Happy Halloween

There is not too much trick or treating here in Rome, they basically do not observe it.  I have only seen two small display's in shop windows and those were both in American Tourist areas.  But just for fun here are a few ghoolish details.

Gargoyles...

Witches??????

 More Witches?????

 Yikes!

 A little too friendly!!!!

Oh boy here he is again, with more friends...with friends like him who needs enemies!

This guy is everywhere in this town...and they say the Irish love death!

The devil not only wears Prada, he kiss he girls that wear them!

Catacombs

You have, no doubt, at one time or another heard stories about Christian's hiding in the Catacombs of Rome during the persecutions?  Well, all that is just made up stories.  The Catacombs were well known to the Roman Authorities and it would have been the last place Christians would have hidden, besides it was an underground Mausoleum sometimes miles long and very stinky with decay.  They were extensive and very well used as Roman's from antiquity had a custom called "Refrigerium" or refreshment, a ritual where by they would visit the grave and have a celebratory meal often leaving food for the dead in the belief they needed it to make the journey to the underworld.   Christians continued this but with the joy of knowing their loved ones were with God.  In a previous post I explained the difference between a Roman Necropolis and a Cemetery.  Cemeteries were distinctly Christian as they were places where the dead "slept" awaiting the second coming of Christ at the end of time.  Today we visited the Cemetery or Catacomb of Priscilla.  Though not used for hiding the early Christians did use larger chambers for the celebration of the Eucharist in memory of the dead.  Most of the passages are quite narrow and the bodies were wrapped in linen and heavily limed then placed on a shelf with a marble or terra cotta tile to seal the tomb.  They are quite narrow and small.  The ones toward the top are the oldest as they dug down when they needed more room. You can see adult, children, baby and cremain niches.  All of Rome sits atop tufa, a soft volcanic rock that is quite easy to dig, you could literally use a spoon that is how soft it is.  The longer it is exposed to air the harder it becomes.

Here we are about to enter the catacombs with our guide, you can see tomb fragments embedded in the stucco of the wall.

entering the Catacombs

 Here we are descending into the Catacombs, this passage not only goes down but then crossed under the busy road as the these tombs are actually located across the street from this Benedictine Convent.

descending into the Catacombs

 Your not supposed to take pictures but I did it without the flash. This is a large "family" room.  There was a very nice fresco of a woman praying who died fairly young, She was large in the center and to her left and right were a scene from her wedding and a scene with her holding her infant child on her lap indicating she was a married woman with a child.  This shot is of the ceiling, it has Christ the good Shepherd (bottom of screen), a sea monster at the top with a man escaping - this is Jonah coming out of the belly of the whale, an early Christian depiction of the Resurrection which Jonah foretold.  There is also a peacock which the ancients believed never died and as thus is also a symbol of the resurrection and the eternal life it brings.

ceiling of the tomb of a wealthy Christian woman.

 This is one of the larger tombs, when you see this arch in the catacombs you know it was a wealthy person's tomb as they had to pay for these.  They were buried in elaborately carved marble sarcophagus which have all been removed to museums.

niche where a elaborate marble sarcophagus once sat.

 These are some of the items found in the tombs.  Mostly oil lamps which were symbols of Christ the Light.  Some of these were also put on small shelves to illuminate the dark passages.

lamps and other objects found in the tombs.

 Here you see some Amphora vessels and one particularly touching object embedded in some concrete on the lower right of the picture, what looks like a doll.  It is a doll, it was buried in the tomb of a small child and was a toy that belonged to that child, their family buried it with the child.

child's toy doll found in a tomb

statue fragement

 This is a complete and well frescoed family tomb.  It contained scenes from the Nativity of the Lord.  In the oldest section of this catacomb (approx. 230 A.D.) is found the first and oldest extant image of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a Madonna holding the baby Jesus, much too fragile to be photoed.

Another family room.

