Tag: rome

When In Rome

© 2017 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, there’s never a shortage of things to see and experience in Rome.  One of my favorite places in Europe, it’s a fabulous walking city with something to see and do at every turn.

One of the most popular attractions in the Eternal City is the Spanish Steps.

In the 17th century, the 135-step staircase was designed by little-known architect and sculptor, Francesco de Sanctis.  The steps, built during a two year span, from 1723 to 1725, were intended to connect the newly built Trinita dei Monti church, owned by the French, and the Piazza di Spagna, home of the Spanish Embassy, signifying the newly-established peace between France and Spain.

The staircase, flanked by two of Rome’s most unusual monuments, the Fontana della Barcaccia and the Sallustian Obelisk, is also a neighbor to the home where Romantic writer, John Keats died of tuberculosis, now a popular museum.

Over the years, the steps have attracted many types of visitors.  Artists, painters and poets frequented the steps, inspired by its beauty.  The artists presence attracted many beautiful women, hoping to be chosen to serve as models.  The models presence, in turn, attracted rich Romans and travelers and eventually a great number of famous hotels, restaurants and stores were opened in the area, including the likes of Gucci and Chanel.  Today, the steps attract people of many different backgrounds and has become a celebrated meeting place.

On this occasion, I arrived to an extremely crowded Piazza di Spagna.  Years ago, it seemed that you could visit the area during the off-season months and find the place less crowded than during the summer tourist season.  Nowadays, I don’t think that the Italian capital has an off-season.  Throngs of tour groups filled the square and most spaces on the steps were filled with people enjoying the warmth of the sunlit afternoon.

At the base of the steps, I set my eyes upon the Fontana della Barcaccia (Fountain of the Old Boat), an early Baroque fountain, designed by Pietro Bernini and commissioned by Pope Urban VIII.  Legend states that a fishing boat was carried to this spot during a massive flood of the Tiber River in the 16th century.  The fountain was designed to look like the stranded vessel, a half-sunk galleon spilling water over its sides.  Although it may be tempting during the hottest summer months, do not attempt to wade in the basin and only drink from the spouts in the side of the boat, not the basin or you may find yourself having a visit with a member of the Polizia di Quartiere or the polizziotti (police).

Making my way past the gathered visitors, I climbed steadily up the right side of the steps, passing the Keats-Shelley Memorial House which houses the most extensive collection of memorabilia of mostly English artists, including Keats, Shelley, Wordsworth, Oscar Wilde.

Dodging dozens of seated visitors, I made my way upward among the mix of curves, straight flights, vistas and terraces, occasionally stopping to gaze upward at the twin towers of the Church of Trinità dei Monti and then down at the Roman Baroque yellow and ochre colored buildings of the Piazza di Spagna.

At the top of the Spanish Steps is the Sallustian Obelisk, sculpted to look like one of the many obelisks that Roman emperors borrowed from Egypt and put into place in 1789.  Take some time to inspect the obelisk, complete with copied hieroglyphics from the authentic and famous Roman Flaminio Obelisk.

While standing at the base of the obelisk, I marveled at the beauty of the staircase cascading below me and the hundreds of people milling about.

Some interesting facts about the steps:

  • Picnicking is strictly forbidden as the steps would be overridden, making any movement to the top impossible.
  • Although refurbished recently, look to see if you can spot the areas where several of the 200 year-old steps were chipped and scuffed.  In 2007, a drunkard attempted to drive a car down the Spanish Steps.  Thankfully, only a few steps were harmed.  Incidents such as this and the fact that the steps is a large gathering place have given many pause about lingering too long in the area.
  • It’s almost impossible to have the landmark to yourself, unless you wake up pretty early or stay up pretty late.  Busiest around sunset, friends, lovers and tourists congregate to celebrate the end of the day.
  • During certain times of the year, seasonal decorations are placed on the stairway.  In the spring, it is decorated with pink azaleas for a month, celebrating Rome’s founding and during Christmas, a 19th century crib is displayed on the first level of the steps.

With one last glance at the piazza and steps below, I ascended to the stairway’s crowning glory, the Church of the Santissima Trinitá dei Monti.

