Giornale 4
After stopping at Vero's for my usual fruti rosi smoothie with whipped cream and two plain croissants, I made my way to the Lepanto metro stop. I got on the A and packed in with people on their way to work. I noticed several people staring at me for uncomfortable amounts of time. This was probably because I was wearing shorts. From what I've noticed, most Italians were dressed quite conservatively; they still considered this to be winter, not summer.
Flash forward five minutes, I got off the train at Termini, took the escalator upstairs and hopped on the B to San Paolo. I grew to enjoy riding the B beyond the city walls because that's where it went above ground. Through the graffiti-stained windows, the bell tower of the basilica came into view. I got off and made my way toward Saint Pauls.
At this point in the day, (11 am) it was already scorching hot, but because I have morals and I wanted to be respectful, I pulled out a scarf from my bag and wrapped it around my waist, pulling it down at the bottom, making sure it covered my knees. There was no line to get in and the security guard told me there was no entrance fee, so getting inside was much easier than I anticipated. I was not expecting to walk into a beautifully designed courtyard. The green space was surrounded by porticos on each side, with a marble statue of St. Paul in the center, and tall Palm trees, one in every corner. These trees brought my eyes up the structure of the basilica, above the porticos, to the incredible mural of Jesus, Peter, Paul, and other religious figures.
I crossed the courtyard and pulled open a large wooden door. My jaw dropped the second I took a step inside; I was struck by the monumental beauty of the space. It was easy to see that the basilica had the typical layout of any church, but was a lot less extravagant, especially compared to the other churches we'd visited. The basilica was near empty, one of the first sacred spaces in Rome I had been to where there was complete silence, besides the small echo of shuffling feet. As I moved to the apse and began to hear singing, I followed the noise to a small chapel. A youth choir was inside, which led me to assume that this space played an important role in the Ostiense/Roman community.
As I walked through the space, I began to notice symbolic representations. The artwork above the high altar reminded me greatly of the mosaic above the high altar in St. Johns the Lateran. One difference was that you were able to appreciate this ceiling more because you could get physically closer to it. I walked down the steps, closer to the tomb of St. Paul. I began to notice just how important natural light was in this space. The basilica was actually quite dark, but the rays of sunlight shining through the high windows illuminated the room in a tranquil way.
Saint Pauls was one of my favorite religious sites because I got to enjoy the space at my own time. The Basilica was beautiful, but I was never overwhelmed by its beauty. I wasn't being rushed and I wasn't getting bored. I also enjoyed going on this excursion alone because it allowed me more time to think in depth about the space. As I headed for the exit, I took one last look behind me, my eyes racing across the gold plated ceiling, and realized that being in Saint Johns was the most comfortable I've felt in a sacred space. As an Atheist, the countless church visits were becoming a bit excessive to me, and I didn't feel like I could connect to those spaces. I felt more at peace while at Saint John's, not at war with myself. That was another moment of tranquility in Rome.
(Saint Pauls Basilica, Rome, June 4, 2019)
Flash forward five minutes, I got off the train at Termini, took the escalator upstairs and hopped on the B to San Paolo. I grew to enjoy riding the B beyond the city walls because that's where it went above ground. Through the graffiti-stained windows, the bell tower of the basilica came into view. I got off and made my way toward Saint Pauls.
At this point in the day, (11 am) it was already scorching hot, but because I have morals and I wanted to be respectful, I pulled out a scarf from my bag and wrapped it around my waist, pulling it down at the bottom, making sure it covered my knees. There was no line to get in and the security guard told me there was no entrance fee, so getting inside was much easier than I anticipated. I was not expecting to walk into a beautifully designed courtyard. The green space was surrounded by porticos on each side, with a marble statue of St. Paul in the center, and tall Palm trees, one in every corner. These trees brought my eyes up the structure of the basilica, above the porticos, to the incredible mural of Jesus, Peter, Paul, and other religious figures.
I crossed the courtyard and pulled open a large wooden door. My jaw dropped the second I took a step inside; I was struck by the monumental beauty of the space. It was easy to see that the basilica had the typical layout of any church, but was a lot less extravagant, especially compared to the other churches we'd visited. The basilica was near empty, one of the first sacred spaces in Rome I had been to where there was complete silence, besides the small echo of shuffling feet. As I moved to the apse and began to hear singing, I followed the noise to a small chapel. A youth choir was inside, which led me to assume that this space played an important role in the Ostiense/Roman community.
As I walked through the space, I began to notice symbolic representations. The artwork above the high altar reminded me greatly of the mosaic above the high altar in St. Johns the Lateran. One difference was that you were able to appreciate this ceiling more because you could get physically closer to it. I walked down the steps, closer to the tomb of St. Paul. I began to notice just how important natural light was in this space. The basilica was actually quite dark, but the rays of sunlight shining through the high windows illuminated the room in a tranquil way.
Saint Pauls was one of my favorite religious sites because I got to enjoy the space at my own time. The Basilica was beautiful, but I was never overwhelmed by its beauty. I wasn't being rushed and I wasn't getting bored. I also enjoyed going on this excursion alone because it allowed me more time to think in depth about the space. As I headed for the exit, I took one last look behind me, my eyes racing across the gold plated ceiling, and realized that being in Saint Johns was the most comfortable I've felt in a sacred space. As an Atheist, the countless church visits were becoming a bit excessive to me, and I didn't feel like I could connect to those spaces. I felt more at peace while at Saint John's, not at war with myself. That was another moment of tranquility in Rome.
(Saint Pauls Basilica, Rome, June 4, 2019)
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