Get Out of Town

My feet weren't too big for my bed this morning, but raindrops certainly were falling on my head. The rain could be seen as appropriate, since we had our longest trek of Lent today--taking us outside the old city walls.

St. Paul's Outside the Walls is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, with John Lateran, Mary Major, and St. Peter's. When Paul was beheaded, Lucina claimed his body and buried it in her family's tomb in the countryside. Rome has since grown sufficiently to swallow the basilica and conveniently place it on the metro line, which I did utilize on the return trip this morning.

The mosaic in the apse, dating to about 1220, is one of the oldest portions of the current basilica. Constantine originally built a basilica here in AD 324, replacing the oratory that then existed. Fires and invaders ('the usual' in Rome) kept remodeling the basilica, until today's church was built in the 1800's on a classical Roman model.









The Gloria, prayed in the liturgy still, is found on the scrolls of the apostles.




Our hosts were the Benedictine monks who care for the basilica.























This presider's chair, about 16 feet tall, was not used today.




Christ is the light from heaven, and lighting the Easter candle feels quite celestial as well, as this candlestick is 18 feet tall.

















Intricately carved, it dates to about 1170.








Holy water is handy to keep around, as it freaks demons out. That's why the little guy here is grabbing some to sprinkle:


















I've been to Saint Paul's many times, but I saw something today I had not witnessed before. Being there so early in the morning, the entire church was momentarily empty.















The rain kept the skies gray outdoors; additionally, facade on the front of the basilica kept the vista a bit bleak.



















For cheerier, sunnier photos, click back to October 2nd.




For those looking for another tidbit of history, here's a comment from the NAC site: "Traditionally the Title of the basilica was bestowed upon the reigning King of England with the designation 'Proto-Canon.' Regrettably, this Title is now vacant."

Finally, having nothing to do with the basilica, the walk home brought us past this common site in Rome: