Trip Report Assisi and Rome Italy 2024/ Part 2

I just checked his website. We will be in Assisi next May and the people we are traveling with are very religious and he would be perfect. I am going to reach out to him. Thank you for the trip report and recommendation.

Hoping this works.....this is link to my original post that covers Part I of my trip report....

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-italy-assisi-rome-nov-2024-part-1

Trip Report Continued/Part3

Church of San Damiano: Home - Sanctuary of San Damiano I LOVED this spot. Outside the city walls, this is where St. Clare founded the “Poor Clares” and lived most of her cloistered life. We saw the refectory (marked w/ where she sat to eat), the place where they recited the Divine Office, the room where she stayed (with a vent so she could hear the mass below when she was too ill to walk down), the room where all the sisters slept (her spot marked). This is where St. Clare is said to have stopped an approaching army by holding up a monstrance with the Eucharist inside. St. Francis stayed here when he was sick and wrote his Canticle of the Sun here. Back in the day, it was just the church in the middle of nowhere. Francis felt pulled to stop and visit. When he did, he heard the crucifix about the altar say “Francis, rebuild my Church”. Francis took this literally and started collecting stones to rebuild. He realized later that the message meant the Church Body. The cross here is a replica. The original is in a side area at St. Clare’s, but sitting in this tiny chapel area where St. Francis stopped to pray was very moving.

St. Mary of the Angels with the Porziuncola. . Papal Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Porziuncola - Visit Assisi The “port” is the tiny church inside this large basilica. It was actually just this little church which was overgrown w/ brush and in bad shape. After it was restored, it was given to Francis by the owners—the Benedictine monks. It became one of the most important places of the Franciscan Order. It is here where Francis died. The huge basilica was actually built around the tiny church years later.

From there, we took a lunch break at a restaurant Bret loved when he lived here, one that locals frequent. We loved it. It was very cool to see businessmen and families here at lunch. Many reading the paper, sipping wine…so different from U.S. We ate at La Tavola Rotonda . I would recommend La Tavola Rotonda Restaurant – Restaurant Pizzeria in Santa Maria degli Angeli

After lunch, Bret took us out to the small church which was the area where the lepers lived in Francis’s time. From where we were, you could look up and see Upper Assisi and imagine being shunned and literally forced out of your home. It is said that, before his conversion, Francis was repulsed by lepers. After his conversion, even more so than his experience with the talking crucifix, Francis felt close to the Lord when he cared for the lepers since he saw Jesus in each one. The church was closed but we looked around a bit. There is an old building there where Bret knows the nun who lives there with her order. She is an MD and, when he called her, learned she was not home. Oh well. That would have been cool to meet her. Church of Santa Maria Maddalena – Rivotorto di Assisi

We drove back up to Upper Assisi. As we were driving along the bottom, it was beautiful to look up and see the town. The olive trees are in bloom, and they look so beautiful. We left the car in the parking lot back near the ancient Roman wall where we started. It was very cool because, when they were doing renovations, they discovered ruins so now they are exposed so you can see them as you walk through.

San Rufino Church Home - Diocesan Museum and Crypt of San Rufino We walked back into town and went inside San Rufino Church. (we had seen this on our own yesterday, too). The baptismal font that was used when both Francis and Clare were baptized is here.
See Part 4 in comments....

Trip Report con'd. Part 4
Chiesa Nuova: Next, Brett took us the the “New Church”. Chiesa Nuova - Visit Assisi

This is near where, supposedly, Francis lived w/ his parents when he sold his father’s cloth to raise money to “rebuild my church” after his conversion. It is here that his father locked him in a room. There are statues of his mother and father outside this church, her w/ chains in her hand (she removed the chains and let Francis go free) and him with clothes over his shoulder (Francis took off his clothes when he renounced his father). Around the corner we stopped to see the “Porte della casa paterna” (door of the paternal house). There is a large creche here too, since St. Francis is said to have begun the tradition of using a nativity scene during Advent to remind believers about Christ’s birth. Just down the road was the Plateola Sancti Francisco. Made to very much resemble the stable where Jesus was born, this is said to be where Francis was born. Bret explained that the icon here almost elevates Francis to the level of Christ. I must say, that was one thing that sort of bothered me about such emphasis on Francis (and any of the Saints, really). They are good examples of leading a Christian life, but they are NOT Christ! There is a replica of the San Damiano cross here too. Beautiful little stop.

We said goodbye to Bret and walked down to the small church where Blessed Carlo Acutis’s casket is open for veneration.
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore – Sanctuary of the Spoliation - Visit Assisi The church is also known as the Sanctuary of Spoliation since at the piazza right near here, Francis is said to have stripped off his clothes in front of the bishop and his father and renounced his dad.

