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Walkabout Wednesday: Stones That Remember - The Stolpersteine
Roman streets are paved with sampietrini - little blocks that provide the streets of Rome with their charms, but also, frankly, an...

Rick Bessey
Jun 251 min read


Ancient Tuesday: Arch of Janus
The Arch of Janus is a four-sided structure located near the Tiber River, close to where Romulus and Remus reportedly washed ashore. Adjacent to it is the church of San Giorgio al Velabro. While named for the two-faced god Janus, there is no historical connection to the deity.

Rick Bessey
Jun 171 min read


Santi Marcellino e Pietro - Saturday, Second Week of Lent
The original church devoted to the saints Marcellinus and Pietrus was likely consecrated in the late 4th century. The pope often...

Rick Bessey
Mar 221 min read


San Vitale - Friday, Second Week of Lent
The most striking thing to a modern visitor to San Vitale is not the architecture, or the art, or the history. What stands out the most...

Rick Bessey
Mar 213 min read


Santa Maria in Trastevere - Thursday, Second Week of Lent
One of the oldest and most beautiful churches in Rome, Santa Maria in Trastevere is also located in one of the most delightful areas of...

Rick Bessey
Mar 203 min read


Santa Cecilia - Wednesday, Second Week of Lent
The story of Saint Cecilia, from her conversion to where she is today, is one of the most touching in terms of her as an individual and...

Rick Bessey
Mar 193 min read


Santa Balbina - Tuesday, Second Week of Lent
The church of Santa Balbina is a quiet, but relatively central section of Rome. Located within view of the Baths of Caracalla this...

Rick Bessey
Mar 182 min read


San Clemente - Monday, Second Week of Lent
Within an easy walk of the Colosseum you will find the Basilica of San Clemente, a basilica which embodies all the layers of history in...

Rick Bessey
Mar 172 min read


Santa Maria in Domnica - Sunday, Second Week of Lent
Today's church is a lovely church just south of the Colosseum. There are two items of note that are directly related to the evolution of...

Rick Bessey
Mar 163 min read


Saint Peter's Basilica - Saturday, First Week of Lent
St. Peter's Basilica is the main church of all Catholicism. In this first post about this magnificent church, I want to focus on how and...

Rick Bessey
Mar 153 min read


Basilica dei Santi Apostoli - Friday, First Week of Lent
The Basilica Santi Apostoli, located centrally in Rome near Piazza Venezia, holds the relics of St. Philip and St. James the Lesser, rediscovered in the late 1800s. Originally built in the mid-300s, the current structure is a result of multiple rebuilds, including an 1800s renovation. It was also Michelangelo's initial burial site before his body was moved to Florence.

Rick Bessey
Mar 142 min read


San Lorenzo in Panisperna - Thursday, First Week of Lent
If you are going through the Monti area in Rome, headed to Santa Maria Maggiore, you will likely walk down Via Panisperna. In doing so...

Rick Bessey
Mar 132 min read


Santa Maria Maggiore - Wednesday, First Week of Lent
Today we are introduced to what is known in technical terms, as a whopper of a church. There is so much to see and to unpack when it...

Rick Bessey
Mar 123 min read


Sant'Anastasia al Palatino - Tuesday, First Week of Lent
Sant'Anastasia is a church in the heart of ancient Rome. It sits at the western end of the Circus Maximus within an easy walk of the...

Rick Bessey
Mar 111 min read


San Pietro in Vincoli - Monday, First Week of Lent
St. Peters in Chains is a fascinating place. From the piazza outside it is difficult to recognize as a church; it appears to be piazza...

Rick Bessey
Mar 102 min read


Saint John Lateran - Sunday, First Week of Lent
With the Church of Saint John Lateran we come to the seat of the Bishop of Rome. One might think of Saint Peter's as the main church of...

Rick Bessey
Mar 92 min read


Sant'Agostino - Saturday, Week of Ash Wednesday
If you are visiting the Piazza Navona - and many visitors to Rome are! - take the time to go north one block and visit Sant'Agostino. ...

Rick Bessey
Mar 83 min read


Santi Giovanni e Paolo - Friday, Week of Ash Wednesday
The church of Santi Giovanni e Paolo is one of the more fascinating churches of the Lenten churches. The approach to the church is...

Rick Bessey
Mar 72 min read


San Giorgio al Velabro - Thursday, Week of Ash Wednesday
San Giorgio al Velabro is located in a beautiful part of Rome within sight of the famous Bocca della Verita (see Roman Holiday, with...

Rick Bessey
Mar 61 min read


Santa Sabina - Ash Wednesday
The church of Santa Sabina is a wonderful surprise that perfectly embodies the flavor of Rome. The beautifully classical building...

Rick Bessey
Mar 52 min read
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