27th April Rome to Venice

We thought we were allowed to sleep in today because we were not catching the train until 11pm so we knew it was going to be a long day.  We ate a leisurely breakfast in the hotel room and the packed our bags once again, trying to find room for all those little extras that we had purchased. Not an easy task as the bag is already pretty full.  We were allowed to leave our luggage at the hotel so off we went to try and get done the things that we had missed.  First, we headed for the bus station to get a ticket to go across Rome to the Pantheon.  They cost us €4 each plus €3 for a map. 

The occulus in The Pantheon

 They don’t run to a timetable in Rome apparently due to traffic and if the driver wants a coffee break he just stops and has one.  We found the right bus then climbed on along with heaps of others.  Boy, you’ve really got to keep your hands on your purse as there are seedy looking guys everywhere.  We got off and wandered to the Pantheon in the heat of the day.  We walked into it’s cool dimly lit interior.  The pantheon was built by Hadrian in 120AD on the site of a previous Roman temple that was Agrippa’s in 27BC.  

The Alter in The Pantheon

It was built then as a Pagan Temple and has since been reverted to a Christian Temple for the Catholics.  It is a perfect semisphere and it’s only light is through an almost 9m oculus in the centre of the dome. The dome is considered to be the most important architectural achievement by the Romans and was the largest dome in the world until the 15^th century and is still the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built.  As we walked in, the sun shone down in a beam that made it look almost magical.  The oculus is an open hole and apparently an amazing site on a rainy day.  The floor is gradient and there is a impressive drainage system that takes any water away.  The marble covered walls were beautifully patterned and used many different types of marble.  From there we moved on to the Colosseum.  We needed to take another bus so waited at the stop.  I got chatting to a local who was happy to advise us and to tell us about where to go for a swim (didn’t want to know that but there we are).  Construction of the Colosseum began in 72AD.  It was built by Jewish prisoners and was designed to seat 80,000 spectators.  When it was completed on 80Ad they had an inaugural opening which lasted for 100 days. 

Colosseum

 Food and wine was given for free at the colosseum and each section of the Colosseum  was designated to different types of people.  Senators and Ministers were near the Emperor, then knights and military tribunes.  Also, there were sections for young men and their tutors, women, married couples and servants.  It was usually uncovered but if it rained sailors would cover the top with huge sails.  In the opening it is documented that over 9000 animals were killed.  They were also able to fill the ring with water and stage mock sea battles.  Contrary to legends, no Christians were killed there.  They were killed down the road at Circus Maximus, an open ampi-theatre.  The Colosseum was destroyed over time by 3 separate earthquakes and eventually it became a cemetery and then a quarry as they took all of the marble from there to build some of the churches in the Renaissance period of the 15^th century.  It is truly an amazing sight even today nearly 2000 years later.  

The chains that bound St Peter as he was crucified

 From the Colosseum we went to the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter in Chains)

Part of the ceiling in St Peters Church

 where we were able to see another Michalangelo masterpiece.  This one was of Moses who he made under orders of Pope Julius II which was intended for the Popes funeral monument but didn’t get completed.  He has depicted Moses with horns because there was a misinterpretation when the Hebrew word was read as “horned” when it actually said “Radiant”.  

Moses by Michelangelo

Beneath the altar there is a special little nave which houses the “chains” that were said to have bound St Peter by Herod before he was crucified.  They were sent back to Rome from Constantinople and according to legend they were in two pieces when they left Constantinople and the miraculously rejoined when the returned to Rome.  This church was built in the 5^th century and is made up of a series of naves down the side each designed by different artists over the centuries so each have priceless art and each a little story.  We then went a couple of blocks to Santa Maria Maggiore (there is a church on practically every corner in Rome)  This one has a special nave with wood form the manger in which Jesus was placed after his birth.  Again, very big, very beautiful.  A few minutes after we entered there was an almighty bang of thunder and the heavens opened.  We decided that we would sit quietly as it was only 6pm and we had no desire to be wet till our train was due.  We stayed in there watching tour guides 

One of the many fountains in Rome

coming through with their little flags held high so all the tour group would follow dutifully behind.  When the rain had eased we left and found a cozy little restaurant for dinner.  By the time we had dinner, picked up our bags and got to the train station, it had stopped raining and we found a waiting room with comfy chairs, a powerpoint for the computer and we settled down to watch a movie and wait for our train.  When we finally got into our sleeper we found 2 bunk beds, a washroom and peace and quiet.  We slipped into bed and eventually got rocked to sleep by the motion of the train.