Ron headed back to our flat for a nap. I walked back up to town, snapping pictures of pretty doors and views on my way to St. Clare’s. The sky was lit up with the late setting sun and lots of people were mingling outside the church. There were not many in the church. I saw the original San Damiano Cross on the right side as you enter the church, in the Chapel of St. George and sat in there listening to the Poor Clares singing vespers. I went downstairs and saw the remains of St. Clare. There was NO ONE there. It was a beautiful area. I decided to come back w/ Ron to see the relics housed down here too. I facetimed w/ Julia (our 22 year old dd) outside with the gorgeous sunset in the background. It was great to chat with her and show her the view, knowing that she would recognize where I was (it was, after all, her chatting about Assisi that made me want to come here). It was a special afternoon on my own there and I loved sharing it with Julia who was genuinely thrilled for me.
The San Damiano Crucifix – Basilica di Santa Chiara in Assisi

Ron met me and we had dinner at a small place right up from St. Clare’s Church called Mangiar Divino. Mangiar Divino restaurant It was too chilly to sit outside (looked nice) so we ate inside the small restaurant. The waitress was adorable, but the food was not great. I would not recommend it.

Walked back home, enjoying the beautiful streets and marveling at how cars and trucks, in 2024, navigate roads built long before either cars or trucks were invented! It was a busy but very fun and interesting day.

See Part 5 in Comments.

Trip Report Cont/Part 5
Saturday 11/9/24
We “slept in” today and had breakfast at the same spot in the Piazza Commune. There was a Veteran’s Day parade and band in the square that we watched a bit of (we seem to run in to parades! In Berchesgaden, Germany we did last year, too).
We walked down the hill to St. Francis Basilica and saw his tomb. We sat in the main church, and I read the script from the Rick Steves audio tour aloud so we could learn about all the art on the walls, each one telling a story from St. Francis’s life. We realized later that the painting by Giotto of Pope Innocence III having a dream of St. Francis literally holding up a leaning church building is the original of the copy in our flat! We walked back, stopping at the Olive Wood Store where I got a lot of olive wood mini boards for gifts. We considered getting a taxi and returning to the hermitage to spend more time there, but we weren’t sure of the timing. Instead, we walked back down near St. Mary Major and went to the Jewish Memorial Museum. Bret had mentioned this place as a good stop if we had time. After visiting it, I would say one should MAKE time to see this. Tickets are sold at the little gift shop for $3 each. A young woman led us down an alley into the museum. You’d never notice it. Ron and I were the only ones there. Started with film (in English) all about how there were many people of Assisi who helped to hide (and get fake ID ration cards for) Jews from all over. Priests, nuns, townspeople, (printer who made the fake ration cards, biker who hid the paperwork in tubes of his bike etc). Also, a German officer who was a devout Catholic did much to help. As a physician, he pushed to have Assisi labelled as a “hospital city” so that it would not be bombed. They cared for German soldiers (hence the no bombing) but also saved the whole city from bombing. He turned a blind eye to the hiding of Jews. Very interesting. There were stories from Jewish children who had been hidden with their families here, remembering that they were not encouraged to convert but to practice their own faith. The whole thing made me feel better about humanity!

Museum of Memory - Visit Assisi Loved it.

We finished and walked down to see the convent where (we just learned) many were hidden from the Germans. It was closed to visitors (cloistered, could come back for vespers). While there, a procession playing “Make Me a Channel of your Peace” came by. It was quite something.

After our little side trip there, we went back up to our place, then further, to climb the stairs up to Rocca Maggiore. Julia had done this hike and highly recommended it. It did not disappoint. We climbed the stairs/path all the way up to the old castle that overlooks Assisi. There was a beautiful view.
Rocca Maggiore - Visit Assisi
We stopped on the way back down at a little outdoor bar/eatery with amazing views of Assisi and, in particular, San Rufino Church. It was late afternoon, and the sky w/ sunset colors was beautiful. Ron enjoyed a beer, me a tea, and both of us a treat while listening to the church bells ringing. I have since looked it up on TripAdvisor and it does not get the best reviews, but we enjoyed it. Older couple working there. Very nice to us and we loved the views.

BAR GIARDINO SAN LORENZO, Assisi - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

From here, we walked to St. Clare’s. I had seen the original San Damiano cross here the other day, but Ron hadn’t so we saw that. Then we went downstairs to the body of St. Clare (not really a body, it’s a mannequin over it----little strange). There were very interesting relics on this floor too, from both Clare and Francis, including clothing, cords used for robes, breviary of St. Francis etc…
Basilica of Saint Clare - Visit Assisi

See more in comments under Part 6

Trip Report Cont Part 6 --end of Assisi and on to Rome

Next stop was back to the Perna Alessandro Gallery of Art. We had stopped in the other day, but I wanted to figure out which prints of which sites we wanted. We were there for a good hour, but came out w/ 3 nice prints (one for Julia) from the artist Paolo Gramaldi (his brother runs the store). Also on Etsy. GALLERIA D'ARTE PERNA ALESSANDRO - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