 This would be the tomb of an average Christian, as you can see it is just a shelf.  It is also quite small and gives you and idea of how small people were back then.  They also had a custom of liming the body and leaving it for 24 hours which drew out moisture reducing the bodies size, then it was wrapped and limed again then tied with rope (sometimes folded in two) and placed on one of these shelves over which (depending on your finances) was then sealed with marble (for those with more money) or a terra cotta plate (in the case of the poor).   These were free, rooms or arched graves for sarcophagus were expensive to buy.

tomb shelf of an average Christian

 Here we are having Mass in the Largest of the Family Rooms.  Here one could make out the steps that originally led to the families house above us,  who donated this land for Christians to be buried.  I offered Mass for my grandparents today.  Also two Popes and countless Martyrs were buried in this large catacomb.

Mass in the catacomb

 Here is another passage, you can see brick work which dates to the 4th century, this was added in the 4th Century to strengthen and support the complex catacomb system.

Interior passageway

 Well we came back and had lunch.  Rome is full of surprises and today was no exception.  I went to sit down at a table and was told "Cardinal Pell is sitting there" so I simply went to the next table and sat down only to realize I would be dining with two Cardinals.  On the left is Cardinal Justin Rigali, retired Archbishop of Philadelphia and on the right is Cardinal Oswald Garcias the Archbishop of Mumbai, India.  Cardinal Gracias was at my end of the table and was a very gracious individual.  Both were in town for the Synod and also for meetings of Vox Clara, the English speaking group responsible for translating latin liturgical texts into English.  VC was meeting here at the Seminary all week.  With the Synod in town we had lots of Catholic luminaries coming and going.  I asked them if I could take their picture since it is not every day you have lunch with two Cardinals.  They both chuckled and were very happy to oblige or...er...indulge me!?

Cardinal Rigali, me and Cardinal Gracias

Back in the Saddle Again

Well after a week of being on bed rest after a really terrific infection I ventured out of my hermitage today to attend the Papal Mass for the Closing of the Synod on the New Evangelization.  The Mass was held, for a change, inside the Basilica.  It was a splendid Mass though music at St. Peter's could use a little work, it is a bit morbid and the locals refer to the choir as the 'Sistine Shreakers' instead of the Sistine Choir.  The Holy Father looked very tired after three weeks of active participation in the Synod. For a man of 85 he does quite well considering the great distances one travels in the Basilica.  We sat right behind the main Altar and some of our group were in the first row.  For the Eucharistic Prayer we stood at the foot of the Altar within a short distance of the Holy Father.  The funny moment today was listening to the priests talk about the Pope's red shoes! Yes, ladies that is right, the priests were all a buzz about his shoes.  I found this quite surprising.  All the Pope's wear red shoes, there was a at one time a custom where they would switch to green shoes during Easter but that is no longer observed.  Why Red shoes????  Well the answer is actually quite simple.  The Pope's originally wore all scarlet, the color the Cardinal's now wear.  At some point in history they extended their own color to their chosen college of advisors allowing them to wear the Papal Scarlet.  Eventually a Dominican Friar was elected Pope and chose to wear his white habit...and the as they say...the rest is history.  Ok, I gave you the readers digest version.  The only vestiges of the time when the Pope's wore scarlet are found in their shoes and in their Mozzetta.  The Mozzetta is the red shoulder cape you see the Pope wear on ceremonial occasions.  These two elements of their vesture are the remnants of when they wore all scarlet.  The shoes by-the-way are Italian designers shoes, I believe they are made as a gift by the House of Prada.

Here was my view of the Altar, looking toward the front door.

Main Altar

 This photo is from the beginning of the Mass when the Pope Incensed the Altar.

Beginning of Mass

 This photo was taken from about the middle of the Basilica after Communion, I had just finished distributing communion and was leaving the Blessed Sacrament Chapel on my way out.

End of Mass

This is photo of a Swiss guard, not exactly happy gilmore!  The uniforms were designed by Michelangelo and are still in use today for formal occasions and at the gates.  Impressive and they are well trained not just there for decoration either.

Swiss Guard

 Here is blurry photo from the end of Mass when the Pope flew by my location in what they call the "Pope Mover", a platform on wheels invented during the waning days of the Pontificate of Blessed John Paul II.  The Basilica is huge and not easy for an 85 year old to walk around so they use this motorized contraption where he stands and buzzes around after Mass to bless people.

