Monday June 2nd was a holiday in Italy, la Festa della Repubblica, which celebrates the referendum of the 2nd and 3rd of June in 1946 when Italy voted to become a republic instead of a monarchy. The vote was also significant because it was the first universal suffrage vote in Italy. The Tandem Spirits took advantage of a beautiful long weekend to take another trip to Rome.
Papal Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
When we arrived in Rome, we took the metro in the opposite direction then we usually go. Our first stop was the Papal Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. It was built in 324 AD, and is the oldest church in Rome. In fact, this was the official papal residence until the Middle Ages. It is dedicated to St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. We hadn’t been here since 2015.
Scala Santa, Holy Staircase
The Scala Santa, Holy Saircase, is across the street from the basilica. It is purported to be the steps leading to the Praetorium of Pontius Pilate in Jerusalem, which Jesus would have walked up to his trial. You are only allowed to go up these stairs on your knees. There are separate stairways on either side that you can take that lead to the Chiesa di San Lorenzo in Palatio ad Sancta Sanctorum. This was the personal chapel of the early popes.
Giardini di Carlo Felice
From San Giovanni, we had a leisurely walk through the Giardini di Carlo Felice. This is a beautiful green space within the city that leads from San Giovanni in Laterano to Santa Croce in Geruselemme. A lot of people were out enjoying the good weather. .
We had lunch at Ristorante Asahi, an Asian fusion restaurant. We’ve eaten there before, so we knew it was good. We ordered a variety of plates to share.
Frida Kahlo Exhibit - Through the lens of Nickolas Muray
After lunch, we went to the Museo Storico Della Fanteria, which is run by the Italian army. We had tickets to see two different exhibits there, one of Salvador Dalí and a photographic exhibit of Frida Kahlo.
We started with the Kahlo exhibit. It showcased portraits taken by the American photographer Nicolas Muray. They were friends and also had a romantic relationship, as the letters that were on display demonstrated. In addition to the photographs, there were a few of her works, reconstructions of her clothing, and commemorative stamps issued in various countries celebrating her and her work.
Salvador Dali' Between Art and Myth
The Dalí exhibit had some wonderful pieces. We hadn’t seen a lot of his work in person. There was an interesting series of prints commissioned to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Dante’s birth in 1950. There were also series on a theme of horses, and a few surrealistic works by Joan Miró and Marc Chagall.
Papal Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme
After the museum, we went next store the the papal basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. This is an important basilica for its collection of relics from the passion of Christ, such as Pilates written charges against Jesus, a nail used in the crucifixion, two thorns from the crown of thorns, and other fragments.
We took the metro back to termini and had time for a spritz and aperitivo before our train back to Foligno.