We just wandered a bit from there and came upon a restaurant down a cool little street . It was called Il Menestrello Ristorante/Pizzaria. They asked if we had a reservation (we didn’t) but then proceeded to put us in a side room that we had all to ourselves! I said to Ron, it was like he rented the whole restaurant out for us! Slowly families started to come in (2 separate families had their dogs w/ them. Our meal, wine, and ambience were very nice. By the time we left, it was packed in the lobby. One area had glass “bricks” as the floor so you could see the old Roman floor below. I recommend this spot. We must have gotten lucky by happening upon it early. Packed when we left---definitely make a reservation.
Restaurant Pizzeria Il Menestrello

We came home and finished up the wine our host had gifted us. It was a very nice day.

Sunday 11/10/24
We finished our packing early this morning and walked to the Basilica of St. Francis for the 10 am English mass (you have to go down the outer stairs and through the gate (tell the gatekeeper you are there for the English mass). We got a bit mixed up when we arrived and followed a group of English speakers into a room.We figured we were in the right spot. The mass started, in English, but it was in a non-descript room with a small group of what appeared to be a tour group with their own priest. It turns out it was! They were from California and had this small room for mass with their priest. It was not the “correct” English mass we thought we were going to, but it was nice. After mass we walked up the hills and arrived “home” by 11:15 as planned. Simone helped us bring our bags to the town square where he had arranged for a cab to meet us at 11:20 to bring us to the train station below. We got to the train station with plenty of time to catch our 11:45 train to Roma Termini.

I loved Assisi. Definitely a “pilgrimage” feel to our stay here. I wish we had another day or so to spend more time (the hermitage but also some sights outside of Upper Assisi). It is such a beautiful old city. As a Catholic, it was very moving to me, and I am glad we spent time here. I’d love to come back.

See Trip Report con't Part 7 in reply

Part 7/trip report con't
ROME: Sunday 11/10/24-11/17/24

Rome: Arrived from Assisi at train station and took a taxi to our Roman digs---very nice. More “modern” than our place in Assisi. Friends stayed in this AirBnB and recommended it. It worked out perfectly for us. As my friend mentioned to us, it is near a hospital so sirens on ambulances can be heard, but the bedroom in the back was totally quiet. We were never in the flat during the day, so it was not an issue for us. It was on the Vatican side of the river and just down the hill from the Pontifical American College.
We decided to go for a walk over to St Peter’s just to get a view of it. It was not busy at all so we went in—WOW, BEAUTIFUL. I had been here for Xmas Eve mass in Dec 1982, but Ron had never been. It really was something. We walked over to an area where we were able to go to Confession. From there, we headed down the Vatican streets until we found a place that had outdoor seating. Landed at Ristorante Pizzeria Da Marco.
RISTORANTE PIZZERIA DA MARCO, Rome - Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 333, Ponte - Restaurant Reviews & Phone Number - Tripadvisor
The food and wine were ok. Nothing crazy, but the waiter was great and it was nice to sit outside. We enjoyed a bottle of house red wine and a bottle of sparkling water. Not great food, but nice atmosphere outside. We hit a little market for milk, cereal, and bread on our way home.

Note on using Buses:
You need to use a separate CC for each rider since if/when the police check, only 1 profile is created per CC (we were happy to learn this since the police checked this when we rode later).

Nov 11, 2024 Monday

9 –12:30 Treasure’s of Rome Tour “Between the Holy Door” ….Between Holy Doors Jubilee Tour - Treasures of Rome I highly recommend this. Book directly on company’s site.

We left at 8:15 and took the 40 bus (quicker than the 64). We arrived a bit early at our meeting spot (Pope JPII monument near Roma Termini) so had time for coffee/tea and split a croissant. We met Roberto, who is YOUNG ( I thought he would be older) and a nice trio (Mom 73, daughter and son). The tour group maxes out at 5 which is awesome. Roberto is a Munich-born multilingual Catholic who knows his church history. He started this company 5 years ago (right before Covid!). He was telling me how he gets most of his business via Trip Advisor or Viator, but they take 30% of the rate he charges. He was very happy I booked through his own website. I’m glad I did too. He was worth it.

We started at St. Mary Major: Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Biggest bell tower, has Holy Door (closed for now but will remain open all of 2025 for Jubilee year). It has a relic of creche where Jesus was born. This is said to be Pope Francis’s favorite. Legend says that the church was commissioned after a miracle in 358 AD when Mary appeared to the sitting Pope in a dream and told him to build a church where snow would fall in August. The following (hot, summer Roman day) snow appeared on the Esquiline Hill, where it was built. Every year on Aug 5th the snow is commemorated in a ceremony where white flower pedals “snow” over the area.
I enjoyed learning about Pope Sextus. He was something---when the pope before him died, they could not decide on a successor. Someone suggested they elect a frail cardinal who would die soon, allowing them to consider who to put in for longer. Sextus arrived frail in a wheelchair. They elected him and he promptly stood up! He was Pope for 5 years and did much to improve lives and spread Christianity.

see Part 8

Part 8 Trip Report
Next stop: Basilica di S Prassede
Famous painting showing Christ tied to flogging post. Relic of flogging post in this church. Veronica wipes face of Jesus painting. The mosaics in this church are beautiful.

