Feelings of the Day: Do you remember moments where you see something so incredible and amazing that your insides jump up and down, as your mind tries to take everything in at once, such that your oral relief valve opens and you say, “Wow. Oh, wow.” Today was a multitude of those moments.
Full Day’s Events: I walked back to the Termini train station, but not for using it to go somewhere. I want what’s near it…Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, home of the National Museum of Rome HQ! After the palace was built in 1887, on the site of a convent for a Jesuit College, it was converted to the first public non-secular high school in Italy. In 1981, after two decades of sitting unoccupied, the Italian government acquired it and converted it into the NRM.
This museum was a feast for the eyes and heart. There were many, “Wow! Oh, wow” moments here. First, on the ground floor, there were excellent mosaics and lifelike statues as well as bronzes. Oh my word the bronzes! Not since the National Museum in Athens, seeing the Poseidon/Zeus bronze, have I seen such wonderful examples of artistic mastery until standing before “The Hellenic Prince” and “The Boxer”. Magnificent.
On the second floor there were more mosaics and statues, like the wonderful “Discus Thrower”, and the bronze Dionysus.
On the third floor the standouts were the humongous and detailed sarcophagus with battle scenes, marvellous mosaics, and frescos from a villa beside the Tiber that were moved here and displayed in framed rooms. I think I spent over three hours here and honestly cannot remember what I ate afterwards, but it was probably a takeaway sandwich.
Thinking that a change of pace was needed, I went to the Arch-basilica of Saint John Lateran. It has a full name. Ready? The Major Papal, Patriarchal and Roman Arch-basilica, Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour and Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in Lateran, Mother and Head of All Churches in Rome and in the World. Whew! Consecrated in 324, and added or changed many times, it is the only arch-basilica in the world because the person in charge of this place is the Bishop of Rome, A.K.A. the Pope. The Pope’s Pad, until the Middle ages, was the palace next door. The arch-basilica was started in the 4th century, languished and suffered an earthquake, then two major fires, then a rush order was put in the 1600’s and completed in 1735.
It is also one of the few old churches I’ve been to in Rome that has a bathroom, which was good because I needed it. Sorry ladies, but unlike most other bathrooms in Rome this one is not unisex so you have to wait in the ladies line, which universally is always longer. The statues of the twelve apostles face to the inward area, where the congregation attends mass, and were completed by the masters of their era. There was other art and smaller sculptures that were appealing. It was also free to get in, unless they detected in my aura that I was a lapsed Catholic and let me pass in in the hopes of returning to the fold.
When leaving, I video called my wife and we chatted while I was sitting in the covered stone patio at the front of the arch-basilica. As mentioned in yesterday’s missive, it was nice to see each other’s faces and hear each other’s voice but it wasn’t the same as the real thing.
While walking home I veered slightly to see the Basilica of Saint Peter in Chains, which I visited 14 years ago. Consecrated in 439 CE, and added to multiple times starting in 1475, it’s quite bare inside except for the back right that holds Michelangelo’s Moses which was built as a tomb for Pope Julius the second. I loved looking at it then and did today.
While starting to walk to the exit I passed by another two tombs I forgot were here, both with amazingly sculpted skeletons.
As I neared Hadrian’s & Julius’s forums I noticed people were walking in the middle of the street. A protest? Nope, they apparently close it to traffic on Saturdays. Had fried veggies and red rice for supper. 11.4km and 14 flights walked.
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