A Pilgrimage To Rome

Rome is a fascinating, ancient city with many points of interest for tourists. However, have you thought about taking a pilgrimage to Rome, focusing only on Christian holy places? Rome’s catacombs house the remains of tens of thousands of early Christians, including martyrs and saints. Rome is also home to the Chiesa del Gesù, the motherchurch of the Jesuit order. Vatican City, located in Rome, is an important stop on any pilgrimage to Rome. A pilgrimage to Rome’s religious sites would be a fascinating and educating trip into Christian, and particularly Catholic, culture.

There are over sixty catacombs in Rome, forming a vast underground labyrinth filled with tens of thousands of tombs. Many Christian saints and martyrs are entombed there. Currently, there are five catacombs open to the public:

St. Agnes, 00162 – Via Nomentana, 349

Priscilla, 00199 – Via Salaria, 430

Domitilla, 00147 – Via Delle Sette Chiese, 282/0

St. Sebastian, 00179 – Via Appia Antica, 136

St. Callixtus, 00179 – Via Appia Antica, 126

Admission to the catacombs is five Euros. Guided tours, in your language of choice, are about a half-hour long. Each catacomb is closed a different day of the week and for a month during the winter months for cleaning and restoration, but for the most part they are open year-round.

Located in the Piazza del Gesù in Rome, the Chiesa del Gesù is an important Roman Catholic church to visit. Also called the Church of the Gesù, it is the motherchurch of the Jesuit order, and the Father General of the Jesuits resides in the rectory. Originally planned in 1551 by St. Ignatius of Loyola (the founder of the Society of Jesus), Alessandro Cardinal Farnese (the nephew of Pope Paul III) funded the construction of the church in 1568, and it was designed by Michelangelo, Vignola, and Giacomo Della Porta in accordance with the new regulations formulated during the Council of Trent (1545 – 1563). The Gesù became a model for churches built during the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and the façade is the earliest example of Counter-Reformation architecture. The 15^th century icon of the Madonna Della Strada and a relic of St. Francis Xavier may be found there. St. Ignatius’ rooms may also be visited, and the altar there with the painting of the Holy Family is the altar at which St. Ignatius offered Mass the day he died.

Vatican City should be the crowning stop on any pilgrimage to Rome. Vatican City is its own state, separate from Italy, and mail sent from Vatican City will often reach its destination quicker than mail sent from a mailbox in Rome a few blocks away. St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums are the most interesting attractions in Vatican City.

Over 60,000 people may worship at St. Peter’s Basilica at any one time. St. Peter is believed to have been buried underneath the main altar, and Mass may be celebrated across from the room where his relics are believed to have been found. There are also many monuments and memorials to see in St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo’s Pieta is located immediately to the right of the entrance to the Basilica. This famous statue depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ in her arms after the Crucifixion.

The Vatican Museums are also important to visit and admission is free on the last Sunday of every month. It normally costs twelve Euros for admittance. The Gallery of Maps, which contains topographical maps of Italy from the late 16^th century, may be viewed on the way to visiting the Sistine Chapel. The forty panels of maps took three years to complete. It would take years to see everything the museums have to offer a pilgrim or a student of Roman and Greek art.

Rome houses many important religious sites, and a trip to Rome focusing mainly on these landmarks would be well worth the time and expense. These holy places offer a fascinating and educational chance to explore Christian history first-hand. A pilgrim can find many faith-promoting opportunities and discover or cultivate an appreciation for Christian art and architecture in Rome.