Weekend of Jan 15-16

On Saturday, January 15, Dr David Watson-Vasquez (Director of the CUA Rome Program) took students and faculty on a guided tour of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican.  David is an authority on religious architecture and has lived in Rome for 7 years, so he was a great guide.  The next day, Sunday the 16th, we ventured out on our own to visit the church of San Marco and the Forum of Trajan.  We strolled through the city, finishing up on the busy shopping street known as the Via del Corso.  We ended the afternoon with a gelato at the Piazza del Populo, a short walk across the bridge from our flat.
http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/WeekendJan1516#

A Walk in Trastevere

Trastevere ("Across the Tiber") is a picturesque older neighborhood on the west bank of the Tiber, across the river from the main part of the ancient city.  It is still characterized by narrow cobblestone streets, beautiful old churches, and sunny squares full of cafes and ice-cream shops.  We spent the better part of a Sunday checking out the flea market, eating Chinese food, and visiting the church of Santa Maria in Trastevere.

Santa Maria in Trastevere dates back to the third century and is thus one of the oldest official places of Christian worship in Rome.  The exisiting church dates from the 12th century and is the home of magnificent medieval mosaics on the facade and in the apse.
Here are some pictures from our walk:  http://picasaweb.google.com/SteveDC505/AWalkInTrastevere#