We passed the Bernini house on our way to next church (where he reportedly chased his brother thru the streets til the brother ran into St. Mary Major. Bernini was having an affair and when he found out his brother was having affair w/ same woman, he flipped! (Bernini is buried in St. Mary Major).

Basilia of St. Peter in Chains: San Pietro in Vincoli – Official site – Official website of the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli

Relic of chains used to restrain Peter in prison. The case holding them shows an upside down cross to reflect Peter being crucified upside down.
Also, we saw the statue by Michaelangelo of Moses sitting down after returning w/ the tablets of 10 Commandments. Moses looks to be very upset to find the Israelites worshiping the golden calf. We learned about the 2 horns on his head (said to be a misinterpretation of rays shining on him from God vs the horns they look like). This was commissioned as part of huge tomb for Pope but Michelangelo never finished. His students completed the work. Even I could see the sculptures beside Moses and the ones on top were NOT good compared to the master. It was amazing to see how realistically Michelangelo captures the anatomy, muscles etc (pinky finger raised, muscles in arm reflect this). He attended autopsies to study the human body.

St. Clement Church: Here our guide, Roberto, told us the story of how Pope Sylvester I worked w/ Constantine to unite. He was pope when Constatine was baptized and also oversaw first Council of Nicea.
Home – English – Basilica di San Clemente
(Ron and I came back to this church after this tour to see the excavations below (very cool) we had 2pm tickets

St. John Lateren: Papal Archbasilica - ST. JOHN LATERAN
Biggest obelisk in Rome. The Church of all Churches. It is the cathedral for the Diocese of Rome and therefore is the only ARCH basilica in the world. It serves as the seat for the bishop of Rome (ie the pope). The church is the oldest and highest ranking of the four major papal basilicas as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome. Founded in 324, it is the oldest public church in the city of Rome, and the oldest basilica of the Western world.[1] It houses the cathedra of the Roman bishop,[2][3] and has the title of ecumenical mother church of the Catholic faithful. It is outside of Vatican City but protected as part of Vatican City (not Italy) via Lateran Treaty. VERY COOL!

Roberto also pointed out the presence of bees found throughout the art, windows etc here. The bee is the family crest of the Barberini family, a wealthy family that had much influence in Rome and the Catholic church (one of them was actually pope in 1623: Pope Urban VIII). We noticed the bees at St. Peter’s too.

The altar here has the relic of the wooden altar used by St. Peter. The church has 12 niches that were empty for a long time but then filled w/ sculptures (by different artists) of the 12 apostles (Judas was not done. St Paul instead).

Our tour ended w seeing the Scala Santa (holy stairs that Jesus climbed to face Pilate at His passion when Jesus was condemned). The stairs are covered in wood but have slits so you can see the marble. Ron and I went back later and he chilled outside while I climbed the Holy Stairs (up on knees “Our Father” on each step, using my sweater to cushion my knees!).

See part 9

Part 9/trip report
The tour was great. We planned to head to the lunch spot my daughter recommended. We asked for directions. When he heard the name of the place, his eyes lit up. He loves it there. Julia loved it because of the yummy food and all the locals that were eating there. Roberto actually walked us there. It was GREAT. We were so tired and hungry. I snapped some pics of local Italian men eating their lunch while perusing their newspapers and drinking their wine.

1 Buoni Amici; via aleardo 4, 00185 Rome
I BUONI AMICI, Roma - Esquilino - Ristorante Recensioni, Numero di Telefono & Foto - Tripadvisor

After our lunch, we walked back to St. Clement for 2pm excavation tour. It was very interesting to look around down there. Home – English – Basilica di San Clemente

Then we walked back to John Lateran so I could do the holy stairs. Gelato break ( I lOVE the coconut) . We walked through a pretty park w/ lots of people out and about. Dog park, kids playing, nuns walking the paths. And then on to Church of Santa Croce Gerusalemme www.santacroceroma.it
We went there to see the relics of the Passion. These were VERY moving to see.
Fragments from Cross, title Pilate has hanging on cross, Holy Nail, 2 holy thorns from crown, St. Thomas’ finger, a part of the cross of “the Good Thief”. The church itself was very quiet and beautiful. We stayed for a while there. There was a life size cross that was very similar to the one we had just seen at St. Margaret’s in Madison when they had the replica from the Shroud of Turin exhibit.

