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Masterpiece Monday: Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa
Bernini was the greatest sculptor of the Baroque period and his St. Theresa in Ecstasy presents the moment that St. Theresa of Avila...

Rick Bessey
Jun 231 min read


Pilgrimage Sunday: San Giovanni in Laterano
I thought it would be interesting to treat the Seven Pilgrimage Churches of Rome on Sundays. The tradition of visiting pilgrimage...

Rick Bessey
Jun 221 min read


Saints and Relics Saturday: Saint Agnes
The Church of St. Agnes in Agone contains the relic of a young martyr — Saint Agnes — whose story is one of the most moving and...

Rick Bessey
Jun 211 min read


Churches Friday: Santa Prassede
One of the most fascinating types of churches in Rome are the titular churches — churches that were once house-churches, and still today...

Rick Bessey
Jun 201 min read


Curiosa Thursday: Fontana dei Libri, Rome
This little Fountain of Books is located in a wonderfully rich part of the city, and is easy to overlook. It borders the Piazza Navona,...

Rick Bessey
Jun 191 min read


Walkabout Wednesday: Via Delle Quattro Fontane
At the intersection of four Roman streets, each corner features a fountain with a river god or symbolic figure. The site sits directly between Santa Maria Maggiore and the Spanish Steps, with obelisks visible at both ends — a product of papal urban planning. Don’t miss San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Borromini’s unforgettable little church tucked into one corner.

Rick Bessey
Jun 181 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


Masterpiece Monday: The Risen Christ by Michelangelo
Michelangelo's Risen Christ is located in the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, behind the Pantheon in Rome. This masterpiece by Michelangelo is accessible to visitors away from typical crowds. The church has recently undergone renovations, making it an opportune time to visit this significant work.

Rick Bessey
Jun 161 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


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
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