These are from the Church of St.Vitale
The doors were awesome wood carvings. By the way if you are not a computer nerd and have not figured it out, you can "right click" with your mouse on any of these pictures and open them in a different window. This will allow you to magnify different parts. Close the screen and you will be back to the other pictures.
Above and below are pictures of what they did to St. Vitali, or Vitalis. It looks like they tried to make him taller and then buried him up to his neck when he was tall enough. Nice guys.
In the dome is Jesus suffering for our sins.
One Wednesday, 9/21, we got a tour of the Vatican Museum. We had an awesome tour guide. She had an amazing wit. But she also really knew a lot about the buildings and art of Rome. I have got to find out if she has books out. We did part of the museum and then the Sistine Chapel. You can't take pictures of the Sistine Chapel but don't let that bother you. There is a great virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel and the four major basilicas in Rome. Just go to www.vatican.va. The first is just to choose English then you look for basilicas. There are pictures but if you look hard on the menus you will find virtual tours. They are great. It is almost as good as seeing them live because you don't have to deal with the crowds or the poor lighting. On Thursday we had our first class. We heard about the three women Doctors of the Church. The prof then made connections between them and Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day and Edith Stein or St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Friday we did St. Mary Major and then I saw a whole lot of churches as I walked back across the main part of Rome.
But before I show you some of those pictures here is an example of the humor of Liz Lev, our guide. This wonderful? piece of art that stands prominently in the courtyard of the Vatican Museum is what she calls the "Death Star."
This is the Piazza Navona with its nice fountain, obelisk and it also has great gelato.
On the side it also has the Church of St. Agnes. You should also spot a guy on stilts, painted in silver to make money from people who are interested in getting their picture taken with him. It is hard to make a buck in Italy with the economy this bad.
Sorry that I can't identify all the beautiful art for you.
Yes that is my thumb. The sanctuary is under construction so this is what the German National Church of St. Maria looks like on the postcard.
By the way, it stands directly behind St. Agnes. Right across from it stands St. Nicholas Church
The picture above is of St. Padre Pio helping Jesus carry his cross. This and the pictures below are of what is called the New Church. It has the bones of St. Philip Neri in a side chapel.
Above is a picture of St. Philip Neri with his body behind a grill just below it.
Below are pictures of the Basilica of St. Andrew.
St. Andrew being taken down from the cross.
St. Andrew crucified.
Some of the churches had this kind of map, which would have been a good take-home thing. Otherwise they needed to label the pictures and statues, or print a book.
These are the only pictures I will include of St. Mary Major. Above you see the cript below the main altar. Below you see a close-up of the holder of what is believed to be what is left of the manger Baby Jesus was placed in.
Mary, Queen of Hearts
Here is a very simple one, St. Marun Church.
The pictures below are of the Church of the Trinity on the Mount.
I wish I could remember what Saint would be pictured with a cat and a little dog. Certainly not St. Hilton.
The shepherds visiting Jesus at his birth.
Archangel Michael fighting the bad guys.
Scourging at the pillar.
 |
| Jesus appearing the Mary Magdalene. |
This is why it is Trinity on the Mount. Above is what the church looks like. Below is what it looks like looking down the front steps of the church.
The Basilica of Ss. Ambrose and Charles.
 |
| Above is St. Barnabas preaching. |
 |
| St. Olaf, King of Norway |
 |
| St. Philip Neri |
St. John B. ?
 |
| Doctors of the Church honoring Mary, the Mother of God. |
 |
| St. John the Evangelist, St. John Chrysostom, and St. Gregory the Great honoring the Immaculate Virgin. |
 |
| St. Barnabas |
 |
| St. Rita of Cascia. |
 |
| Christ with Sts. Ambrose and Charles. |
 |
| St. Henry of England and St. Benedict. |
 |
| St. Matronianus? |
Below are pictures of the Church of St. James.
 |
| St. Jacobus |
 |
| Adoration of St. Augustine & St. Monica |
 |
| Our Lady of the Miracles. |
 |
| Piazzo del Popolo |
 |
| The Tiber River |
More tomorrow.
