Rome - Castel Sant'Angelo, Chiesa Nuova, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain

We walked passed Castel Sant'Angelo. We decided not to tour this since Joe and I did it last time we were in Rome and we were not sure if the children would appreciate it or keep their attention. Castel Sant'Angelo was built as a tomb for the emperor Hadrian, used through the Middle Ages as a castle, prison, and place for last refuge for popes under attack. In 1277 the castle was connected to the Vatican underground. 

Vatican walls around the city

Castel Sant'Angelo

We crossed over the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge. This was built for Hadrian for quick access from downtown to his tomb. The statues of angels (each bearing a symbol of the passion of Christ - nail, sponge, shroud, etc) were designed by Bernini. In the Middle Ages this was the only bridge in the area that connected St. Peter's and the Vatican with downtown Rome. 

Angel statues on the bridge

View towards St. Peter's on the Tiber River

We walked through Chiesa Nuova (meaning "New Church")- which is really the nickname for the church. Its real name is Santa Maria in Vallicella which means Our Lady in the Little Valley. This church was built in the 12th century by St. Gregory the Great. It is the principal church of the Oratorians, which is a religious group of priests founded by St. Philip Neri. Neri had the church rebuilt in 1575 with the help of Pope Gregory XIII. 

Chiesa Nuova

Main Altar

Side altar where many people were kneeling and praying

St. Philip Neri's tomb at Chiesa Nuova

Yummy Limoncello!

Pretty Roman streets

Piazza Navona in the daylight

My children love street performers and could watch them for hours!
We eventually had to pull them away to continue our day! 

Typical shrines you see everywhere in Italy

The Pantheon was built by Emperor Hadrian. The Pantheon became a church dedicated to the martyrs just after the fall of Rome. The granite columns on the outside are all one piece - the biggest in Italy, shipped from Egypt. The domed room inside inspired later domes - St. Peter's in Rome and the Duomo in Florence. The dome's construction astounded architects through the ages. During the Renaissance years an architect was given permission to cut into the dome to analyze the material. The concrete dome gets thinner and lighter with height - the highest part is volcanic pumice. 

The Pantheon

The backside of the Pantheon

Remember we saw a single person in London...they have 2 people in Rome! 

Ohh this is soo tempting on Good Friday!

We then walked to the Trevi fountain again since it was so crowded there the day before. We took a bunch of pictures and then went to dinner. Afterwards when we came out the fountain was all lit up for the night! So pretty!! Enjoy the collage of pictures!