Bus back to Termini Station and then another to get us near home. We decided to eat since we knew once we went home we’d never wanna go back out..both of us were stiffening up!
We found a great place a couple of blocks from where we ate last night called Trattoria Polese. Antica Trattoria Polese home
Sat outside next to heater. All the waiters were so nice. Ron had lamb, I had tossed salad w /2 yummy pieces of focaccia w olive oil and garlic….bottle of sparking water and red wine..even splurged to split a tiramisu …..we decided to make it our 25h anniversary dinner. Cute young couple from Calgary next to us. Place was very busy as we left …great spot.

Walked home and to bed. We have early morning tour of Colosseum.

Tuesday 11/12/24
Colosseum Arena Floor & Ancient Rome, Max 6 People 2024
Description of tour: Experience the Colosseum and Ancient Rome on this half-day tour. Upon entering the Colosseum, access the arena floor through the Gladiator's Gate entrance, where ancient warriors walked to battle. Follow your guide through the ancient amphitheater, the Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill while listening to historical insights from your guide.

We took early bus to Colosseum. We had a little time to walk down the street and have a nice little breakfast outside---tea for me, coffee for Ron, and crème-filled croissants. Our tour of Colosseum was wonderful. It was just 6 of us: Ron and me, a father/20-something daughter from Australia and a Filipino couple that now lives in New Zealand. Guide was wonderful. She knew SO much. She told us she also does tours of Vatican etc and how guides have to take exams. It was very cool to be on the Colosseum floor before the crowds. Ron loved architecture.
We spent most of the tour at the Colosseum area. We then walked over to see the Forum and Palatine Hill. I would have preferred a little more time hearing about the Forum and Palantine Hill, but we really learned so much at the Colosseum so that worked out.

Ron and I lingered at the Forum and walked around there. Saw Temple of the Dioscuri . We went inside a building called The Temple of Romulus that was having a free exhibit on Penelope from Homer’s Odyssey. We saw “Nestor’s Cup”, a cup from 730 BC which blew our minds! We got some great pics of old arches and buildings…quite something to see.

see Part 10

Part 10
From there we walked over to the Circus Maximus which was very cool. This is where chariot races were held. The first stalls for the races held here were built in 329 BC…unbelievable….
The Circus Maximus in Rome
Not a lot of people here so nice to take it all in at our own pace. We walked the area reading the signs that explained everything. Pretty spot.
From here we had lunch at Numa
Numa at the Circus - Ristorante Roma

We walked onward and went through the Teatro de Marcellus…ancient ruins of theatre that was started by Julius Caesar in 27 B.C., and finished in 14 A.D. by Augustus Caesar
- Read more at: https://rome.us/ancient-rome/theater-of-marcellus.html

Theater of Marcellus in Rome: Construction History & Facts

We picked up our tickets for tomorrow’s visit to the Pantheon. We stopped at the Piazza villa Rotonda there and it was cool to watch the workers cleaning the (currently closed) fountain.

Mass at St Peter’s ….great pic of Pieta.
Then dinner at Rest San Angelo

We walked 9 miles today!
Wednesday 11/13/24
We arrived at the Pantheon early to be in line when it opened (w our tix). BEAUTIFUL. Ron LOVED the whole engineering and architecture of it all. We had audio tour that was very good. From there we took a quick stroll south to Santa Maria sopra Minerva (St Mary’s over Minerva since literally built on top of old temple of Minerva). Elephant statue outside is base of an obelisk. Ron loved the look of the inside of this church, perhaps since retained the Gothic architecture (rather than the Baraque that many of the churches have). We stopped for our “usual” breakfast at a place we saw. (tea, coffee, cream-filled croissant). As we made our way toward Trastervere, we were amazed how there are ruins literally right along the modern buildings we walked by.

From here, we walked toward Piazza Trastevere. We had heard it’s a great place for foodies, culture and churches and it’s on “our side’ of the Tibre. We were meeting a seminarian friend who is studying at the Pontifical North American College (PAC) for lunch so wanted to be on this side of the river.

A quick walk brought us to Santa Maria in Trastevere that was BEAUTIFUL with amazing mosaics throughout the church. Loved it. Glad we stopped.

We went back to our flat to freshen up and get ready to walk up the hill from our place to the Pontifical North American College (PAC). We planned to join Nick at the PAC for lunch and a tour of the college. It really turned out to be one of the highlights of our week here. We met many of the seminarians on the buses (they were SO nice and helpful to us). After lunch, Nick took us around the outside grounds (great ball fields etc) and up the stairs to the outside area where we had THE BEST view of Rome. He pointed out the Pantheon in the distance. The view of nearby St. Peter’s was fabulous. As he said, it’s a better view than from the top of St. Peter’s since you can SEE St. Peter’s from this vantage point!
We saw the bowling alley (wow…some rich bowling family gave it to some previous Pope who, not being a bowler, donated it here!) The barber shop (the seminarians giving each other haircuts!) and the pub/game room. The chapel (where Pope Francis said a mass previously) It was a great visit. Nick had to go off to class in Rome (we were at the bus stop when we heard a bike horn and saw him whizzing by on his bike w/ a big smile and wave!)
We did a lot of walking this afternoon and did some souvenir shopping. It was getting dark and we ended up near the Colosseum where we got gorgeous photos with the Colosseum lit up behind us. Spectacular.
See Part 11

