More of my first weekend.

If you are following this blog it might become a little confusing.  If you check regularly you will have some kind of historical time-line.  Otherwise you have to go to the "Older Blogs" at the bottom of the whole days blog and look at past blogs.  Now that you know that I will confuse the issue and let you know that this one was posted on the same day as the last one, so I am still letting you know what happened on Saturday, 9/17.

This is the original entrance to the Church of Ss. Cosmas and Damian, which was a Roman temple.  When you look up to the ceiling in here you can see the newer church.  For the dome of this building is even with that new church.  I mean new as in only 1700 years old but remodeled forty years ago.

 Here you are in the temple watching the movie "Quo Vadis"? about Nero's insanity.  Above the movie screen you can see the new church through the window.  The bright spot is the inside of the dome of that new church.  Below is the inside of the dome of the old church, obviously redone.  I think the picture is God the Father surrounded by angels.

 

Below is the Basilica of Mary Queen of Heaven in Campidoglio.  Campidoglio is a government building right next door.  On the other side of the basilica is the Capitalini.  Imagine having your wedding there.  This was Saturday afternoon so there were weddings going on all over.  Of course tourists like me were also all over.

 This ready for the nativity display for the church.  God the Father and the angels are ready.

 The ceiling was awesome.

 The priest is actually up there trying to have this ceremony.

 Above is the back of the church.  The bright spot is a stained glass window shown below.  I'm not sure of the meaning of the three bees.

 Now you have to imagine walking up (or down) these steps in your wedding gown, for this is the front of the basilica.  There was another entrance from the back side that wasn't quite so intimidating.

 Here are the steps to the government building.  I think it was mostly a museum.

                                        Of course there was a wedding going on there also.

 This guy looks like he is just about to eat a very ugly fish.

   Here are a couple more views of the ruins of the Forum

 Here is the Capitalini on the left, Basilica of Mary is tan in the middle and the Campidoglio on the right.

St. Peter got to replace Caesar on the top of this obelisk that I think is carved the the story of the battle of Rome against the Romulans.  Actually I think that was a Star Trek episode.  Either way St. Peter now gets top billing.

 The last three pictures were of a church dedicated to Mary, Virgin and Mother of God Church.

 This one I couldn't get into but it seemed to be for the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.  I have to ask the students here a the Gregorian, who goes to their rival school.

 I didn't get to find out who this Saint was but I was intrigued by the snakes the the head at his feet.

                                            This I know is St. Albert the Great.

                                                  And this is St. Thomas Aquinas.
There was more on this day but I have some reading to do so I will sign off.   I think if have finally figure out how to change the time stamp on these.  It is really 10:30pm in Rome.