Rome, Day I

Mandi and I got back from the Eternal City on Sunday, having stayed for a week and thoroughly exhausting ourselves.  There was so much to do in Rome that we felt like breaking the vacation down day by day would give our friends and families a better (and more manageable) way of keeping up with our adventures.  That being said, the first two days of our trip were rainy, and thus perhaps not as exciting as the subsequent days!  Hang in there!

Rome, Day One

We arrived at our bed and breakfast on the Via Nazionale after several hiccups in travel and a ride on a rather shaky-looking old elevator.  Since the weather was not cooperating today, we decided to make a large loop around the area of our B&B, taking in the significant sights in the immediate vicinity and saving the good stuff for the sunshine.

We visited the church of San Pietro in Vincoli, which houses Michelangelo's famous horned Moses statue and the alleged chains of St. Peter's imprisonment.  The church itself was not so elaborate as some others we would visit, but it was a good start.

 

After that, we headed to the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, one of the cathedrals of Rome.  This church was supposed to have been built on the site of a miracle, in which the founder was told by Mary to build a church on the site where he found snow.  He found a patch of snow here, and it being the middle of August he accepted the miracle and started building the church.  The miracle is commemorated every year when a snowfall of white flower petals covers the interior of the church.

 

From there we walked to the Quattro Fontane, the four fountains.  Each of the fountains represents a different deity or virtue, and is situated at the four corners of a crossroads.   

 

We then trekked to the world-famous Trevi Fountain.  It's said that if you throw a coin into it, your return to Rome is guaranteed.  This was one of Mandi's favorite parts of Rome, and for good reason.  It was really something to behold.

 

Our last stop for the day was the Quirinal Palace.  It was originally constructed by a pope concerned to improve his health by building a house outside the main area of the city where the air was cleaner.  The palace eventually moved into the hands of the kings of Italy and finally became the President's house.  An obelisk from the tomb of Caesar Augustus sits next to two gigantic statues of the twin gods Castor and Pollux right outside the palace.