The most famous of French churches is not on French soil…it sits at the top of the Spanish Steps!  By one of the many quirks of Roman history, this church is maintained by France, is a century and a half older than the steps and is mostly famous for its location rather than what it houses.

Built between 1502-and 1519, the church was designed by Giacomo della Porta and given Gothic elements to laud the great French Gothic cathedrals.  Officially titled Santissima Trinita di Monte Pincio (Most Holy Trinity of Mount Pinicio), the church was named for the hill on which it sits.  Since its restoration in 1823, every cardinal has been a French national and mass continues to be said in French.

While walking through the cathedral, it is interesting to note each of the six bays with side aisles which have been divided to form self-contained chapels, including the Borghese Chapel, built when in 1574 when it was decided that the church should be lengthened.  The chapel bears the family crests, a Baroque sculpture of the Pieta and is the burial site of many illustrious members of the family.

Other extraordinary works of art include the Deposition fresco by Daniele da Volterra and the fresco cycles by the Zuccari brothers of Old and New Testament scenes which were created over a twenty-five year span.  Connecting the church to the monastery is a perspective gallery by Andrea Pozzo and a pipe organ designed by a majestic French master.

After leaving the church, I was determined to head toward the recently refurbished Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain), but there was a brief detour that I was determined to make.

The Monster House, located a short distance from Trinitá dei Monti at Via Gregoriana 28, is actually the 16th century Zuccari Palace, which boasts the faces and gaping mouths of monsters swallowing the doors and windows on its facade.  Originally the house of Baroque painter Federico Zuccari, built in 1590, it served as a studio for himself and his children and drew inspiration from the Gardens of Bomarzo.  Over the years, it also served as a residence for the Queen of Poland, was a center of high society in Rome and an inn for foreign artists.  Today, the building houses the Max Planck Institute for Art History, however, it is not open to the public.  You can, however, grab a couple of photos from across the street.

Making my way down Via Gregoriana, I finally headed to the Trevi Fountain to see it once again devoid of the scaffolding that had marred its beautiful veneer the last time I had walked past.

With origins dating back to Roman times, the fountain was originally the terminating point of the Aqua Virgo aqueduct commissioned by Augustus, which provided water for the thermal baths.  Taking three centuries to complete, under the orders of Pope Clement XII, the fountain’s design is often associated with Bernini, although most of the work was complete by Nicola Salvi.

Like the Spanish Steps, the well-known Trevi Fountain has become a place where tourists and locals meet and hang out, grabbing a nearby gelato while admiring the roaring water cascading from the monument.

Constructed of travertine and carrara marble, the fountain is 85.28 feet high by 160.72 feet wide.  2,824,800 cubic feet of water spill from the fountain daily and its presence can be detected many streets away from its roaring sound.

In the center of the fountain is a chariot in the shape of a shell, led by seahorses with Triton as their guide.  In the forefront stands Oceanus and on the sides are the statues of Abundance and Salubrity.  Natural and artificial forms are represented throughout as rocks and petrified vegetation that run along the foundation of the palace and around the borders of the pool, representing the sea.

Always busy, polizziotti have a constant presence and its quite disconcerting to be among the hundreds of selfie takers.  However, whipping out your own phone and snapping away is a must!

And, while you are at it, make sure to throw a coin from your right hand over your left shoulder and make a wish!  It will ensure that you will return to Rome one day!

For more picture, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

 

The Spanish Steps (Scalina Spagna)

Trinitá dei Monti

  • http://trinitadeimonti.net/en/homepage/
  • Address:  Piazza della Trinità dei Monti, 3, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
  • Admission:  free
  • Hours:  Tuesday to Thursday, 0730–1900, Friday, 1200-1900, Saturday and Sunday, 1000-1700.  Closed on Mondays.  No visits are allowed during church celebrations.
  • French Masses:  Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 1830, Saturday, 1200, Sunday, 0930.
  • Italian Masses:  Wednesday, 0630, Sunday, 1100
  • Eucharistic Adoration:  Tuesday-Thursday, 0730-0830
  • Metro stop:  Spagna

The Monster House

Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi)

 

 

 

 

 

Fool Your Eye

© 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

It has been said that the Italians love a good optical illusion.