Portable Pope Mover

 If you think the Pope gets a lot of attention you should have been on porch after the Mass when this Archbishop stepped out, it was a like a rock star had arrived at St. Peter's.  His name is Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, 55 year old Archbishop of Manila in the Philippines.  On Wednesday the Pope named him a Cardinal.  He was one of the bishops invited to the Synod and he gave a rousing speech that was well reported around the world in which he called for a more "humble" Church.  In turn the world press called him "pro-pabile" meaning a possible choice as the next Pope to succeed Benedict XVI!  I was standing nearby when he stepped out and was instantly mobbed.  This gaggle of nuns all threw their camera's at me asking me to take their picture with him.  Well I figured I would take one for my blog too!

Cardinal Designate Tagle

The White Gives the Blue Some Red

Well friends I am still under the weather and have not left my room in three days but I am feeling a bit better today so hopefully by the weekend I will be on my feet in the lanes of Rome again.  In the meantime though the Holy Father (White) has given a gift to the United States Church (the Blue) by announcing today the elevation of Archbishop James Harvey to the College of Cardinal (the Red).  Archbishop Harvey has served in the Holy See for more than 30 years as a diplomat and currently as head of the Papal Household.  Once created Cardinal he will assume a new position as Archpriest of St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four Papal Basilica's of Rome.

Here is Archbishop Harvey, I took these pictures at the Audience we had with Pope Benedict.  On the Right is Archbishop Harvey going over seating and protocols prior to the audience with the head of the Papal Gentlemen.

Cardinal designate Harvey on Right

 Here he is seated next to Pope Benedict on the left.  Today at the Papal Audience he was in the same position when the Pope made his surprise announcement of the creation of 6 new Cardinals, true to his diplomatic training he made no reaction until the end when he went over and thanked the Holy Father quietly then escorted the guest to see the Holy Father.

Cardinal designate Harvey to the left of B16

 And here is the Basilica he will be Archpriest at, St. Paul Outside the Walls.  The last American to be an Archpriest of a Basilica was His Eminence Bernard Cardinal Law, he is retired here in Rome and was Archpriest of St. Mary Major prior to his retirement.  Also living here in Rome is Cardinal O'Brien who is Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepluchre.

St. Paul Outside the Walls

Cardinals have three ranks within their college.  There are Cardinal Bishops, Cardinal Priests and Cardinal Deacons.  This can be confusing to people since not all Cardinals are Bishops but most are of the Order of Bishop.  The Popes typically name some men of the Order of Priest who are over 80 to the College and thus not eligible to vote but they can attend the conclave.  The three ranks are of title with Cardinal Bishop being the highest rank, usually reserved for those Cardinals who serve here in Rome in some capacity.  They have a head called the Cardinal Dean who convene's them upon the death of the Pope and calls the consistory, he also acts as intermediary between Popes.  Their title comes from a word meaning "hinge", as in door hinge.  The door being the Pope who is the Holy Door, a door cannot perform its function with a proper set of hinges to assist it.  The Cardinals are the Pope's "Cabinet" or Council to use modern terminology.  They are his closest collaborators, or at least should be.  Blessed Pope John XXIII was deeply wounded when he proposed a Second Council to be held at the Vatican, he made his announcement at St. Paul Outside the Walls to the College of Cardinals and they sat in silence though he expected collaboration.

This is the smallest consistory since 1977 when Pope Paul VI named 6 new Cardinals, among them was a young newly ordained German Bishop named Joseph Ratizinger!

