Roman Holiday

Need to escape the cold November rain? Rome's weekend forecast calls for sunshine and highs of 21° celsius. Plan your itinerary with some suggestions from Monsignor James M. Clair, who visited the Eternal City with Cardinal McGuigan in the late 1930s.

Admire Roman engineering at the Sant'Angelo Bridge, which has spanned the River Tiber since 135 AD.

Sant'Angelo Bridge on the River Tiber

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

Crossing the bridge, you will find the Castel Sant'Angelo, which was completed in 139 AD as the Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum. Since then, it has been connected to St. Peter's by a protected passage, and has been a place of refuge for popes. It is topped by a statue of St. Michael, which recalls the vision that Pope Gregory the Great had in 590 AD of the archangel that signified the end of the plague. The Castel is now a museum.

Sant'Angelo Bridge, Castel Sant'Angelo, St. Peter's Basilica entrance, and the group outside the Vatican

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

Walk in the path of ancient Romans on the Appian Way, which is a road that was begun in 312 AD to connect Rome to regions south. 

Next take a stroll past Porta San Paolo (St. Paul's Gate). It now houses a museum, but was built in 275 AD as an entrance to the city through the Aurelian Walls. Beside it you will find the Pyramid of Cestius, which is a 12 BC burial chamber.  

The Appian Way, St. Paul's Gate, the Pyramid of Cestius, and the Papal Basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

A short distance south, you will find the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, which is a church built over the grave of St. Paul and consecrated in 324 AD. It has been extensively added to over the centuries.

Perhaps one of the most famous sites in Rome is the Colosseum, an amphitheatre which opened to Romans in 80 AD and could accommodate 50,000 spectators. Close by you will spot the Arch of Constantine, which is a 315 AD monument to the eponymous emperor. 

Monsignor Clair poses outside the Colosseum and at the Arch of Constantine

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

No visit to Rome would be complete without a stop by the Vatican and the famous St. Peter's Basilica. It was consecrated in 1626, and is the largest church in the world. 

A postcard depicting St. Peter's Basilica

For a little R&R, check out Castel Gandolfo, a former Papal retreat on Lake Albano which is now open to the public.

The gardens of Castel Gandolfo

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

 Don't forget to get a group shot with your friends!

Fr. E. O'Hanley, Fr. J. Crossland, Cardinal McGuigan, Fr. T. Cahmpoux, and Monsignor Clair

1930s
Monsignor Clair Collection

 Buon viaggio!

Record of the Week: Toronto Visits St. Peter's

On this day in 1626, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome was dedicated by Pope Urban VIII exactly 1300 years after the dedication of the original St. Peter's by Pope Sylvester I.

For almost a millennium and a half, St. Peter's has been a popular destination for Catholics from all over the world who go to admire and be inspired by the architecture and art. Toronto Catholics are no exception. Below are a few items from the Archives which document a few visits by Toronto Ordinaries to the famous basilica:

A document certifying that the 'Illustrious and Reverend Joseph Lynch, Bishop of Toronto' visited Pope Pius IX at the 'Basilica of the Principle Apostle' on the 9th day of June, 1862. 

Cardinal McGuigan posing in St. Peter's Square

An undated photograph of delegates to the Second Vatican Council from the back of St. Peter's facing the Holy Father.  Cardinal McGuigan and Archbishop Pocock both served as Council Fathers. 

A cardboard model of St. Peter's Dome created and donated to ARCAT by Fr. Joseph Fenech 

To visit St. Peter's Basilica without leaving your keyboard, check out the virtual tour on the Vatican website.