St. Longinus statue

St. Andrew statue

Altar of St. Jerome

Monument to Gregory XVI

Monument to Benedict XIV

Altar of St. Basil

Confessio. Carlo Maderno. Confession of faith by St. Peter which led to his martyrdom. Directly in front of the tomb of St. Peter. The semicircular space is located at the level of the grottoes which are accessed by a double staircase.

Papal Altar and Baldacchino. Next to the Confessio in the center of the Basilica is the high or papal altar known as the Altar of Confession. The altar was carved from a huge block of Greek marble and is set on an older altar. The altar is surmounted by the bronze baldacchino-Bernini's first work in the Basilica. Took him 9 years to complete from 1624 to 1633. Stands on 4 pedestals of marble-scattered with bees of the Barberini to whose family Pope Urban VII belonged. He had commissioned Bernini to make this canopy. It rests upon 4 twisted columns adorned with sprigs olive and bay with figures of cherubs. Fringes and tassels dangle from the top of the canopy. There is a dove-symbol of the Holy Spirit-in a burst of golden rays. Above are 4 angels with garlands and smaller angels support the Pope's emblems-the keys, the tiara, the book, and the sword. There's also a cross set on a golden globe.

Door of Death

Door of Good and Evil-right panel goodness

Door of Good and Evil-left panel evil

Holy Door

Seats for tomorrow's papal audience

We get a taxi that takes us back to our hotel. Along the way we see some sights. Dinner. We're tired. It's been a very long and difficult day for us. Our legs are hurting. Richard with his knee and me with my swelling. We have to be up super early tomorrow. We decide to just get something from the rooftop terrace bar at our hotel. Very limited menu. Drinks-beer, wine. No regular menu. You scan your phone and menu shows on your phone. I didn't think to take pictures of those images/menu. I get a penne pasta in a tomato based sauce. Richard gets huge meatballs. Side bowl of parmesan cheese. Bread basket. Cost 41€/$43.87.