Castel Sant'Angelo and the Cappucini crypt

Yesterday we visited one of my favorite gems of Rome - the crypt of the Cappucini monks on Via Veneto. Called simply the "bone church" by many, it's a crypt in a church that is just several smallish rooms, all in a row, decorated with human bones. The Cappucini monks preserved the bodies of other monks, religious clergy, and also wealthy nobles, often displaying them in their own garments. There is a huge crypt in Palermo, Sicily that has hundreds of bodies in varying states of decay. Many still have hair, skin, facial hair, etc.
 
The inspiration for my tattoo. Cappuccini Crypt.
 

The bone church in Rome is much smaller but still awesome.

Some of my favorite decorative elements made entirely of bones include: the skulls with scapula-butterfly wings found on the arched doorway to each room (which I have a tattoo of in my right forearm), the sacred hearts found on the walls of each room, chandeliers, the winged hour glass, and the delicate floral patterns made up of the tiniest bones.


Of course, in the final room there is a particularly striking display with a placard reminding us all of our mortality.



After the bone church we headed to St. Peter's but the lines were way too long. We decided to relax and ate lunch in the piazza while people-watching.

 


St. Peter's is beautiful, but I can't hide my true feelings about the Vatican. :)
  

The Piazza at St. Peter's


We made our way through the souvenir stores lining the main street of the Vatican that leads to St. Peter's and finally ended up at Castel Sant'Angelo.



This rotunda-shaped castle has been the pope's fortress for centuries. It was built smack on top of a Hadrian's mausoleum. You can still see some of the remains from the ancient structure. The castle is definitely worth the visit because you can take a tour at your own pace, darting into narrow passage ways or very old seeming nooks as you please. There are barely any guards or staff around to give you the stink-eye!

St. Michael on top of Castel Sant'Angelo

View from the top of the castle.

Anoher statue of St. Michael. These wings are killer.

 

You can climb a very narrow spiral staircase to the top if the castle, where there is a particularly spectacular statue of St. Michael wielding a sword and take in a beautiful view of Il Tevere/ the Tiber river and the surrounding area.

There was a temporary exhibit of the fable of Cupid and Psyche, featuring artistic renderings from Ancient Greek & Roman times to the Renaissance and beyond, that we thoroughly enjoyed. The engravings showing the entire fable were my favorite.

Cupid and Psyche exhibit

Ketch hiding in one of the battalions.

Frescoes in the castle.

On top of the castle.

The she-wolf and Romulus and Remus on a Fascist-era building.

Food-related dreams-come-true in the past few days:
Rigatoni with black truffles! Vegan and brain-explodingly delicious
Pane e panelle and vegan arancine! I have waited four years and they were as delicious as ever.

Alex and the rigatoni with truffles. Before. (This is his second plate)

After. It's Alex's and I's favorite!!!!

Alex and Giulia <3