If you do too, when in Rome, here is the place for you.  The church of St. Ignatius of Loyola, located near the Pantheon, not only boasts breathtaking frescoes and amazing architecture, but a fake dome!

Founded in 1551 by St. Ignatius, as a church of the Roman College and inspired by the Jesuit mother church, the Church of the Gesù in Rome. Completed in 1650, it was designed with a Latin cross plan and numerous side chapels, the focus being on the high altar at the end of the eastern apse.  Decorated with colored marble, animated stucco figural relief, richly ornamented altars, extensive gilding and Corinthian pilasters ringing the entire interior,  it contrasts with its unassuming facade overlooking the Piazza di S. Ignazio.

image

What stands this church, designed by Jesuit mathematician Orazio Grassi, apart from so many others in Rome, is it that when money was not available for a dome, a painter was hired to create the effect of one.

When entering the church, the overall effect is one of vastness and richly appointed ornamentation.  My advice to you is to save the best part for last.  Take your time to walk along each side of the church and inspect each of the chapels and the main altar.  Each of the chapels are different and worthy of individual inspection containing amazing altarpieces and artwork.

image

image

The chapel in the right transept, dedicated to St. Alloysius Gonzaga, houses the remains of Cardinal St. Robert Bellarmine and a ceiling painted by Andrea Pozzo who also created the fresco ceiling in the chapel in the left transept.  Pay close attention to his work here as you will see it again.  The chapel in the left transept also houses the relics of Saint John Berchmans.  The chapel just to the right of the church’s presbytery (at the south-east corner) houses the funerary monuments of Pope Gregory XV and his nephew, Cardinal Ludovisi, the church’s founder.

image

image

Move into the center of the church.  The main highlights of the church are the magnificent frescoes created by Andrea Pozzo.  The ceiling painting, which covered the whole length of the nave, depicts the entry of Ignatius into paradise.

image

Next, stand on the marble disc at the center of the church, and gaze upward, you will see a dome.  But is it?

image

Figures that are in reality painted horizontally seem to rise up towards the heavens.  The dome also seems to have a real vaulting, however, with closer inspection, you will see that it is really flat…a trompe-l’oeil.  A true masterpiece by Andrea Pozzo.

Leaving the church, take a few minutes to admire the Piazza Sant’Ignazio spread out before the church.  The square with its richly hued baroque/rococo styled buildings, designed by Raguzzini, house an office of the Carabinieri, the Italian paramilitary police.

image

 

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

 

St. Ignazio Church

  • http://santignazio.gesuiti.it/en/
  • Hours:  Monday-Saturday, 0730-1900, Sundays and holidays, 0900-1900.  Free guided tours, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 1500-1800.
  • Admission:  free
  • Getting There:  Located near the Pantheon

 

 

Saturday Night Special

© 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

It’s Saturday night in Rome.  What to do?  What to do?

A club?  The city’s hottest restaurants? Seeing the Coliseum aglow?  If you find yourself in the Circus Maximus area of Rome with nothing to do and none of the above appeal to you…here’s a suggestion.

Sign_at_shrineEvery Saturday night at midnight, a Pilgrimage starts at the southeast end of Circus Maximus (near the metro station and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) at the Piazza Porta Capena.  This Pilgrimage heads on foot toward the Madonna del Divino Armore Sanctuary and arrives around five o’clock on Sunday morning.  It takes place from the first Saturday after Easter until the last Saturday of October and on December 7 at the eve of the Immaculate Conception.   The route follows the Old Appian Way until the church, Quo Vadis (see my blog post “Where Are You Going?”)  is reached and a turn is made on to the Via Ardeatina. Here, the route continues over the Catacombs of St. Callisto (see my blog post “Along the Appian Way”) and past the Mausoleum of the Ardeatin Caves, where personal intentions are brought to the feet of the Virgin Mary.

