Chiesas/ Churches

Touring: Sites, Shops, Piazzas   ~   Piatti / Plates   ~   Chiesas / Churches   ~   Places / Side Trips
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    Selected churches.
    More in Portfolio of Photos.

    *Santa Maria degli Angeli
    *Santa Maria in Aracoeli
    *Santa Maria Sopra Minerva
    *Gesu e Maria
    *Santa Maria Maddalena
    *St. Peter's Basilica
    *Santa Maria Maggiore
    *Santa Maria Della Vittoria
    *St. Peter In Chains
    *Santa Maria del Popolo
    *Basilica of San Sebastian
    * San Clemente
    *The Pantheon


    Exterior showing Bath's fascade, & below, back entrance


     Most churches are lined with family chapels, which may be tombs, or contain relics, such as this one, at S.M. in Aracoeli.

         Chiesas/Churches

        Of all the great artists represented in the churches, I am pulled to Michaelangelo's works the most. The Pieta in St. Peters is most beautiful and moving with marble as polished as silk. Moses, in St. Peter In Chains, is his last sculpture, a masterful figure with much strength and detail. And Santa Maria degli Angeles is his last architectural project, a monumental design transforming the dark ruins of the ancient Baths of Diocletian into a cathedral of light.
         Coming out of one church, we find another one just across the street, or down the block. So many, so close, yet each is more impressive than the last. What makes each one so distinctive? Each has something unique: frescos, sculpture, mosaics, or famous artists.
         Just a few distinctions (in bolded font):


         * Santa Maria degli Angeli - Michelangelo's last elegant design, was inspired by ruins and utterly transformed. It is a study in contrasts: light/shadow, detail/immensity, and beautiful paintings, sculpture, and tile.
         It also includes an amazing meridian- a line of tile and zodiac figures on the floor, highlighted by the sun.     In photo below left, I highlighted a tiny hole at top, which focuses a light ray onto the tile floor. (See more at Wow Moments).
     
    Santa Maria degli Angeli's Meridian,
    with tile imagery of the zodiac signs


         * Santa Maria in Aracoeli - lined with glittering crystal chandeliers        

     *A small church, Santa Cecelia in Trastevere, had a display of dresses lining it's aisles - the garments worn by the priests down through the ages.

     *Santa Maria Sopra Minerva,     the only Gothic church in Rome, is earlier and simpler than the decorative Renaissance churches. It is beautiful with pointed, arched ceilings painted with starry, blue skies. Memorable also are its blue rosette windows.

       The Book

    After "screening" a few sheets of paper, they were fitted to the size of my printer and I printed a few photos. The rough surface gives an interesting texture to the images.


    Page with deckled edge is hand-screened, showing photo of the floor meridian, Santa Maria degli Angeles.

    I also wanted to try cutting some windows in the other pages to frame what's next. This view through an archway made a perfect cutout.


    continuing the tour. . .

    Archways, domes, columns, transoms, it seems no walkway is a simple rectangle.


    ...and the columns are diverse, too.


    S. M. Sopra Minerva

    entrance, Santa Maria Maddalena


    Church of Gesu e Maria

        
    *Gesu e Maria, a favorite, beautifully sculpted and ornate. I'm so glad we happened to find this our first night out, because when the group met here the next day, it was closed. This church is gorgeous with sculpted columns, chapels, and a high dome above the altar. A children's choir was singing with a short ceremony (first communion?), and then applause. A beautiful interlude.

      
    *Santa Maria Maddalena, elaborately sculpted and ornate (more "rococo", tho they say it's really Baroque). Mass was in progress, so we sat and waited. Very peaceful.

    Santa Maria Maddalena

      
     *St. Peter's Basilica, massive and sumptuously sculpted, and ornate, period.

        * And tho he's not a church (or is he?), another big draw at St. Peter's is "Il Papa" himself. About half of our group opted to go early for Pope Francis's Wednesday blessing in St. Peter's Square. (more at Wow Moments)

    In St. Peter's, Vatican

          Most churches in Rome are huge, meant to IMPRESS! and St. Peter's Basilica tops them all. As the largest christian church in the world, it's scale is huge and sculpted figures are generally 8 times normal lifesize. Note the photo at left, with the man's head in lower right corner. And below, the massive figures on the roof were designed to be "top heavy", so they would look normal and counter the foreshortening when seen from the square below.

