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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St. Francis Way - Anghiari

The trail continues weaving through mountains and forests passing a few isolated buildings to the mountain village of Badia Prataglia. The village is located within the Foreste Casentinesi, a national park that stretches out over 37,000 hectares. It has more than 600km of trail paths and 20 mountain biking routes. The area can also be explored on horseback, whilst in the winter it is open for cross-country skiing. In the village is a mid-19thC arboretum that was originally established for Leopold II, Grand Duke of Tuscany. The arboretum has a museum that also includes the Duke's former villa.

Skirting around the small village of Rimbocchi (1,640ft/500m), I am back in the woods admiring the tall trees, densely packed as I gently climb up to La Verna (3,937ft/1,200m) to visit the Franciscan sanctuary where St Francis is said to have received the stigmata in 1224. The sanctuary is home to several churches, chapels and a monastery. The site was taken under papal protection in 1260. The main church took over a century to complete from 1348 to 1459. The monastery was partially destroyed in the 15thC, suffering desecration during the war of this time and it took three centuries to be fully restored. The friars suffered further in 1810 and 1866 when they were expelled from the monastery as part of suppressing religious orders.

The sanctuary is nestled within a spruce-beech forest with specimens as tall as 160ft (50m) and some with diameters up to 5.9ft (180cm). The forest floor teems with wildlife such as deer, boar and wolf, whilst above one can find eagles, owls and peregrine falcons.

Leaving the sanctuary, I descended through fields and farmlands to Caprese Michelangelo (1,969ft/600m), a small commune where Michelangelo, a Renaissance era painter, sculptor and architect was born in 1475. Michelangelo was baptised in the village's church, St John de Baptist and a museum in his honour has been established inside a fortress. The aim of the museum is to document his body of works with plaster casts. The collection also includes sculptures and paintings donated by artists of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The terrain steadies a little with gentle undulations until I reached Anghiari, a sprawled out, hilltop town overlooking the Tiber Valley. The town centre, however, is a fortified collection of stone buildings and labyrinth-like narrow streets. In this compact location are a handful of museums including the Battle of Anghiari Museum. The battle was a 1440 event between the Republic of Florence and Duchy of Milan. The battle, comprising of thousands of foot soldiers and knights took only one day and according to Machiavelli it resulted in only one death of an unfortunate knight who fell off his horse and drowned in a swamp. The battle ended with the Florentines winning and securing their domination over central Italy. Leonardo da Vinci depicted a painting of the battle which has since been lost. Fortunately copies existed inspiring Paul Rubens to sketch a replica of the original.

The terrace in the town centre with its fortified wall was a perfect place to indulge in some Tuscan food, overlooking the landscape and residential homes. My starter was bruschetta which was a slice of Tuscan bread generously rubbed with garlic, lavishly drizzled with green olive oil and lightly sprinkled with salt (at home I might have chopped up some tomatoes and added it to the mix). This was followed by a hearty slow-cooked stew called "spezattino" and finished it with a scrumptious sugar-coated, fried doughnut known as "bomboloni". No meal experience is ever complete without a café macchiato.

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St Francis Way - Florence

The romantic city of Florence is a visual feast of Renaissance architecture, art and monuments. Famous historical figures from the Renaissance era (14th-17thC) such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo and Donatello, emerged from Florence producing and leaving an incredible body of work that continues to move and inspire people today. Museums, galleries, cafes and restaurants are in every nook and cranny. And then, there's the food; gloriously filling, tastebud dazzling, tantalisingly aromatic. Every corner is an architectural experience from Corinthian columns, grand domes and endless arches to interiors adorned with richly-detailed frescoes and motifs.

Filled with 2,000+ years of history, Florence began as a settlement in 59BC, established by Julius Caesar, the Roman Emperor for his veteran soldiers. It quickly became a commercial centre and a major crossroad between Bologna and Rome. Florence is currently the capital city of Tuscany with the highest population density in the region. In 1982 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The most iconic building is the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise known as the Duomo. Built between 1296-1436 in a Gothic style it towers over the city with its terracotta-tile dome visible from all of the nearby hilltops. The Piazzale Michelangelo across the river from the cathedral provides a magnificent view of the city of Florence and the Duomo.