Trains, Planes and Automobiles

Remember that classic comedy starring John Candy (a very funny actor) and the king of comedy Steve Martin?  Well our group took many forms of transportation.  If your in Italy long enough you see people in SUV's, smart cars, scooters (a few Vespa's but most drive other brands, I think Vespa's are too expensive), taxi's, horse, horse and buggy, bicycle, motorized bicycles (before Italy I only saw these in museums or on American Pickers), bus, tram, street car, subway, plane, helicopter, water taxi, Vaporetto, Gondola, to name just a few.  Our gang was on most of these, though not all.  Mom wanted to go on a Gondola but we ran out of time, when she found out the price she nearly fainted.  Gondola rates start at 90-125 Euro (add 40% to get US Dollar amount) daytime and in the evenings the rates jump to 150-180 Euro, all this for a 40 minute ride.  She did get to ride a water taxi and the Vaporetto which in fact are much more fun.  I did the Gondola ride last year as it was included in our tour, nice to do but if you don't do it you won't miss it.  Nothing all that exciting.  They do not sing to you as some people think, singing is an extra fee, if the guy can sing.  If he cannot sing you have to hire someone to get in the boat and sing for you.  I don't know why evenings are more expensive since in the dark you don't see much but I suppose it is romantic??

The posts here have been thin the last two days because I have been down with a cold.  Today I am feeling a bit better, I slept all day yesterday except to see Sr. Elizabeth Mary, R.S.M. our infirmarian.  She proscribed some medicine and fluids.

Here are some photos's from Sunday.  This first one is Mom looking tired at the end of the Venice visit on the Water Taxi ride from our Hotel to Santa Lucia Station.  The water taxi picks you up at your hotel.  All of the roads in Venice are water.  The front of the buildings face the water.  Water taxi's are very expensive but your on vacation so what the heck, plus we had too many bags for the Vaporetti.

Mom on the Water Taxi

 We arrived back in Rome on Sunday around 12 noon, walked from Termini Station to their hotel the Quirinale Hotel.  Unfortunately they could not stay at the La Griffe, where they began their journey.  This weekend there was a sporting event in Rome and the Canonization of 7 saints so the City was packed with tourists and pilgrims packing in the hotels.  The city must have been beyond capacity.  The Quirinale Hotel was aweful, the staff were as surly as they come and completely indifferent, quite a contrast to the La Griffe.  Gina had a pretty good exchange with the desk staff who seemed unmoved.  Fr. Cesar said that this is not uncommon in the City as some here feel tourists are a pain and the attitude is if you don't like it too bad as there are innumerable tourists lined up to come after you.  There will never be a time when tourists don't come to Rome.  Sad but probably true.

Here are Rosemary and Mom in a taxi on our way to meet Fr. Cesar and Fr. Javier for dinner at Piazza Navona.

Taxi ride to Piazza Navona

 We had a pleasant "last supper" on the Piazza Navona and then....of course we walked to....... Grom's for..........Gelato.  Here is (left to right) Jim Mumolie, Fr. Cesar and Fr. Jim ordering up some delicious gelato.

Jim, Fr. Cesar and Fr. Jim at Grom's.

All in all we had a good tour of Rome, Florence, Siena and Venice.  The very best hotel was in Florence, the Anthenaeum.  The hotel and their staff were wonderful and went out of their way to make your stay comfortable.  They were top notch!

The trip must have been fun enough that the group threw 3 coins in the Trevi Fountain, said to certainly bring you back to Rome.  And they put a coin in the Pigs mouth and rubbed it's snout to ensure a return to Florence.  Ok, the Pig's mouth is not it's proper name.  It is the Porcellino Fountain at the New Market (Mercato Nuovo).  It was designed by Tasso and originally called the Fountain of the Boar but the Florentine's call it the Fountain of the Piglet (Porcellino).  A rose by any other name, either way the group certainly hopes to return to another magical journey through Bella Italia!!!! (beautiful Italy).

Feet on Fire

I think everyone's feet are on fire after our last day in Venice.  We traveled to the famed mudflat in the Lagoon called "Murano".  The Ladies did a good job giving the economy a boost.  We saw a glass blowing exhibit where a artist made a vase and a horse.