Part 11
We took the bus and made it to St. Peter’s for 6pm mass. We wanted to eat in the Trastevere area that we had walked through earlier today. We found a nice outside spot at Hostaria del Moro Antica Cucina. The waiter recommended the Pizza Amarticianna for me and it was THE BOMB. Pizza with tomato, pancetta bacon, pecorino cheese. LOVED it. Ron had a great flat pasta dish. We shared a homemade tiramisu that had chocolate powder sprinkled on the top. Yummy. We wandered over to the Fountain at Piazza Trilussa after our meal where a crowd had gathered to watch a musician playing and interacting w/ the crowd. It was a nice walk back home.

Future trip: would love to explore more of the Trastervere area. Trastevere means “across the Tiber” basically. Here is link for ideas.
Trastevere, Rome: 17 Terrific Things to Do (+ Travel Guide & Map!) - Our Escape Clause

Visiting Trastevere: how to enjoy one of Rome's most scenic districts - Mama Loves Rome

Thursday 11/14/14
Decided to sleep in (til 8:15) and skip my early DIY walk to Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. Instead, we walked over toward Pantheon. We walked down cute alley ways. Found a nice place for breakfast (apple strudel for Ron w cappuccino. Cream filled croissant w hot tea. I found a great little shop that had leather notebooks and other objects. Bought a Rome calendar for Ron and a bunch of little change purses to use for rosary cases….it was on via del corranari called Luca Natalizia.

We walked to Piazza Navona. Busy w/people…The fountain is closed for cleaning (kind of cool to watch the people cleaning it!) We stumbled upon St. Agnes Church and I’m so glad we did . Beautiful church built in 1652, to honor St. Agnes.

From there we headed to see the Trevi Fountain. We REALLY wanted to see the Vicus Caprarius (underground apartments discovered in 1999) but it was closed for repairs.
We quicky saw the Trevi Fountain (drained for cleaning in advance of Jubilee year). Too crowded and not our thing! We made our way over to Piazza Di Sant Ignazio, noticing how missing cobblestones in the street make it tough for anyone not sure-footed. We stepped inside the church (founder of Jesuits), then had a gelato break and headed home. We needed to catch a bus to be at St. Paul Outside the Wall by 2:50 for free tour by seminarians It was led by Coulter who was one of the seminarians we met at lunch. It was AWESOME. He explained so much.
St. Paul beheaded near here. He couldn’t be crucified since he was a Roman citizen. Originally from present day Turkey, devout Jew who persecuted Christians till his conversion. Then he was “all in”. The church had burned (roof mostly). When redone, the art that shows Peter on Jesus’s right is the newer stuff. Original has Paul on His right. Also, statue in courtyard has him w sword (instrument of his martyring), and a book open 2/3 thru to symbolize the Old Testament vs New Testament. We saw the Holy Door (open for 2025) and went in. He explained so much to us. The windows are not glass but alabaster (/), nave of church meant to be like boat we are all on, going toward heaven (apse) arch shows a critical looking Jesus…if you make it through, you are in Heaven and its glory. We learned every pope from St. Peter to St. Francis has mosaic up there. Church run by the Benedictine monks. St. Benedict and his sister St. Scholastica founded the religious orders. St. Paul is often shown w St. Luke (who was a doctor and cared for Paul’s health). Ended w/ seeing St. Paul tomb and chains. Very moving. Loved it. Snack bar and gift shop good, too.
See Part 12

Part 12

Bus back to Vatican. In time for 6pm mass. Then walked back over the bridge, and ate at Coronari Bistro. GREAT SPOT . Chatted w family from Brussels (parents and adult son here visiting adult son working here) and a couple from London The food, atmosphere, wait staff, and other diners were wonderful. …bravo. De' Coronari Restaurant
Walked back and ready for bed…great day …
7 miles

