The Roman Forum, the most important archaeological area in Rome, extends from the Capitol Hill to the Palatine. As far back as the 7th century [...]
Continue reading...What is the highest ranking church in the world which at the same time holds the title of ecumenical mother church? If your answer is ‘Duh, St. Peter’s Basilica’, then you are absolutely, undoubtedly incorrect. Basilica San Giovanni in Laterano translated Basilica of St. John Lateran, is the oldest and highest ranking of the [...]
Continue reading...Perhaps no other monument is a truer symbol of the majesty and grandeur of Rome like that of the Colosseum. This icon like the city itself has endured the destructive forces of mother nature and man, but remains a resilient testimony of Roman engineering and architecture. The Colosseum christened ‘Flavian Ampitheatre’ - the [...]
Continue reading...Also known as the Basilica Eudoxiana, it was first built in 432-440 to house the relic of the chains that bound Saint Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. According to legend, when the Empress Eudoxia (wife of Emperor Valentinian III) gifted the chains to Pope Leo I, while he compared them to the chains [...]
Continue reading...One of the five major basilicas in Rome, it holds an esteemed position not only because it is a papal basilica, but also because it is the largest church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rome. Like most churches, the history of Santa Maria Maggiore is based on legend and fact. The legend of [...]
Continue reading...Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem), is one of the often forgotten gems admist the treasury of churches in the Eternal City. Forgotten not amongst dedicated pilgrims, but amongst your average tourist. It does not carry the same bragging rights as its cousins- Santa Maria Maggiore and San Giovanni in Laterano - but [...]
Continue reading...‘Typewriter’, ‘Wedding Cake’, ‘Zuppa Inglese’ are all names devotedly, or in many cases disparagingly used, to describe the monument honoring the first king of unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. This monument, ostentatiously displays itself for all of Rome to see, between Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline Hill. With nothing subtle in the design or construction [...]
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