A stroll alongside the River Arno leads to the very popular Ponte Vecchio, translated as "Old Bridge". The bridge is a medieval arched bridge built in 1345 and at one time housed shops run by butchers, tanners and farmers. Now it is tenanted primarily by jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers. During WWII, at the behest of German officer, Gerhard Wolf, the bridge was spared destruction unlike the neighbouring bridges which were detonated in order to buy more time for the German retreat. Wolf was once a student in Florence and had a special affinity towards the bridge. The Florentine's made him an honorary citizen in 1955 and placed a plaque on the bridge in his honour in 2007.

Some notable artworks that can be found in Florence are Michelangelo's sculpture of "David", a marble sculpture completed early 16thC; Leonardo da Vinci's oil and tempera painting "Anunciation" dating late 15thC; and Boticelli's tempera painting "The Birth of Venus" dating late 15thC. There is no shortage of paintings, sculptures, fountains or architecture to immerse oneself in but when rest is needed head for the nearest coffee bar and ask for a café macchiato. Italians traditionally stand at a bar to have their shot of coffee instead of sitting at a table before pressing on with their day.

The Way of St Francis pilgrimage begins at the Basilica di Santa Croce, a 13thC Franciscan church located in the Piazza Santa Croce. The church is the burial site for Galileo (astronomer), Machiavelli (politician and diplomat) and Rossini (composer) and many other notable Italians. Dante was originally buried here but was later moved. His tomb, however, remains on site. A memorial plaque for Da Vinci (polymath) and memorial monument for Florence Nightingale (pioneer of modern nursing) can also be found here. Outside the church is a monument to classical writer, Dante Alighieri, built in 1865 by Enrico Pazzi.

The pilgrimage trail is 312mi (550km) long and inspired by the life of St Francis of Assisi. Taking an ancient Roman route from Florence to Rome via Assisi, the trail finishes at Basilica di San Pietro in the Vatican City. The route travels past ancient ruins, through medieval villages, crossing mountain passes and valleys, making this pilgrimage perfect for nature lovers, history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts.

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Wanderer Explanation

8^th January 2018

Yeah, well, the wanderer explanation for my depression is just a hypothesis that’s not backed up by testing. I didn’t do all that well in Neuropsychology, but I found the subject fascinating.  I recall reading that hoarders hoard because when they see items more of their brain becomes active and hording may be a comorbid problem with me. My most recent hording behavior is books. I keep looking for free books on craigslist even as I haven’t read most of the ones I have. 

If we take it as true that more of my brain becomes active when I look at things that would explain a good deal of my behavior. It would mean that I take a global view of every situation or, to put it in the context of Kelly’s Construct Theory, my constructs are strongly connected. This would be true in my problem solving behavior as well.

Look at the situation with these cats and I. The best option will always be to reunite them with their owner. Their owner lost them because of poverty, so one of the things I did was try to help her find a job. That makes sense.  Another thing I did was respond to a craigslist ad requesting a “Gay themed” screenplay and offered to write the cat owner’s story as a film as she is a lesbian who lost her job because of a bad relationship. 

I would then give the cat owner half of whatever I made on the film. I never got an answer to that reply, but the idea is sound and clearly ‘out of the box’ thinking.

The classic example of my condition that I like to use is that if you say “paint” I think “eggs shell was used to thicken the paint Michelangelo used to paint the 16^th chapel”. The connection is clear but why would you think that every time someone said paint?

Another great example would be how and why I’m intentionally extending the length of this email. The first reason is therapeutic. By recalling event surrounding my depression I’m activating my Hippocampus. This suppresses the Amygdala and weakens emotional response to memories. You should know this as ‘Systematic Desensitization’. The second reason is so that I can use this email as a blog post. I will likely come up with a joke or comic to go with it and then post it on my blog ‘Letters to Cassi and Other Folks’. The more I post the more likely I am to have followers, make money, and better my situation. Thus, you see that it’s kind of like multitasking.  

The higher level of composition needed for a blog post requires me to proofread the letter more reinforcing systematic desensitization and bettering therapy. The act of posting on a blog is an attempt at economic freedom alleviating the stressor.

Do you see what I mean? 

Sweep as Michelangelo Painted - Martin Luther King Jr.

More than I can Accomplish - Michelangelo