Friday 11/15/24

Early start to get to St Peter’s for dome climb. We arrive 6:45 am, in by 7:15. Dome climb opened at 7:30, we were 2nd in line More people later but virtually no line. The climb up was harder than I thought and a tad claustrophobic! View was worth it. We saw PAC, shadow of dome in green trees along the back, great pics of Square and the back of statues of Christ and the Apostles. Up there about 30 minutes We came down to the level before the elevator where I snapped a great photo of the back of the statue of Jesus and the Apostles with beautiful blue sky all around. We went down to St. Peter’s for 8:30 mass in Blessed Sacrament chapel. We then sat and read thru Rick Steves “St. Peter tour” and marveled at, what looks like a painting of St. Peter crucified upside down, but is actually a mosaic. We then went down to the crypts where the popes are buried. Pope Benedict is now buried in what was JP II tomb. Once declared a saint, St. Pope JPII was moved upstairs within St. Peter’s Church. We headed over to street on the way to Pantheon and had nice American breakfast (eggs, ham, OJ) and split a cream filled croissant. Filled us for sure. We walked back to our flat. I watched some videos about the art at Borghese Museum where we’d be visiting today. We left by 12:40 to catch the 62 bus for a long ride north. We changed buses and got to Borghese Museum right on time. Great museum. Many things covered for exhibition coming up but, for me and Ron, googling “best things to see there” with explanations of the artwork fit the bill. We saw Bernini sculptures and painting of Daniel and Goliath, self-portrait, and Mary with St. Anne and baby Jesus. This is a 2 hour timed ticket. We were there for about an hour. Beautiful gardens/green space right next door.

Priscilla Catacombs: We decided to catch a bus a bit north to do the guided 4:15 tour of Priscella Catacombs. We had seen some catacombs so thought maybe we should skip, but these were worth a visit with long pathways with 3 types of areas where the dead were buried. They’re all empty now but you can see the different types of burial areas along w/ very early Christian artwork. I got some beautiful souvenir tiles that were copies of some of the work on the catacomb walls (including Isaiah predicting birth of Christ). Guided tour - Catacombe di Priscilla

We got out of there by 5:15 and took the hour long bus all the way to Piazza Traveste to find a spot to eat. Again, someone stopped by police on bus for ticket. We had bought a paper ticket since
CC not always working for us. At train station, police boarded the bus to check tickets. . I heard a policewoman say to an American girl that she had to pay $50 since she didn’t have a ticket. I had written date and time on back of our ticket since I read that is ok to do.

We ate at Sonnino Ristorante Osteria. Food was ok, service ok…I wouldn’t send someone there, but it was fine. The 20 minute walk back to our flat felt good since we were so full.

see Part 13

Part 13
Home by 8:30. Tired. Showered and to bed. We have NOTHING planned for our last day except to sleep in a bit and go out and explore. We considered doing bike trip along the Appian Way, but may just poke around. I was telling Ron I am glad we have one last day w/ nothing planned. We have had a busy week and walked a lot of miles. It would have been tough to pack up tonight and head out early. Having a free day tomorrow will be great. This has been a GREAT trip. As much as we’ve missed the kids, it’s been so nice to do this on our own. We felt like we were on our honeymoon again since we’ve really never done a big solo trip since then. But I am a homebody at heart and do miss the kids. It’s true that there’s no place like home.

7 miles walked

Sat 11/16/24 last full day

We decided yesterday that today would be an easy day. We slept in (Ron woke me up at 9:15). I was SO tired last night and slept like a log. We walked over toward St. Peter’s Square for breakfast. We were amazed how crowded it was and how long the security line was. INSANE. The only thing crazier would be the same scene in 100 degree summer heat! We found a spot for breakfast at a place nearby called All Brothers. Roberto was SO nice. Since he was chatting w/ all the nuns as they went by, I asked him if he knew them all. He proceeded to tell me about the luncheon the pope is serving the poor/homeless on Sunday (I read about that) and that he was invited to attend because of his charity work but he must work. He has met Pope Francis several times (he showed me photos of 3 separate times on his phone). Very nice man. He loves “Papa Francesco” because he feels the pope does things like Sunday’s event under the radar and is a great model leading all to Jesus. The “American Breakfast “ cost 10 euro and was GREAT. Came w/ eggs, bacon, and nice toast---perfect. Great place for drinks snd people watch outside the Vatican! - Review of Wine Bar All Brothers, Rome, Italy - Tripadvisor

After that we walked thru St. Peter’s Square being very thankful we did not have to deal w/ those crowds. We decided just to walk through an area we hadn’t yet. We ended up going down Via Germanico which had beautiful buildings on it. We came to a fountain and stopped to take a break. We saw that Castle Sant’ Angelo (castle of the holy angel----St. Michael). It is in Parco Adriano and was originally built as a mausoleum for Roman Emperor Hadrian. The popes later used the building as a fortress and castle, and it is now a museum. We walked past nice green space and came upon a little market. Like everywhere else, there is work being done ahead of the 2025 Jubilee Year. We crossed the pedestrian bridge and continued to Palace San Michel. We keep seeing it when we go out.
We headed toward a market we read about in Campo De’ Fiori. It was bustling w people. The market had wonderful colors---all kinds of fruits, veggies, limoncello, olive oil, spices, meats, cheeses etc. I snapped lots of photos. From there we were on the hunt for gelato. We walked a bit and came to a cute gelataria overlooking another pretty piazza. I had coffee and coconut (coconut is my fave) at Pellegrino Gelateria Monteforte. PELLEGRINO GELATERIA MONTEFORTE, Rome - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor. We walked back “home” for a break. We checked in w/ Delta flights, verified our ride for tomorrow and had a glass of wine here that the AirBnB host had left us .

