Submitted by Julia Querey on the 2024 Winter PHIL program in Italy…
More amazing food, beautiful sites, and new experiences have made our second week in Rome better than we could have imagined. My personal favorite type of excursion we do during our long days here is visiting churches. Our whole group agrees that every church we go to stuns us in a different way with unique architectural and artistic features, but they also bring a peaceful presence over me, especially because of my Catholic faith.
Each church we go into, I will walk around the entire building and take time to soak in every detail there is. I will take pictures of aspects that particularly speak to me. After I’m done walking through, I always will sit in a pew, say a prayer, and just sit and stare at everything around me. This reflective time allows me to marvel over where I am, how grateful I am to be there, and meditate on any other areas of my life that I feel need it. Some other students would do the same, some would bring sketch books to draw out some inspiration, and others would just sit and have a period of quiet. The feeling I get sitting in the churches here is unlike any I have felt before truly, I feel so still and calm; I could sit there looking around for hours if we were able to.
We’ve visited somewhere over a dozen churches now, all of which have exceeded my expectations, but I definitely have accumulated a few favorites that I’d recommend to anyone, religious or not. St. Ignazio di Loyola Church was one of the first we went in, mainly due to the angelic moral that covers the entire large ceiling, I personally think comparable to the Sistine Chapel’s. St. Peter’s Basilica was an obvious marvel due to its size, decoration, and hosting of Michaelangelo’s sculpture of Mary holding Jesus. The tomb of Peter and crypt of Popes below was also something I will always remember. San Giovanni, the first recognized Christian Church in the world, had amazingly huge sculptures of the 11 loyal disciples (excluding Judas) as well as apparently the skulls of both Peter and Paul above the altar. My final favorite church was San Clemente, a 3 story church. The top/ground floor is a beautiful 12th century church with an amazing mosaic crucifix behind the altar. Below is a 4th century church, scattered with faded yet breathtaking frescas of beautiful saints and popes. Finally, below this, an entire floor of 1st century ancient roman ruins, including a school, some uncovered art, and running water systems. Walking back in time through each of these floors made me feel like I really was in that century, and continued my awe of how such early society could create art and innovation so
complex.
Whether a spiritual individual or not, it is worth walking into as many churches as possible in Rome, because I guarantee each has its own unique features and stories that will make you fall in love with the city even more. (Submitted on January 18, 2024)