On this 34th day of the calendar year the sun rose over Rome at 07:18. It set a little while ago at 17:30 and the Ave Maria Bell was to ring out at 17:45.
I was asked again about the Ave Maria Bell. The question is “What is the Ave Maria Bell?” I wrote about that in greater detail HERE.
In short, the Ave Maria Bells signals the end of the “religious” day and the beginning of “religious” night. It is rung in the ball park of 30 minutes after sunset. Usually the Ave Maria was rung in a way not dissimilar to how the Angelus is rung… 3x… 4x…5x… 1x.
If the Ave Maria rings at, say, 17:45h, then 16:45h would be the 23rd hour of the day and 17:45 would be the 1st hour of the new day’s “evening and morning”. In Roman churches, Vespers were usually sung about an hour before the Ave Maria Bell. Hence, in the example above, at about 16:45 at the 23rd hour.
It’s all tied into a different way of calculating the hours of the day. It also ties into the old Six Hour Clocks, you can still see around Rome. The Six Hour Clock influenced the recitation of the Angelus at 06:00 – 12:00 – 18:00.
In the Roman Curia, Cardinals who were Prefects (the offices of the Congregations had/have throne rooms, btw) and other “pezzi grossi” around the place would receive visits for an hour after the Ave Maria. An hour after the Ave Maria was rung to signal the change of religious days, another bell was struck to denote the 1st hour of the new day.
The Ave Maria could follow the sun, and ring precisely one half hour after sunset. So, following the sun strictly, the solar Ave Maria would ring at 16:30. To simplify this for the Curia – ’cause who had watches, right? – they adopted 15 minute cycles. We are in the 27 Jan – 9 Feb cycle at 17:45 now. There is another 17:45 cycle, which lasts from 13-22 October. BUT… there’s the “ora legale” here, the European “daylight savings” in force which moved the hour hand forward. That changes things.
It is the Feast of St. Blaise and time for the blessing of throats. Here is the link to last year’s packed post about St. Blaise Day. HERE
I have barely gone out to eat since I have been in Rome. As a matter of fact, I’ve been out precisely twice, two days straight, because people come to town and that’s what we do.
Last night I was at a nice place (decorations a bit over done for my taste) near the parish. It is the sister restaurant of a favorite of mine on that same street, and it is somewhat fancier. The food was exceptionally good and the service was superb. It was a nice meal, to be sure.
Starting, which drink is mine?
I started with an appetizer of pheasant with an apple/mustard garnish.
Cannelloni. Delightful. We had a Grechetto Nero for it. Perfect.
This place is not the typical osteria. It tends toward novella cucina, and as such it is a little edgy. The menu as I read it suggests that the chef is playing with sweet and savory together. When it works, it works.
My cena di congedo will consist of caprese with fresh ozzy mozzarella and a ripe tomato I picked by from my dear old fruttarola.
Hear are candles readied yesterday for the clergy servers and members of the Archconfraternity. Let me tell you, going up and down those steps with that carpet… you take your life in your hands.
Slightly blurry, but I wanted you to have a sense of the true Roman purple, which is on the red end of the spectrum.
Another look. The fabric shows up differently according to the angle of the light.
Distribution of candles.
And the Mass begins in white… it is Feast of the Lord, really.
Those Roman purple vestments might look red to you, but here are the red vestments that YOU READERS bought.
So, which set up is mine?
(Trick question… none of them!)
How beautiful this is. And there is decorum. The Illustrious Pastor™ is doing amazing things here.
Here’s one… not that hard. White mates in 2.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
Tata Steel… PRAGG WON! He beat Gukesh in sudden death tie breaks. Is that a good way to resolve such a long tournament? I don’t think so. I want a return to longer classical formats, but that is not going to happen in this age of short attention spans and stratospheric costs. But it was an Indian ending, o my prophetic soul. There is a video of the final dramatic… yes, dramatic game. Even if you don’t know much about chess, you can follow the ebb and flow. You see how they blitz out early moves and then something new happens. There are mistakes because of time pressure. Surprises abound.
I’m itching to scrape off the rust and play OTB again. I think that when I come back in April, I might actively engage the guys at P.za der Fico. Some have talent, but they are – sorry to say – rather hacks, because they never play anything other than 5 min blitz. So, tricky trappy schtick. They know their openings because, damn, you have to. Anyway, it might be fun. I know I will increase my Roman vocabulary. I heard some extremely unwoke stuff the other day about “criptofrocci”. LOL No Jesuits in sight… and yet….
It’s odd. Tonight is the first night I really feel like I’m totally over jet lag.
Arrivederci Roma.
In chessy news… HERE
In chessy news… 
In chessy news… 
On this 34th day of the calendar year the sun rose over Rome at 07:18. It set a little while ago at 17:30 and the Ave Maria Bell was to ring out at 17:45.
It is the Feast of St. Blaise and time for the blessing of throats. Here is the link to last year’s packed post about St. Blaise Day. 
