St. Paul’s Apartment
This morning we had a wonderful tour of the apartments of St Paul - where he and Luke stayed during house arrest in Rome - and the church built above the site beginning in the 2nd century. Our tour guide is getting her PhD in Christian archeology at the University in Rome and works for the Vatican Museums. In the pictures from the apartments (underground now, but at Paul’s time were at street level) the paintings and frescos are reproductions as the originals are now in museums. We also included some more pictures from the front of the prison which held both Peter and Paul before their execution. Peter and Paul’s faces/figures side by side - Peter on the left holding keys to the Christian church and Paul on the right holding a sword (symbolizing his martyrdom via beheading and the sword of the spirit) and papers representing his letters - are common portrayals in early Christian art.
We also spent some time at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. This church was originally a place of pilgrimage built over Paul’s tomb in the area of his beheading (67AD) near the end of Nero’s reign. When emperor Constantine declared freedom of worship in 313AD, he had basilicas built over the tombs of Peter ( St Peter’s Basilica) and Paul. St Paul’s basilica was consecrated in 330 AD. It became the largest basilica in Rome. The building survived earthquakes in 442 and 1349 and the sacking of Rome several times. In 1823 there was a terrible fire and the church required major reconstruction. The art work is beyond our ability to describe. All around the interior perimeter are portraits of every pope in order. The sarcophagus of St Paul can be seen in the crypt beneath the alter area.
In this same area of Rome is Three Fountains Abbey - the site of Paul’s beheading. Three beautiful but stark churches are located in this garden complex which is a Trappist monastery and Abbey. Silence is observed throughout the grounds and churches. And yes, this was difficult for Craig who could never be a Trappist monk - plus he married me and now it’s too late . But seriously, this was a very moving place and a beautiful setting for contemplation.
The evening was spent back near the Trevi Fountain and planning our last 2 days of filming. Today we truly were masters of the public transit system! Now we need some Ibuprofen and a good nights sleep!
