St. Francis Way - Vatican City

I knew I was on the home stretch when I entered the Marcigliana Nature Reserve, a 4,000 hectare reserve but what I'd really like to tell you about are all the treasures of this city, well at least the highlights.

As I made my way down the principal street Via Nomentana, I devised a plan to capture as many of the major landmarks that Rome is known for starting with Trevi Fountain.

Tucked away in a small piazza stands the grand Fountain of Trevi. Designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi, it is the largest fountain in the city and it stands at 86ft (26m) high and 161ft (49m) wide. Work began in 1732 and took 30 years to complete. Salvi died halfway through the works. Giuseppe Pannini was then hired to finish the construction. Palazzo Poli forms the backdrop of the fountain with its double-storey height Corinthian columns. At the forefront is a large scheme of rock and water spilling into the pool. In the centre is Oceanus, the god of fresh-water, in a shell chariot flanked by two Tritons, fish-tailed sea-daemones, taming hippocamps (sea-horses). To the left of Oceanus is Abundance, goddess of prosperity, spilling water from her urn and Salubrity, the shepherdess, holding a cup from which a snake drinks.

I winged my way straight to the 2,000 years old amphitheatre, the Colosseum. Built between 72-80AD, it opened with 100 games sponsored by the Emperor Titus. The theatre could hold up to 80,000 people and averaged an audience of 65,000. Used for gladiatorial contests and mock sea battles, the Colosseum has a simple design. It is oval with high outer walls and inside are sloping tiers of seats that lead to the arena in the centre at ground level. Sand was used in the arena to give gladiators good footing but also to absorb the bloodshed. The original plan was for three levels, with each level had 80 arches (total 240 arches). Titus added a fourth level to increase capacity. Corinthian columns were added inside and out, although the outside ones were for show only. Another decorative feature on the outer wall was the 160 painted statues of emperors and gods. Each statue was different and stood 15ft (4.6m) tall inside an arch on the second and third levels. In 1349 a devastating earthquake ripped through Rome knocking down the south side of the outer wall. A major renovation was undertaken between 1992-2000 and further renovations were done throughout the last decade.

In another tiny piazza is the Pantheon, a former Roman temple that was built by Emperor Hadrian circa early 2ndC. It is a cylindrical building with a large portico holding up a pediment with eight Corinthian columns at the front and two sets of four behind the front line. Exceptionally preserved it has been used as a church since the 7thC. The circular interior is covered by a dome with an oculus as its apex. Circles and squares are the theme within its interior. The checkboard floor pattern contrasts with the dome's concentric rings of square sunken panels (5 rings of 28 panels). The door and the oculus are the only source of light in the interior. The light from the oculus moves around the space as the day wears on.

I crossed the Tiber River via the Ponte Sant'Angelo, an ancient Roman bridge built by Emperor Hadrian in 134AD. The bridge has five arches with the parapet walls adorned with ten angel statues, each holding an instrument of the Passion. The sculptures made of marble were the vision of Gian Lorenzo Bernini an Italian sculptor. When Pope Clement IX saw the statues he thought they were too beautiful to be displayed on the bridge and requested they be replaced with copies. The originals were placed in the church of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte in Rome.

The bridge leads to the magnificent Castel Sant'Angelo, a towering cylindrical castle also built by Emperor Hadrian in early 2ndC. It was initially commissioned as a mausoleum for Hadrian but it has since been used as a castle and fortress by the popes. Around 400AD the castle was turned into a military fortress which caused many decorations to be lost. By 14thC the popes started converting the fortress back to a castle connecting it to St Peter's Basilica with a covered fortified corridor. For a period the castle was also used as a prison and executions occurred in the small inner courtyard. Decommissioned in 1901, the castle is now a museum.

Bearing west of the castle, I took my final steps into the courtyard of St Peter's Basilica. Located within the Vatican City the Basilica sits at the west end of St Peter's square. Covering an area of 2.3 hectares, the Basilica has a capacity to hold more than 60,000 people making it the largest church in the world.

The Basilica is believed to be the burial place of Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and the first Bishop of Rome. Although there's no conclusive evidence of this, a tomb containing bones thought to be his was discovered under the church in the mid-20thC.

St Peter's is well renowned for its Renaissance architecture largely due to the vision and design of four principal architects: Michelangelo, Bernini, Bramante and Maderno. Construction began in 1506 and took 120 years to complete. An earlier Basilica stood on this site built around the 4thC by Emperor Constantine. The central dome towers at 48ft (137m) making the church the second tallest building in Rome. An internal circular staircase of 491 steps leads up to the top of the dome with expansive views of Rome.

In the piazza the Basilica is enclosed by 284 colonnades four rows deep each 39ft (12m) high, creating an elliptical shape that at its widest point measures 1,049ft long and 787ft wide (L320m x W240m). Above the colonnades are 140 statues, 15ft (4.5m) high of saints and martyrs of the church. In the centre of the piazza is an ancient Egyptian obelisk and on either side of it are two white disks. Standing on one of the disks gives the viewer the impression of only a single row of columns instead of four.

Of the 266 deceased popes around 100 of them are buried beneath the Basilica. The Basilica is not a cathedral as it is often believed because it doesn't have a bishop. The pope who is the Bishop of Rome has his bishop's throne at the cathedral of Saint John Lateran. However, he uses St Peter's regularly as his main church because he lives in the Vatican.

The Basilica holds many treasures such as Michelangelo's "Pieta", a sculpture depicting Jesus on the lap of Mary after the crucifixion. It is the only piece he ever signed. The bronze statue of Saint Peter Enthroned has his right foot largely worn due to pilgrims touching and kissing it for centuries. His left foot is still showing his toes as individual digits. Pope John Paull II was the most popular pontiff and he reigned for 27 years. Upon his passing he was entombed within the Basilica. Nine years after his death he was canonised and declared Saint John Paul II.

St Peter's Basilica is a Catholic worshipper's final pilgrimage destination. St Francis' spiritual journey began on his pilgrimage to Rome and just as he went in search for meaning and truth so did all the pilgrims before and after him.



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