A Byzantine Church, Literally

After we conquered the Michelangelo stairs to Capitoline Hill, we climbed the back stairs to Santa Maria in Aracoeli.  

The church was built on the site where Emperor Augustus had a premonition of the return of Mary and Jesus as they were standing on an "altar in the sky" (ara coeli).  

The building dates from the 6th Century (Byzantine era), and was expanded in the 1200s.  There's columns from ancient days, gravestones from medieval times.  Frescoes by Pintuicchio from the early Renaissance, and even some Baroque.  

The French, with their usual class, used the church as a horse stable during the time of Napoleon's occupation.

Back in the day, the main 125-step staircase (which we went down), was climbed on their knees by women who wished for a child.  When Carol said she wanted to climb the stairs on her knees, I quickly said no.  Probably because we already have three children already.  And believe me, that's enough for us!

(Editor: I'm coming to Carol's defense here. . .there's no way she said that.  Writer: Yeah, but my made-up story is more fun.  At least until she reads it.)

I'm going to quote Rick Steves' book as the coda to the stairs/pregnancy story. . ."Today they (Roman women) don't (climb it on their knees). . .and Italy has Europe's lowest birthrate."

The five of us at the front door.

Inside the church.

Ornate ceiling.  We're having

this installed as our

kitchen ceiling.

The three bees are the coat of

arms of the aristocratic Barberini

family.  A member of the family

became Pope Urban VIII in 1623.

His reign was characterized

by the nepotism and pillaging

of ancient Roman monuments.

That led to the expression "Quod

non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt

Barberini" which, as you no

doubt remember from your

youth, means "What the

barbarians did not do, the

Barberini did."

(Some of the best times of

my teenage years was when we

would pull a prank and then

quote that Latin saying to our

friends.  I assume you did the same?)

(Editor: It's a good thing your didn't

become a writer as your full-time

profession.  Writer: Stares blankly.)

From the top of the church stairs, a view

of two domes, including the Vatican.

A look down the church stairs to

Piazza Venezia below.  It's easier

going down than up.  

More of Piazza Venezia, and

Palazzo Venezia.

The view back up the

stairs to the church.