Fr. Forlano’s Blog

 Trastevere is one of the most "happening" neighborhoods in Rome but it also has some of the oldest and most beautiful and significant churches in all of Rome.  The name of the district comes from the Latin that means "beyond the Tiber".   Basilica of St. Cecilia in Trastevere dedicated to the young Roman woman, Cecilia, who was martyred in the 3rd century.  Tradition holds that the first church built here was built over the house of the saint.   Interior Courtyard of St. Cecilia Statue by Stefano Maderno in front of the main altar depicting the martyrdom of St. Cecilia.  Her relics are in the crypt under the main altar.  Maderno made the sculpture after viewing the the body as he saw it when the tomb was opened in 1599.  The statue depicts the three axe strokes described in the 5th-century account of her martyrdom and is a testament to how the body was preserved incorrupt from the time of her death.   Apse and main altar with baldachin Many street corners in Rome h

 The Basilica of Saints Ambrose and Charles, commonly known as "San Carlo al Corso" because it is located on the Via del Corso, is dedicated St. Ambrose and St. Charles Borromeo, both bishops of Milan.  The church was constructed beginning in 1612 in honor of the canonization of St. Charles Borromeo in 1610.  The church has an ambulatory behind the main altar with a reliquary holding the heart of St. Charles Borromeo.  I asked St. Charles to intercede for me and the parishioners of my parish, St. Charles Borromeo, in Bensalem.   Main altar - "Glory of Saints Ambrose and Charles" Note St. Charles' motto: "Humilitas" (humility) on the front of the altar and in the painting.   Ambulatory with the reliquary containing the heart of St. Charles Borromeo

 There are 12 masterpieces by the painter Caravaggio in Rome, and several of them are works of art commissioned for churches and can be seen without having to go into a museum.  Three paintings about St. Matthew by Caravaggio are in the church of San Luigi di Francesi, one of several French churches in Rome originally built for the French-speaking community.   Facade of San Luigi  Interior of San Luigi The Call of St. Matthew The Inspiration of St. Matthew The Martyrdom of St. Matthew Caravaggio, like Michelangelo, changed art as a means of communicating meaning, especially religious meaning, by making his subjects unique and relatable.  Caravaggio had a way of painting that had almost  a photographic quality that communicated movement and energy.  Note in the Call of St. Matthew how Jesus is wearing dress from the 1st century while Matthew and the other tax collectors are wearing dress that would have been contemporary with the time of Caravaggio (b. 1571 - d. 1610).  What is the mess

The Spanish steps and the Piazza de Spagna Column and monument commemorating the Immaculate Conception.  The Holy Father comes here each December 8 to pray and to place a wreath of flowers on the statue of Our Lady.     Trevi Fountain in the Piazza di Trevi.  The fountains of Rome are where the ancient aqua ducts built by the Romans come to the surface to provide drinking water to the city.  The tradition of throwing thee coins in the fountain to come back to Rome comes from the Roman soldiers making sacrifices to the god of the river for safe travel and to return home to Rome.   Piazza di Pantheon The Pantheon, built as a cylindrical domed temple to "All the gods",  is a very unique structure.  There are no other round temples in the ancient world.  Modern science and engineering are still trying to determine how the building has remained intact after more than 2000 years.  Now the Pantheon is a church dedicated to Mary and All the Martyrs.  Michelangelo studied the Pantheon

 We had many good meals in Rome, but the best meal we had in Rome, in my opinion, was at the Osteria Romana Al Vicolo 9.  We had a selection of Roman appetizers including various salami and suppli, which is a kind of elongated, cylindrical rice ball with a filling. Ingredients: rice, tomato, meat, broth and salt, with a mozzarella filling and a crunchy breaded coating.  The "Primi" or 1st course was a selection of the classic Roman pasta dishes: carbonara, cacio e pepe, and amatriciana.  Carbonara is a sauce of hard grated cheese, egg, black pepper, and pancetta (Italian bacon).  Cacio e pepe means "cheese and pepper" in several central Italian dialects. In keeping with its name, the dish contains grated pecorino romano cheese and black pepper, together with spaghetti or spaghettini.  Amatriciana sauce is made with guanciale (pork jowl), pecorino romano cheese, tomato, and, in some variations, onion.  Our main course or "secondo" included tripe stew among