The Pilgrim's Rome

There are three churches not far from where I stayed that are the destination of Catholic pilgrims. I was motivated to go more by the fact that there is a set of stairs that supposedly Christ climb than by the proximity of the churches.

Church of Santa Maria Maggiore: Has some of the best surviving mosaics in Rome. The church was built as Rome decline was beginning. This was also the church where I attended mass on the Sunday I arrived.


For some reason this photo makes me think of an Indiana Jones movie.



This is probably an invasion of privacy on some level, but since you can't see the face of either the person giving confession or the individual taking confession I rationalized taking the photo. There were confessional boots up and down the nave where one could give confession depending on the language you spoke, I did not take advantage of the service.




Church of San Clementine: I will confess here. I didn't not take any pictures of this church because it was dark inside and there was not much that inspired me to take pictures. Either that or they didn't allow you take pictures. Think of it this way, you have reason to visit it when you go. Supposedly, you could pay a fee to enter the ruins of older church and a level below that, the remains of pagan temple.

Church of San Giovanni in Laterano: This church was built by Constantine and was considered the most important during medieval times. The building with the stairs that Jesus climbed is located next door.



One set of doors:


Another set of doors:


The ceiling outside the entrance:


The nave:


The dome:


The alter:


The nave ceiling:


The Holy Stairs (La Scala Santa): I did not climb them. I took the stairs to the left that you could climb on your feet to reach the top and look down.