We had a great lunch at the Tripadvisor #1 rated "B Restaurante Alla Vecchia Pescheria".  We stuck with the Traditional menu, meaning the special of the day.  We had spaghetti with tomato, olive, onion and anchiove, Spaghetti with tomato cream sauce and Penne with cream and Salmon.  The Primo, first course was large.  The Secondo we had grilled chicken, cuddlefish with polenta, pork Pizziola and Calamari.  All good size and delicious portions, it was not hard to understand why Tripadvisor had it as #1.  The atmosphere was modern museum funky and the place was packed inside and out.

We then caught caught the Vaporetto to Burano, the mudflat in the Lagoon famed for it's handmade lace.  Like the glass much of it comes from China these days so you have to be careful. We talked with a woman making a small piece and she said it takes 3 months to complete.  Too much demand for a few hands.

We took the long way home and had a nice view of the City of Venice at night and experienced the lively conversations of the locals.

It was cool, damp and foggy outside but in the factory it was like the Sahara, thus this artisan is lightly dressed.

Glassblowing a horse

One of the Canals in Murano.

Murano

There was a series of Art Exhibits in Glass in the Campo's and Piazza's of Murano.  This one matched how the gang's feet felt, on fire!

Feet on Fire

On to Burano where there is not only an ancient practice of making lace, once a world power where royalty bought their lace, it is also known for it's colorful houses.  Rosemary was reminded of Bermuda.

Burano

Here is a woman doing hand work, it will take 3 months to complete this piece!  Very intense and fine work,  Rosemary could do it in 1 1/2 month I am sure, she is good with her fingers.

Making Lace in Burano

Suset over the Isola San Michelle in the Lagoon, the Island of the Dead, a cemetery.  Your family has to pay a fee every decade for you to remain.  If payment is not made you are moved to the Island of the Bones, I don't think that place needs explanation.

Sunset, S. Michelle on the left, Murano on the right.

Chao Venice, we leave at 8am tomorrow.

Ferrovia

The Iron Way, that's what Ferrovia means.  It refers to the iron tracks required for rail travel.  We took the high speed train to Venice today, the Ferrovia.

The Iron Way

Awaiting the Ferrovia

Mom enjoying 2nd Class on the high speed train

Rosemary is never idle!  go, go, go working on a blanket

The train arrived 10 minutes late and when we disembarked Maria from the Dodo Palace was on the platform waiting for us to usher us to a Water Taxi.  There are no paved road in Venice, you walk or take the Aqua Via, the Water Way.

Mom waving to the folks at home, "wish you were here". Oh, sorry your not!

We settled in and walk to St. Marks and then on to a delicious lunch at Trattoria alla Rivetta at the base of the Ponte San Provolo.  We had two appetizers one was a baked eggplant with cheese and the other was an assortment of grilled veggies and beans followed by either the Calamari, the Calamari with Shrimp or the razor clams.  Delicious, the squid was so fresh I think it was alive when it was cooked, very tender.  We knew we had the right place when we saw all the gondolier's eating there and a Nonna come in for take-away.  The waiter was very friendly and it seemed all of them were singing some happy tune out loud.

The main shopping center is around Rialto Bridge, the most famous bridge in Venice.  It is to Venice what the Ponte Vecchio is to Florence with less gold.

View of Grand Canal from Rialto Bridge

Rosemary rounded a corner and got all excited thinking Jack had come to Venice to surprise her but it was some other masked man working his magic on her!

Rosemary outside the mask store with her new found friend.

Here are the Two Jim's with the Ferro Doge, the Iron Leader, wondering where in the H*ll are we anyway?????  Why boy's we are right here, just look at the map.  We are at the old San Lorenzo Church which is now a archeological site and art exhibit.

The Doge showing their location on the Map.

View from the Academia bridge looking from the Grand Canal to the Lagoon.

Where would Venice be without the Gondola?  Not used any longer for ordinary travel, they now ply the waterways filled with tourists looking for a little of the old La Serrenissima, the Most Serene Republic, as Venice was once called.

Are we there yet? Two more blocks, really!