The starting point is marked with a sign.

image

Tower_leading_to_townThe reason behind the pilgrimages?  In the early 1700’s, on one of the towers of the Castel di Leva, there was a votive image of the Virgin Mary, portrayed as sitting on a Throne, holding the child Jesus in her arms and the Holy Spirit, descending upon her as a dove.  This image was considered extremely holy by the local shepherds and many miracles were attributed to the image on this site.  In September of 1740, the image was removed from the tower and transferred to a nearby estate called “La Falconiana” where a small church dedicated to St Mary ad Magos stood.  Five years later, the image was brought back to its original location where a church had been erected in its absence and was later consecrated by Cardinal Carlo Rezzonico, who later became Pope Clement XIII.  Shortly after, pilgrimages began and became more numerous, continuing until today.

 

Pilgrimage to the Madonna del Divino Armore Sanctuary

  • When:  Saturdays at midnight from first Saturday after Easter until the last Saturday in October and December 7.
  • Getting There:  Metro Line B, stop Circus Maximus

 

Back to top

 

 

 

 

Bath Time

© 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

Last January, in Rome, while walking from the Piramides metro station back to Circus Maximus, my friend and I encountered two things…a man with a shoe fetish (don’t ask!) and ruins that I did not know existed in that area.

Checking out a map a couple of weeks ago, I began to retrace our route and realized that these ruins were the Baths of Caracalla.  A little more investigation, revealed that these ruins are open to the public and a short walk from Circus Maximus.  Since it was a little off the beaten path, I decided that it might be an interesting place to visit with not very many tourists.   Anything to avoid the summer crowds of Rome, right?

After exiting the metro station, I headed northeast and took a right onto the Via delle Terme di Caracalla.  About a five minute walk, I found the entrance to the Baths of Caracalla facing the main road, on the right, adjacent to Via Antonina.

image

Deciding to forego the audio guide, I headed onto the site and followed the marked path.

image

The ruins of these baths are quite extensive and very well preserved.  As you walk among the remains of this vast site, it is easy to visualize what an enormous undertaking it must have been for its time.

image

The Baths of Caracalla were the second largest Roman public baths, built in Rome during the reigns of Septimius Severus and his son, Caracalla between 212 and 217 AD. According to records, the idea for the baths were drawn up by Severus and completed during the lifetime of Caracalla.  13,000 prisoners of war from Severus’ campaigns in Spain were ordered to clear the land and 600 marble workers and 6,000 tradesmen were employed to build the baths.

image

image

The baths were designed with a central axis and included three fundamental bathing rooms, the frigidarium (a cold pool), the tepidarium (a lukewarm pool) and the calidarium (a hot pool).  The frigidarium, located in the middle of the building was bordered by two monumental gymnastic areas which were open to the sky.  In these zones, or Palestra, games and competitions were held and also used to run and workout.  An Olympic sized pool was located at the back of the building and devoted to recreational swimming and two libraries and extensive gardens were available for the guests to enjoy.   The baths could accommodate 1600 bathers who could move from one area to another and use the pools for socialization as well as sanitary facilities.

image

image

image

imageVisiting the premises today, you are guided through walkways which assist in preserving the many mosaics that still remain  The ceiling is nonexistent, however, most of the walls stand tall and many of the breathtaking arches are still intact, which once lent to both stability and aesthetics.  Much of the art that decorated this magnificent space has been removed and is now displayed in museums throughout the world.  Twenty-two of the columns that once stool tall were also removed in the 12th century and can be found the Trastevere area of Rome, in the church of Santa Maria.

image

image

During the summer, the Teatro dell’Opera holds concerts on the premises offering the Baths of Caracalla, lit up during the nighttime hours, as an amazing backdrop.

If you have been to Rome on numerous occasions and are in search of the city’s other treasures, this is one to behold.  Uncrowded and unspoiled, it is easy attainable and adjacent to other attractions in the area.  A short walk or metro ride from the Coliseum and Forum you can combine the Baths with a visit to the Catacombs (bus departs from Circus Maximus-see my blog post, Along the Appian Way), a walk around Circus Maximus or a visit the Mouth of Truth in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.

image
Circus Maximus
Check out more pictures on Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

 

The Baths of Caracalla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St. Paul’s Outside the Walls

© 2016 Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

St. Peters
St. John the Lateran
St. Mary Major
St. Paul’s Outside the Walls

Of the four major basilicas in Rome, I had been to three.  It was time to venture a little out of the city center in search of the latter.

