On Sunday, we knew would be busy but we had a few surprises. We started our walk and stumbled across the 22nd Rome Marathon. The marathon road closures funneled us into St. Peter’s Square where the normal flow of tourists, pilgrims and others was all ready heavy. That, along with the increased security, created a slow march – similar to walking down 5th Avenue in NYC Thanksgiving week. We then discovered that the Rome Marathon really is a series of switchbacks through the city. As we got through one street blockade, we would run into another 4-5 blocks later.
Our walk to the Crypts of the Capuchin Church was doubled as we struggled with the crowds & blockades. The Capuchin monks were an order that followed St. Francis. Below the church, the monks have created 5 crypts that are decorated with the bones of over 3000 monks. Each crypt is not only the burial ground for some (the earth being transferred from Israel & Palestine) but a shrine to others as their clothed skeletons (5-7 in each crypt) were on display. Obviously pictures are not allowed but the images will remain with us for a long time.
We made our way over to the Da Vinci Museum. The genius of the man was is undeniable. Much of what we saw was quite interesting, considering what Leonardo was up to when he created these many revolutionary (at the time) yet quirky devices. There were a number of hands-on devices allowing us to try them out.
We headed off to see the largest fountain in Rome – Trevi Fountain. It was much more magnificent that we expected and the crowds were plentiful. After lunch, we continued our wondering and couldn’t get to a couple of our destinations because of the street blockage. We did see some of the late finishers (6+ hours) of the Marathon where they were awarded medals, a picture with various Roman soldiers along with silver capes that were handed out to keep the marathoners warm.
The Jewish Ghetto (a.k.a. Ghetto Ebraico) with its many outdoor kosher restaurants and bars was our next stop. We were surprised to find out that nearly half of Italy’s 35,000 Jews call Rome home. This lively area is along the river which consists of a few cramped streets and squares and is much smaller than we expected. At its height in the 17th century, it housed nearly 5,000 people. There is also a gorgeous Synagogue in this bustling neighborhood. Lesley purchase two small watercolors on the street. In this most Catholic city in the most Catholic country (with churches everywhere), one of the watercolors has the synagogue in the background – What’s wrong with this picture?
