Where we're going: Rome!
Rome is the center of the Roman Catholic Church and one of the
world's great cities. It draws Catholics as well as lovers of art,
architecture, history, literature, fashion, food, and so much more. Rome
was first called Urbs aeterna, Eternal City in the first century BC. It
is also called Caput Mundi (Capital of the World). According to legend,
Rome was established by twin brothers Romulus and Remus in 753BC. (You
will see the image of the she-wolf suckling the infant twins all over
the city!) Archaeological excavations, however, suggest that the site
has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, making it one of the
earliest settlements in Europe.
Where we're praying:
Basilica di Sant'Ignazio
Our concert for the city of Rome will take place here at
Sant'Ignazio.
Sant'Ignazio was built in 1626 by the Jesuit Orazio Grassi, and was
decorated by another Jesuit, Andrea Pozzo (1642-1709), a master of
trompe l'oeil. The ceiling depicts a soaring dome (that is
actually flat!) and a stunning scene entitled The Apotheosis of St.
Ignatius. Thanks to Pozzo's virtuoso use of perspective, dozens of
figures appear to float heavenwards past dizzying columns and arches.
Look for the symbolic figure representing the Americas.
Three great Jesuit saints are buried here at Sant'Ignazio: Saint
Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), Saint John Berchmans (1599-1621), and
Saint Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621). Saint Ignatius of Loyola himself is
buried at the Church of the Gesù, also in Rome.
Travel tips
EATING WELL IN ROME While we will be eating
many of our meals together, on several days we will have lunch or dinner
"on your own." If you are not an experienced traveler, don't worry!
You can find a restaurant that fits your budget and taste. Here's some
helpful advice from Rick Steves.
https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/sleeping-eating/eating-in-europe
PILGRIMAGE GRATUITIES Although optional, it is
customary to tip the tour manager and bus driver at the end of the tour.
Gratuities are preferred in Euro and recommended amounts are 4.00 Euro
per person, per day for the tour manager and 2.00 Euro per person, per
day for the driver. We recommend preparing envelopes in advance of your
tour and then handing it directly to your tour manager/driver or group
leader (if they prefer) at the end of your tour. You can prepare one
envelope marked Tour Manager and include 32,00 Euro and one envelope
marked Driver and include 16,00 Euro. We also suggest 1,50 Euro per
person, per day for the days you have a local guide for touring. Local
guides can be tipped at the end of each tour. Please feel free to
increase or decrease your amounts according to your experiences. This is
to be used as a customary guideline only. Although service charges are
included at the hotel, it is customary to leave 1.00 Euro per person for
the waiters after each meal and 1.00 Euro per person, per day in the
room for the maid/porters.
On visiting Rome
 "My
letter would never be at an end if I were to try to tell a millionth
part of the delights of Rome -- it has such an effect on me that my past
life before I saw it appears a blank and now I begin to live -- in the
churches you hear the music of heaven and the singing of the angels."
-- Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein
 "At
last -- for the first time -- I live! It beats everything:
it leaves the Rome of your fancy -- your education -- nowhere. It
makes Venice-Florence-Oxford-London-seem like little cities of
pasteboard...."
-- Henry James
Rome by the numbers
- How many hills does Rome have? Seven
- Aventine Hill (Aventino)
- Caelian Hill (Celio)
- Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio)
- Esquiline Hill (Esquilino)
- Palatine Hill (Palatino)
- Quirinal Hill (Quirinale)
- Viminal Hill (Viminale)
- How many churches are there in Rome? More than 900
- What is the population of Rome? 2.864 million
(2014)
- How many different kinds of pasta are there? About
350
- How high is the ceiling at St. Peter's? 448
feet
|