Strangely, I had never heard of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.  While reading a thread about the bus system in Rome, I came across the name from someone seeking travel instructions.  This basilica, while occupying land in Italian territory, is not within the territory of the Vatican City State as are the other three.  Located outside the Aurelian walls of Rome, hence its name, the Holy See fully owns the Basilica, however, Italy is legally obligated to recognize the Vatican’s full ownership.

imageGetting to St. Paul’s is not extremely difficult.  Discovering that the basilica is adjacent to a metro stop of the same name, I decided that taking the metro would be the easiest way to travel.  Arriving at the station of Basilica San Paolo, the dome of the basilica was easily spotted.  Following a group of nuns past the clock tower ensured I was on the right path!

Arriving at the entrance on the west side of the basilica, I was shocked to see something I would only expect at St. Peter’s…a long line waiting to go through security.  The line was not very organized and much too wide.  People were busy talking and not moving forward, while others were walking up the sides of the line and moving ahead.  After a twenty minute wait, I finally made my way up and past security.

There are many things that set this basilica apart from the others.  When entering the structure, the lovely columns that line the front of building enclose a remarkable courtyard.  Until you reach the center, you don’t quite see the beauty of the basilica’s gold front facade with the detailed mosaics that catch the sunlight.  In the courtyard stands an imposing statue of the apostle Paul amidst an impeccably maintained garden .

Interesting to note is that this courtyard and facade as well as many things within the church were all added in the nineteenth century.  Of all the churches in Rome, this particular one had preserved it primitive character for 1,435 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1823.  Eager to see the basilica rebuilt, the world contributed to its restoration;  the Viceroy of Egypt sent pillars of alabaster and the Emperor of Russia, malachite and lapis lazuli for the tabernacle.  The Italian government ensured that work on the principle facade, looking toward the Tiber, was completed and declared the church a national monument.

imageWalking up to the basilica, a central bronze door, with inlaid silver, is the focal point.  It was created in 1930 by Antonio Maraini, after the original, a gift from Pope Gregory VII in 1070, was damaged by the fire.  (The original, can be seen, restored, on the inside of the basilica).  The reliefs on the door present scenes from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul.  More importantly, this door is flanked on the right by one of the four Holy Doors in Rome, as declared by the Vatican.  The Holy Door is only opened during Jubilee years by the Pope (once every twenty-five years).

image

 

 

image

When entering the church, you are overcome by the vastness of the space only broken by the four rows of twenty granite columns that separate the central nave from its aisles.  The original columns of the church before the fire had been taken from ancient Roman temples and were unable to be salvaged.

image

image
Paintings of the pope above the columns

Most interesting are the circular paintings of the popes that line the space, something not seen in the other basilicas.  Most of these paintings were damaged by the fire and restored, but some of the inscriptions have been eternally lost.  The pictures begin with St. Peter to the present pope, Francis. Very few spaces remain and legend has it that when these spaces are filled, a major event will occur.

Walking farther into the basilica, you will find a recessed area with circular stairways leading down on either side.  Here you will find the surviving links of the chain, on a silk background, that according to tradition, held St. Paul while he was a prisoner in Rome between 61 and 63 AD.  These chains are illuminated and displayed in a case near his tomb which is located under the altar.

image

image

image
The chains of St. Paul
image
Paschal Candle

Near the front of the altar area, take note of the carved Pachal candle which stands more than 16 feet high and was made in the 12th century by Nichola dell’Angelo and Pietro Vassalletto.

At the rear of the church are the chapels, the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the Chapel of Saint Benedict, the Chapel of St. Laurence and the Chapel of St. Stephen.  Above the Tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel hangs a magnificent crucifix sculpted by Pierre Cavallini.  This is the crucifix of which Christ turned his head toward St. Bridget of Sweden and gave her the “15 Prayers of St. Bridget”.

image
St. of St. Stephen
image
Blessed Sacrament Chapel
image
Chapel of St. Benedict

While in the apse, take a look upward at the only remaining part of the medieval basilica, the 13th century mosaic, created by Venetian artists.  This breathtaking mosaic, ordered by Pope Honorius III,  depicts Christ on a throne flanked by the Apostles Peter, Paul, Andrew and Luke.

