Roaming in Rome

Today was an action-packed day!  Josh got 5 tickets to go on the Scavi tour (the excavations under St. Peter’s Bascilica) several months ago and we drew names to see who all would get to go with him.  I was one of the fortunate ones who did along with Doyen, Mario, Tim, and Chris.  Basically, we explored a portion of a necropolis, or a city of the dead, upon which St. Peter’s is constructed.  It started out as a pagan cemetery which gradually began to incorporate Christian “residents.”  Apparently, St. Peter ended up there because it was the closest cemetery to where his martyrdom took place.  In any case, we got to see the actual tomb of St. Peter!!!  We were also down where a number of Popes were buried, including JP II!  Unfortunately, I did not get to take any pictures while on the tour because they had a ban on it (yet the tour guide used a laser pointer during the tour???).

After these things had transpired, we went onto the actual dome of the Bascilica.  We climbed steps and we climbed steps…then we climbed steps.  Throughout the whole journey, I was beginning to feel like I was climbing Jacob’s ladder–another perfect opportunity to break into song   There was, at least, a nice little break in the cardio-aerobics when we got to a certain point in the dome where we could actually go in and look down on it’s insides.  It was at that point that I started getting the sweaty palms, rapid heart rate, feeling of dread, etc. that I typically get when I’m in a high position and am directly overlooking the spot where I’ll meet my destiny should I fall. 

We were behind a 12 ft cage with closely knit wire, so there was really no "rational" reason for me to be afraid, I guess.

  We ascended some more stairs and I used this opportunity to begin a set of Hail Marys.  It worked!  My breathing began to regularize about the time we went out onto the platform atop the dome.  Boy, was I glad I went up there!  It was a sight to behold.  I think one can see the length and the breadth of the city from up there.

The cost of a metro ticket to get to St. Peter's...1 Euro. The cost of a pass to go on St. Peter's dome...5 Euro. The look on this acrophobe's face from a few hundred feet in the air...priceless.

This is the very best shot I was able to take. St. Peter's square in the foreground, and the Tiber beyond it.

 On our way back down, we were able to stop at another point on the top of the building and look back up at where we’d been.  It was an interesting spot.  We were behind the statues that one sees when he looks up at the building from the square.

If you look closely, you might see a ring of people below the ball at the top.

 We came back for another wonderful lunch at the house custom made for a meatless Friday in Lent.  We had coffee and a brief siesta before heading back to St. Peter’s where we met up with Heidi and Tina.  This time we were going for a tour of the building that houses the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, what Mario jokingly referred to as the “Hammer” of the Catholic Church.  To our good fortune, Chris knew someone who was friends with a priest, Fr. Steve Lopes, who worked in the CDF.  Chris wrote Fr. Lopes on his friend’s recommendation and he agreed to let us in and show us around.  We actually got to sit in the room where they hold their conferences!

Left to Right: Heidi, Josh, Chris, Mario, Doyen, Tim, and Tina.

Fr. Steven Lopes