We have fondly named this our 'Angels and Demons' visit, and armed with our 'Rome guide to churches' and my memories of Dan Brown's action packed thriller, set off to explore the religious wonders of the city. Having visited Rome twice before, we have seen most of the iconic sights, but this time is different; no children, so we are free to wander around the lesser known sights at our leisure without cries of, 'not another church mum! I want an ice cream.'
The adventure begins with a drive to one of the outlying districts and a train ride into the centre, where we arrive at Plaza del Popolo.
Cue the rain! The forecast said there were going to be showers and the chance of a thunderstorm, but had not prepared us for the ensuing storm of biblical proportions: 4 hours of fork lightning, towering dense cumulonimbus clouds, crashing thunder and torrents of cascading rain. Its OK, we are British, so we bought two umberellas and entered the storm.
We approached our first stop, the small church of Santa Maria del Popolo, designed by Raphael, completed by Bernini and housing magnificent works of art by Caravaggio including The Crucifixion of St Peter.
It was closed. So we went and had a coffee.
One thing to consider when visiting churches in Rome is that although opening times are often advertised as 9am-6.30pm, for example, what they don't tell you is that they close from 1-4pm in the afternoon.
So, onward we went to find the Chiesa della Trinita dei Monti, a French church situated at the top of The Spanish Steps.
When we arrived, in the torrential rain, the church was closed to the public as a funeral service was in progress - you couldn't write it! Fortunately, once the service was over, we were allowed access and entered to view the spectacular gilded ceiling and the vault of the cross built in late French Gothic style, with intertwined ribbed vaults, the only example of this style in Rome. On the two bell towers outside you can see a clock and a sundial which indicate the times of Rome and Paris respectively.
Our next port of call wasSanta Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, which was again closed, and so onto the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, one of only four Major Basilicas in Rome, as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome.
I love the story associated to this church: according to legend, a fourth-century Roman couple wanted to donate their possessions to the church, and prayed for divine guidance.
Thst evening, on the night of 4/5 August in the year 352, the Virgin Mary appeared to the couple in a vision, telling them that a miracle would reveal a site where they should build a new church. That same night a miraculous fall of snow landed on the hill and Pope Liberius is said to have travelled to the snow-covered site, tracing an outline of the planned church whose construction was financed by the wealthy couple. The event is celebrated each August with a special service where white flower petals are thrown into the sky to represent the snow.
Next we returned to Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, which was now open. From the outside, two large doors appear to lead into a small ruined building. However, this misleading facade hides the final work of MichelAngelo, who designed the church by integrating it into the frigidarium area of the then Roman Baths, without otherwise changing the structure of the building. The interior of the church is huge, and inlaid into the marble floor can be seen the Clementine Line, a 45metre long bronze line with depictions of the zodiac signes and seasonal constellations, which works effectively as a sundial throughout the year.
With time now running short, we decided not to return to Santa Maria del Popolo, instead heading for St Peters Basilica, with fingers crossed that the queues would by now be shorter.
After a short wait, and after donning my cardigan (for some reason shoulders must be hidden in churches in Rome), we entered the church which is considered one of the holiest of all Christian sites in the Catholic tradition and the largest of the Papal Basilicas.
The highlights for me were: La Pieta, the sculpture by a 24year old MichelAngelo (he also designed the uniforms of the Swiss guards that protect the basilica, still worn today); the baroque bronze canopy, its helical columns raising it 20metres over the high altar, completed by Bernini and marking the site of St Peter's tomb; and finally (although there are many more highlights) the many statues which pay homage to important figures in the history of the church. For me though, it is the incredible craftsmanship that is most impressive - how a veil of fabric can be carved from stone and a limb be visible beneath it - truly astonishing!
Finally shepherded from the building, we emerged into brilliant sunshine, the storm passed but not forgotten, and made our way with aching feet, first to eat and then to make our journey back home.
As if the day had not thrown up enough surprises, as we drove along the private access road to our hotel, first a family of wild boar - an adult and four young, then a pair of young badgers crossed our path, allowing us to stop and watch as they took their time and made their way back into the woods - magical!
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