image
Apse Mosaic

image image
At the end of the right transept is the entrance to the cloisters and the Chapel of Relics.  An entrance fee is required to enter, but worth every penny to see the cloisters with their graceful, twisted mosaics-filled columns that line the arcades.  These cloisters, built between 1208 and 1235 by the Vassalletti family, were untouched by the fire of 1823 and have often been described as the most beautiful in Rome.  The walls of the walks are lined with ancient sculpture and epigraphy recovered in excavations, mostly during the rebuilding of the church.  In the center of the cloisters is a rose garden.  This area was relatively empty during my visit, allowing me to enjoy the peace and solitude which should accompany an area of that nature.  The Chapel of the Relics is worth only a quick visit now that the Chains of St. Paul are displayed within the church.

image

image
Chapel of Relics

After exiting the church, a visit to the well-outfitted gift shop offers not only rosaries and other religious objects, but bottles of wine made by the Benedictine monks (not sold on Sundays or religious holidays).  You can also stop in to the cafe, next to the gift shop, for a snack or drink.

If visiting all four basilicas on your trip to Rome is a priority, then a trip to St. Paul’s Basilica is in order.  Many things set this particular basilica apart from the others in the city and certainly warrant visitation.  Although a little farther than the other attractions of the great city of Rome, it is not extremely difficult to reach and worth the extra effort to mark St. Paul’s off of your “church bucket list”.

 

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

 

Basilica de San Paolo

  • http://www.basilicasanpaolo.org/
  • Piazzale San Paolo, 1,  00146 Roma
  • Admission:  Basilica entrance, free.  Cloister, €3.00
  • Hours:  Basilica, Daily, 0700-1830, Cloister, 0830-1815
  • Getting There:  Metro, Line B, stop, Basilica San Paolo.  Bus, Number 23 (Pincherle-Parravano), stop, Ostiense-S. Paolo

Where Are You Going?

© 2016  Snapping the Globe, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

While visiting the catacombs on the Appian Way, it is worth taking a few minutes to step into the Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Piante (Church of St. Mary in Palmis), otherwise known as Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis.

image

Having heard of this church, I wasn’t aware of it’s location near the catacombs. After our visit to San Callixtus, our tour guide recommended the short walk to visit this holy site.  Located about 800 meters from the St. Sebasian Gate, Quo Vadis is a small baroque-style church built on the site, according to the bible, in which St. Peter met Jesus while St. Peter was fleeing persecution in Rome.  Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” (Latin: Domine, quo vadis?)  Jesus answered, “I am going to Rome to be crucified again”.

A marble slab is on display at the center of the church.  A copy of the original, which is kept in the nearby Basilica of San Sebastiano fuori le mura, the slab contains the imprint of what is believed to be Jesus’ feet. Considered to be a miraculous sign, the footprints are what gave the church its name…palmis refers to the soles of the feet.

image

Prior to 1845, there was an inscription above the front door on the church’s façade which said, “Stop your walking traveler and enter this sacred temple in which you will find the footprint of our Lord Jesus Christ when He met with St. Peter who escaped from the prison.  An alms for the wax and the oil is recommended in order to free some spirits from Purgatory”.  Pope Gregory XVI found the advertising tone of the inscription very inappropriate and ordered its removal.

In this small church, you will also see a bust of Henryk Sienkiewicz, the Polish author of the famous historical fiction novel Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero which was published in 1886.  It is said that Sienkiewicz was inspired to write his novel while sitting in this church.

In 1983, Pope John Paul II defined the chapel as “a place that has a special importance in the history of Rome and in the history of the church”.

After your visit to Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Piante it is an easy return to Rome.  Step outside of the church;  the bus stop (#118 and #218) to Rome is located immediately to the right.

 

 

For more pictures check out my Facebook page, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @SnappingtheGlobe.

 

Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Piante

  • casmadrid@tiscalinet.it
  • Via Appia Antica, 51, Rome Italy
  • Hours:  0800-1800, daily.  Summer closing time 1900.
  • Masses:  Winter weekdays, 1800, summer weekdays 1900, holidays, 0900, 1100, 1800 (winter), 1900 (summer)

Transportation

  • Bus #118 from Circus Maximus or Piazza Venezia
  • Bus #218 from Piazza di S. Giovanni in Laterano