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<\/a>The first church of our pilgrimage is called the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls. We had never heard of it before, but our guide, Sofia, was very informative. We learned that i<\/span><\/span>t is a major Catholic basilica, one of the city’s Seven Pilgrim Churches, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. <\/a>Built on the traditional burial site of the Apostle Paul outside the walls of Rome, the original 4th-century basilica was largely destroyed by <\/a>fire in 1823 and subsequently rebuilt. We didn’t know what to expect, but \u00a0we were amazed by its stunning 19th-century portico with 150 columns.<\/p>\nAfter this experience, we were taken on \u00a0a panoramic drive, seeing many remnants of Rome’s bygone era. Our first \u00a0dinner in Rome was held at a \u00a0nearby trattoria-ristorante called D’Azeglio, <\/em>where our group enjoyed pasta, salad, \u00a0and pork, with tiramisu for dessert. 8,621 steps<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The first leg of our flight took us to Amsterdam at 7 AM, (1 AM our time) and from there, we needed to get to the right gate for \u00a0our plane to Rome. Our arrival in Amsterdam and our departure \u00a0to Rome were at different parts of the airport, \u00a0requiring us to hurry \u00a0to reach … Continue reading St. Luke Pilgrimage to Italy, Day 2 \u2014 November 11th, 2025<\/span> <\/a>When we entered the Holy Doors, we were stunned by its the massive size and \u00a0its rich mosaics. <\/a>There are mosaic portraits of every pope, from St. Peter to \u00a0Pope Francis, with \u00a0a space ready for the eventual inclusion of Pope Leo XIV. Why did the church’s artists use mosaics? They are more durable than paint, which can be damaged by water, sunlight, and by the smoke from that many candles that were lit inside church.<\/a><\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>We passed the baths of Caracalla, in which we had seen Aida<\/em> on our \u00a0honeymoon many years ago. We passed the Circus Maximus,<\/em> in which chariot races were held. <\/a>We \u00a0learned that chariot drivers had to go around the track seven times in order to win! We passed the <\/a>Pyramid of Cestius<\/em>, a structure that we had never heard about before, that was built in about 15 BC. Rome’s other pyramids no longer exist, but this one has been renovated and is open to visitors. \u00a0 Eventually we reached our hotel, the Mediterraneo Roma. We observed that \u00a0the art on the walls there was done in mosaics.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n