Last Day in Rome

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Our last day in Rome was a relatively short one, as we left for the airport around 3. However, we managed to fit in as much as we could!

We started off at Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, a church built in the frigidarium of the Baths of Diocletian, which was one of the most impressive structures in Ancient Rome (pictured in the first image). The tepidarium is included in the present transept of he church. Basically combining some of my favorite things: churches and Roman ruins! The church was designed by Michelangelo (his last architectural work, finished when he was 86) and dedicated to Christian martyrs. It was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be and it had some really cool stuff inside. Plus, the ruins on the lot were a plus as well!

An aerial plan of Diocletian’s Baths

The above three pictures (impossible to grab in one image) is a meridian. It was ordered by Pope Innocent II and added in 1702. It traces the precise time of the sun’s zenith and the polar star’s movements. The sun’s rays shine through a hole in the south wall onto the floor, striking the line of copper plated brass at exactly 12 noon. There are pictures of the zodiac all along this line. It was stunning!

We then started walking towards a park Michael wanted to visit. We came across a small church that was completely empty and nice to explore. Parrocchia San Camillo de Lellis was built in 1910 in a Neo-Gothic style. It was really nice entering at a time when the sun was shining in the stained glass windows and reflecting onto the stone walls!

We then headed over to the Villa Borghese gardens ~ seeing green was fantastic. It’s been a while since I’ve actually seen green on trees that aren’t evergreen ones! There were many gorgeous viewpoints onto the city of Rome and Piazza del Popolo; I definitely recommend heading over there for some good photo ops!

It’s strange to see that there are no skyscrapers in Rome!!

We then headed to a lunch on a side street near the Spanish Steps where none of the diners were speaking English #winning. My pasta was excellent :)

All in all, it was an incredible stay in Rome. I was lucky enough to see some things I’ve only dreamt of seeing, try new foods, and see two incredible cities. It was a trip I’ll never forget!!

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