Daily Rome Shot 97

3 Comments

1. NOCatholic says:

   9 March 2021 at 9:41 AM

   While I don’t have the in-depth familiarity of Rome that many do here, I actually recognize that “Rome shot”. It is, of course, the interior of the Pantheon, the Church of St Mary of the Martyrs. The opening is a dead giveaway.
2. ThePapalCount says:

   9 March 2021 at 7:19 PM

   The Pantheon is surely one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Its also the oldest building in continuous use in the city dating the first century and built on a previous pantheon built before Our Blessed Lord was born. This is an ancient building.
   Its called “pantheon” because that was its original name as it was a temple to many different pagan Roman gods. The niches in the wall where some their statues once stood are still present. The massive doors are 2000 years old and they are the original doors. Imagine how many people over two millennia saw and touched those doors.
   The building is an architecture marvel even by today’s standards. But, you need to go online to learn more about this magnificent temple.
   But, suffice it for me to say that it is a Catholic church also and Mass is celebrated here. The building was abandoned when the Roman Empire faded away and the pope claimed the structure as a church. He gathered up thousands of bones from the catacombs and placed them under the building’s floor and dedicated the Pantheon as a church to “Our Blessed Mother and The Martyrs”. Because it became a church and was in continuous use it has survived the ravages of time with few alterations.
   The great artist Raphael is embombed here. He died a young man but not before giving the world great art. His last masterpiece was “The Transfiguration of Christ”. The enormous painting is in the Vatican Museum and a mosaic of the same size is located in St Peter’s Basilica.
   Two kings of Italy are also buried here — both being entombed within the last 120 years. And the Dowager Queen Margherita is also entombed here having died in 1926. Although Italy is a republic there is often a ceremonial guard posted by the royal tombs.
   And as for Queen Margherita….as the queen dowager her palace was on the famous via Veneto and is today the American Embassy. And while visiting Naples in the late 1800s she was presented with a pizza garnished with items in the national colors of Italy, green red and white. She heartily approved. To this day “Pizza Margherita” is a Roman….well Italian staple. Whenever I visit this storied architectural gem its funny how my mind wanders from all the grandeur and history that envelopes me to sense an inordinate desire to have one of Margherita’s pizzas. I often do in one of the nearby Trattoria afterwhich I can window shop at Gammarelli and Barbiconi both are located just behind the Pantheon.
3. Gab says:

   10 March 2021 at 4:35 AM

   Thank you, The PapalCount. Entertaining as always. … Now I desire a Pizza Margherita … but it is Lent. *sigh*.

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