        Here also is my favorite sculpture, The Pieta, first seen when I traveled to Philly waaay back on a longago school trip. In those days visitors could get close (now, it's behind bullet-proof glass).

    It's marble surface and detail is perfection. See more of the Pieta and the Pope: (Wow Moments!)


    The Pieta
     At that time, it was bathed in a green light and the impression has stayed with me ever since.

    * Santa Maria Maggiore - very elaborately Baroque. Instead of frescos, waaay up high in the domes and arches, it has impressive mosaics. It is huge. Here, we came across school tours and at the alter, a children's chorus broke into song. Very short and echoey midst the tall, ionic columns. Then sudden silence, and everyone moved on.


    St. Theresa In Ecstasy


    Moses,
    Michaelangelo's last sculpture. Meant to be part of a much larger display, but then, he was tied up with so many other projects.

     
     *Santa Maria Della Vittoria, another very ornate, Baroque cathedral. Many paintings here, with a very high dome over the central aisle painted with parting clouds in the sky, opening a path to heaven for those below.
         Here also, is Bernini's sculpture, St. Theresa In Ecstasy (a masterpiece of detail and emotion). (Many altars, chapels, or sculptures may have special lighting that is only lit when an offering is made. Wait 'til someone drops in a coin, then snap a photo.) Above St. Theresa, a window lets in its own natural light, highlighting the sculpted "fire" behind the angel. Impressive!

     *St. Peter In Chains, best known for Moses and the Chains, but I was also drawn to the wide variety of inlaid marble of various colors and patterns lining the floors, walls, and stairwells. They stood out because the design of this church is simpler to me. And the beautiful, wrought iron gates outside cast intriguing patterns on the terrace floor, too.


    S.M. della Vittoria


    Terrace, St. Peter In Chains


    Chigi Chapel,
    S.M. del Popolo


     *Santa Maria del Popolo is pre-renaissance without all the ornate fittings, and parts of it look more llike a fortress to me.


         It's known for its paintings (Caraveggio), frescos, and the Chigi Chapel later built by Raphael with sculpture by Bernini. The piazza outside is huge with a central obelisk and Rome's north portal, flanked by the church. This was a major entry to Rome.

        It was getting dark when we found it (we'd spent a couple hours asking directions for the bus to Piazza de Popolo, then found out there was no bus from our area. Hence, our first experiment with the Metro.) The square was full of people, making music, making art, making bubbles for the kids, or just enjoying the scene.


    Carraveggio paintings on either side of the altar. S.M. del Popolo

    Basilica of San Sebastion


        * An unexpected church (to me) on our side trip to the catacombs was the Basilica of San Sebastian, which is built over the tombs. A beautiful interior, it's dedicated to St. Sebastian, whose remains are there. The tunnels below are extensive and full of ancient tile, graffiti, and sarcophagi. See more about the catacombs: Wow Moments.
             Inside the church is highlighted Bernini's last sculpture of Jesus, the culmination of all his skill.

    "Bust of the Savior" by Bernini

    entrance to San Clemente's
    lower level.

    * San Clemente is another amazing church, but not because of all the impressive baroque architecture. This one is 3 levels of Roman history penetrating to it's original base waaay underground -see more: Wow Moments.

    ancient frescos and columns

    San Clemente, more "modern" 12th century level

     

     *     And finally, The Pantheon is the original "church" or temple to all the Gods. Built around 118 A.D., it became the template for all future domes.


    Stephanie creates a drinking spout
    at the fountain

       Still strong and intact, it's the largest, unsupported concrete dome in the world. The oculus at the top is open to sun and rain, and on rare occasions, snow. On the floor is a pattern of beautiful tile, undisturbed by the continuous crowds through the ages. The Pantheon epitomizes its space like no other and to be within that dome is profound.

         On our first evening visit, the square was jammed. People were lined up to the door, and also enjoying the musicians and vendors there. It was here we first learned to use the drinking fountain by closing the spigot with one finger, which causes water to spurt up through the hole on top of the pipe. How simple and ingenious. No need for levers, dials, or pumps.

    *continuing...
                      
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