Remember when you took the kids on a trip or you were a kid on the trip?  The standard question eventually was, :"Are we there yet?" and the answer you always told the kiddies or were told by your parents was, "Just a few more blocks" or "Almost there".  Well that has become the standard joke on this little jaunt.  They ask me how much further we have to walk and I say, "just a few more blocks, not far".  On the way back this afternoon the weather was so clear as we came up our street you could see the mountains in the distance.  Jim the attorney said, "I betcha John is going to have us walk to that Church on the mountain and tell us it's only a few blocks away".  Hmmmm, they always believe me so I don't know what the issue is.  Needless to say everyone is really tired today.  They saw most of Florence, it is not possible to see everything in one visit.  We leave for Venice, one of the most expensive places to visit in all Italy!

We started the jaunt at the Uffizi gallery, the premier art museum that was once the private gallery of the Florence's ruling family, the Medici.  It has an extensive collection.  Here is picture from the top floor gallery looking out at the Ponte Vecchio.

Ponte Vecchio

 From the roof terrace there is a great view of the Palazzo Vecchio, the town hall of Florence where the Signoria held its meetings.

Palazzo Vecchio

 Here is Mom on the roof terrace with the Duomo and the Bell Tower of Giotto in the background.

Mom on a cool tin roof

 View of Duomo through the rail.

Duomo view in fours

 We then marched with these fellow over to the Mercato Nuovo or Straw Market to look at handbags, what else?

The defender of the purse at the Straw Market

 In Rome you throw three coins into the Trevi Fountain to come back and rub St. Peter's Toe for a Blessing on your pilgrimage.  In Florence you place a coin in a pigs mouth and then rub it's nose in hopes you don't get ripped off in the markets.....errrrr, ok I made the last part up.  You place a coin in his mouth then rub his nose to come back to Florence.

Mom and Rosemary polishing the pig in hopes of returning to hog heaven.

 Then on to Lunch at the Medici restaurant in the San Lorenzo market to be fortified for the upcoming Olympic handbag shopping.

Rosemary's rosy cheeks after some Vino Rosso

 As we made our way to the Mercato Centrale, the city's central food market.  Hey the guide could care less about bags made from dead animals, he wanted to see the good stuff Italy is famous for, like food!  The Mercato Centrale is Florence answer to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.  My Philly friends would all feel quite at home and might even think they were home if they were in the Centrale.  On the way we ran into these four little pigs enjoying a quite Pranzo outside a meat market specializing in Pork.

Four little petrified pigs enjoying their last supper.

 Once in the Mercato Centrale Mom found a new friend.  A Weinheimer Dog.  We had two of these growing up.  The stall owner said this gal was 7 years old and she was very friendly.  Our second one would never have been welcome in the Market as he would have devoured the whole place.

The grey ghost and the silver fox meet up at the market.

 Not everyone is into handbags, shoes and ceramics.  Rosemary in her glory in one of the fabric stores.  We tried to find one we were in yesterday but never did but we did find this one.  She didn't find any fabric to suit her fancy so it looks like the money she brought to support the Italian economy is going to the Amish.  Hey Jack, Guess where your going this fall???  Whoopie pie here you come!

Rosemary in Florentine heaven.

 Not all art is found in the Museums.  These street artists draw in chalk every day near the Piazza Republica.

Street Chalk Art.

 The City of Milan was a united Italy's first capitol, in order to put pressure on the Pope to surrender the Papal States (all of Central Italy), the Capitol was moved to Florence.  When that happened the new government tour down an ancient neighborhood dating to Roman and Etruscan times in the name of progress, displacing thousands of families who had lived there for centuries.  Adding insult to injury this triumphal arch was erected by Il Duce who was Prime Minister at the time.  It roughly translates as, "In this ancient, destitute and wretched run down neighborhood we restored beauty.  Not an exact translation but you get the picture of how arrogant it was to destroy and displace people then insult them!

Insulting Arch

 This column marks the center of Roman Florence, here was the ancient forum.  A column has stood here on this spot for thousands of years.  Not even Il Duce dared erase Roman Influence.

Column marking the center of Roman Florence

 We ended by limping back to the hotel and passing the Great Duomo of Santa Maria Fiori and the beautiful bell tower designed by Giotto.

Arrivederci Fiorenze!