Day 1 Rome – September 18, 2017

We awoke at 7 am to our first full day in Rome and had breakfast in the Le Orsoline dining room.  This is the view from our room, which overlooks the garden of Le Orsoline. 

The garden contains lime and olive trees and lots of different flowers.  Because nothing was scheduled until mid-afternoon, we decided to take the #90 bus to XXI April and walk to the Saint Costanza mausoleum and Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura church.  The circular Mausoleum was built by Emperor Constantine for his daughters Costanza and Elena.  

It has 12 pairs of marble columns encircling the central domed space, which is lit by 12 windows above.  The ceiling is covered with beautiful 4-cnetury mosaics.  Two of these depict wine making with little men leading oxcarts filled with grapes, which are crushed by men exuberantly stomping.  There are also some ancient frescos.  The mausoleum was converted into a church in 1254. 

After leaving the mausoleum, we walked down a long-ramped driveway to the entrance of Sant’ Agnes church and catacombs.  Saint Agnes was a Christian virgin who was martyred for not marrying a Roman pagan.  Her body lies in the catacombs directly below the church altar.  The church was originally constructed in the 4^th century and contains a large apisodal Byzantine art mosaic.  The mosaic depicts Saint Agnes against a cold background between Pope Symmachus and Pope Honorious I.  She is dressed as a Byzantine empress in golden robes with jewelry.  Her martyrdom is depicted by tiny red flames at her feet and a small sword in her hand.  The hand of God domes from the sky to crown her with laurels. 

Apisodal Mosaic

Nave of St. Agnes

Grand Staircase to the church

We then returned via bus #90 to pick up bus #62 and took it to the end of the line, which placed us adjacent to St. Peter’s square.  There we walked around taking in the grandeur of the area.

We then returned to the convent to meet the group for our 2:30 trip by tram #3 to San Clemente. 

 Here are a couple of internet pictures of the interior, which is being renovated, of San Clemente.

Saint Clement was a 1^st century pope who died in 99 CE and has been venerated as a martyr since the 4^th century.  San Clemente is a “cake” church – 12^th century built upon a 4^th century basilica, which is built atop a 1^st century Mithraeum (a place of worship of the Persian god, Mithras).  The 12^th century church contains a gorgeous apisodal Byzantine mosaic, which we could not seeing because of current restoration.  This is a picture from the internet of the mosaic. 

It shows a complex iconographty of the Tree of Life that originates from the blood of Christ and alludes to the Church.  The 12 disciples sit equally spaced in a ring framing the mosaic’s bottom edge. 

We proceeded to the lowest level of San Clemente where we were standing in the remains of the Mithraeum and the altar of Mithras. 

There were excavated adjoining rooms of a Roman home with running spring water.   From that level, we climbed stairs to the 4^th century basilica which was the first area to be excavated beginning in 1857.  This level contains frescoes of Saint Clement and lesser-known Christian figures dating back to the 6^th century. 

There are marble columns and an elaborate mosaic covered floor from the ancient basilica built upon the ruins of 1^st century Rome.

Going back to Le Orsoline was quite an ordeal on the tram, because it was rush hour.  But, once back at Le Orsoline, we had happy hour followed by dinner at 7:30 pm.  Tomorrow, we have a day of sightseeing in the area of the Forum and Coliseum.