See Part 14

Part 14
We left at 4:30 to head to the 5pm vigil at the Basilica of Santa Maria and the Martyrs (aka the Pantheon). I had read they had a vigil mass and Ron thought it would be VERY cool to go to mass there (it was!). I had already been to mass at St Peter’s 3 times this week. We walked to the Piazza della Rotonda. Because we were there for mass, we were able to go right in. The service at the Pantheon was wonderful. Beautiful organ and music. Six priests concelebrating. It was beautiful to look around and think that this was built on the site of an earlier Roman Temple (27 BC – AD 14). Then, after the original burned down, the present building was ordered by emperor Hadrian in AD 126. They are not certain of the year it was rebuilt since Hadrian decided to keep the original inscription of Agrippa’s older temple (“ M. Agrippa made it”). Since AD 609 it has been a Catholic Church. We toured it the other day, but it was beautiful to be there as it got dark, celebrating mass. I kept looking to my left to see Jesus on the crucifix and thinking “He did that for me”. Remarkable. This trip has strengthened my faith. There are so many believers here, many(seminarians who are dedicating their whole lives to Christ. It is very inspiring. From there, we ate right up the “block” with a view of the church right there. The waiter was great, Roberto. We sat side by side w/ a great view of the church and people going by. We had the heater on our backs---.heaven. The only negative was our view of the fountain (Fontana del Pantheon) was blocked since it is being cleaned for the Jubilee year. We were able to admire the obelisk. It is one of 13 in Rome. It’s amazing to think it was built by the Egyptians (there are cartouches of Pharaoh Ramses II).

We enjoyed a bottle of sparkling water and red wine (our usuals!) with bread and olive oil. I had pizza with tomato and bacon (yum). Ron had pasta w/ cream sauce. We split a tiramisu and marveled that Ron has only had 3 canalis all week (but lots of gelato and tiramisu). It was a GREAT ending to a GREAT trip.

We leave here tomorrow morning at 6:30 via a car arranged by our AirBnB host to take us to the airport for our 10 am flight back to Boston. It’s been a wonderful trip. We feel like we know our way around in this little area. When I initially arrived in Rome, I wondered if booking on the Vatican side of the Tiber was a mistake. I am so glad we did and how this space worked out for us, close for my 6pm masses at St. Peter’s and near the PAC.

Ron and had had a BLAST. Reminded me of our honeymoon just bopping around seeing stuff and having fun. LOVED it.

Sunday 11/17/24 10 AM flight back to Boston.

See Final Post/Part 15

Part 15 /FINAL NOTES (finally!)
Notes:

Assisi:
I wish we were able to spend more time at Hermitage and other sites. I loved Assisi and would have loved another day or so to explore a bit more outside the main upper Assisi area.

Rome:
Archaeological Area – Vicus Caprarius tour of aqueduct under Trevi Fountain. REALLY wanted to do, but closed for maintenance the week we were in Rome!

Scavi Tour Req: Reservations small group visit catacombs under St. Peter’s
I sent req in well ahead but never got a reply.

PAC: Pontifical North American College
Knowing how great the seminarian-led tour of St. Paul Outside the Wall was, I would DEF do their tour of St. Peter’s. I was afraid we’d miss getting in with long line to get in St. Peter’s, but knowing the prayer tent is available, I would make use of that for mass or Adoration ahead of the tour w/ the seminarians.
Anyone (Catholic or not) can take advantage of the wonderful, free tours the seminarians give. If you are Catholic and know someone who is studying at the Pontifical North American College (PAC), or can ask your parish priest/archdiocese if there is a seminarian studying there, I encourage you to reach out. The seminarian we visited was someone who had spent some time one summer volunteering in our parish. Because of that, we pray for him at mass, and he writes a blurb in the bulletin once in a while updating the parish on what he is doing, asking for our prayers, and saying “if you’re ever in the area, come visit”. I had never actually met Nick before our trip, but reached out to him via What’s App ahead of time. Not only were we able to meet him for lunch at the school, get a wonderful tour of the campus, and meet his friends, he was a great help with my trip planning by providing suggestions of his favorite places in Rome and Assisi. Our day at the PAC turned out to be a highlight for us.

Thanks to all of you who helped me plan this great trip. I am happy to help anyone else who has any questions.

Interesting Update: Saw Nick, the seminarian we visited, when he was in Connecticut this fall. He and the other American seminarians had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal at the PAC last year with many American clergy including Cardinal Robert Prevost. They had a nice conversation about tennis. Little did Nick know he was sharing a meal with the future Pope Leo!