Roman Sojourn

KB Cook
Aug 25
7 min read

Day 17: Debarking the Emerald

Awakening early, I skipped breakfast, closed up the small roller and headed to the lounge to join several groups waiting to be called to debark the Emerald Princess in Civitavecchia. I was off at 8:30, immigration was easy, and customs non-existent. The free bus brought me to the cruise drop center and I walked past the local cathedral to my lodgings. I had to be there by 10, as staff left until 4. I made it with time to spare, leaving my bags in the storage room, and pulling my camera. Leaving with key and access card, I headed to the railway station. I was early for my reservation, so changed it to earlier, collect the next ticket I needed, and was soon on my way towards Rome.

At the Roma Ostiense station I walked to the Metromare station and rode to Porto Galeria. There I switched to a bus, passing the DaVinci Mall and the back of Fiumicino Airport, and dropped me seemingly in the middle of nowhere. I had to backtrack a bit, moving off the narrow two-lane road (Cimitero stop on Via Portuense) to Parco Leonardo via a parking lot.

This allowed me to get to a sports path I crossed to the wooden plank path which took me alongside the stream feeding the Tiber which had fed the former moat and the crenelated walls of the fortress. A path through a grass field took me to a gate which I slipped through.

Front facade of church complex, with the Chiesa Concattedrale dei Santi Ippolito e Lucia Fiumicino, Lazio, Italy on the right — *Chiesa Concattedrale dei Santi Ippolito e Lucia* Fiumicino, Lazio, Italy

Ahead were several attached buildings, none looking particularly like a church, much less the Chiesa Concattedrale dei Santi Ippolito e Lucia. I wandered the courtyard, with all doors but the laundry locked. A gentleman drove up, who went through the kitchen to then open the co-cathedral’s entry door for me. Struggling with Italian, I understood that this had been the first episcopal see in Fiumicino; the fortified site had been flooded (moat) out to the west. It was a simple space, the single aisle separating wooden pews that might each hold 2-3 parishioners. He brought me through the cloister to show me an old etching displaying how the site had bordered the sea.

Once outside, after thanking him as he got into his car and left, I moved around the buildings to see if there might be a better angle to capture the church’s exterior. While the single bell hanging over a clock rose behind the kitchen area, it looked like my simple east-facing positioning was how it would be. I headed back to the bus stop, crossing the road and waited until a bus showed up at the time Google Maps said it would. After riding about a half hour, much longer than my initial ride, I asked a fellow passenger, and she advised me of my error. I was about halfway back to Civitavecchia! Then at the terminus, the Malagrotta train station, where, having just missed the train, I had a light lunch.

I boarded and rode to Ostiense, transferring to a train to Ostia Antica. There, a 10-minute walk past the Castello di Giulio II and around a park to the Cattedrale di Sant'Aurea.

Front facad of the Cattedrale di Sant'Aurea, Ostia Antica, Lazio, Italy — *Cattedrale di Sant'Aurea*, Ostia Antica, Lazio, Italy

Another small, simple church, again the single center aisle separated wooden pews which might hold 4. Peaked vault, with the dark wood timbers exposed. In the niche holding the high altar, an oval painting depicted the martyrdom of St Aurea. Towards the entrance, shrines to the Virgin Mary were fronted by lit electric candles. Heraldic shields honored past clergy in this episcopal seat which dated back to the third century. Google states it is a basilica, while Gcatholic does not, and there was no sign of an ombrellino (red and yellow silk tight umbrella) or a tintinnabulum (bell on pole).

Leaving the church, I decided to visit the fifteenth century Castle of Julius II, the papal patron who had Michealangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. While the moat no longer exists, this fortress has a large round tower, and used to guard the Tiber River entrance. Now a museum, muraled walls and ceilings are showcased, pieces of pottery are displayed, and there’s a lovely café on the top with views of a park, some of the town, and the cathedral. I spoke with several university student who were Carabiniere for the summer. This site was another bonus for this trip.

Returning to the train station, I rode back into Rome to transfer to the train to Civitavecchia, just missing the one before my booked ticket. Once in the port town, I walked to the Residence Stendhal, my lodgings. I fortunately remembered the door code, as its photo was on the phone I didn’t check.

Front facade, Cattedrale di San Francesco d’Assisi, Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy — *Cattedrale di San Francesco d’Assisi, Civitavecchia, Lazio, Italy*

With my gear in the room, I opened the bags, grabbed my reader and drank water to begin hydrating. As I’d stayed there before, I had memories of a great pizza place, and I set off to find it. Two years later, it was closed on Tuesdays, so I returned to the main drag, walked past the local cathedral, Cattedrale di San Francesco d’Assisi, and decided to try L’Antica Pizzeria because the fish restaurant was also closed. The waiter didn’t want to take my order of a modified pizza – I’d checked the menu and all the ingredients I wanted were offered, just not together. I settled for a Diavolo alla Fiamma, with added garlic, and a draft red beer. Fried bread knots and a marinara sauce as an appetizer preceded the thin crusty pie. I rated the experience a ”fair”.

Back in the room I did a partial unpack. Most necessary, I backed up the day’s photos, including the phones. A soft, single bed, low to the ground then welcomed me.

Day 18: Rome

After a simple breakfast of coffee, a filled croissant and a banana, and chatting with a fellow lodger from San Francisco, I headed to the train station. Expecting the crowds of a debarking ship, I had booked first class and found it sweet. Departing 5 minutes late, I arrived at Roma Termini, the main train station, and purchased an all-day MetroPass. With an appointment at the Anglican Center of Rome, I had counted on the bus #170 to depart on time, but it didn’t appear for 15 minutes. Switching to a #64, I rode 6 stops and walked, carrying two copies of Cathedrals to the Glory of God in a cloth sack. Gaining entry to the building, I climbed the two flights and the administrator, Nicki, was the sole person there. We chatted a bit, and I learned her son was studying photography. She asked me to write (by hand) letters to accompany the books as gifts for Bishop Anthony, the current representative from Canterbury to The Vatican, and one for the Holy Father. (I have about a month left to accomplish this!)

As I had a ticket for the Caravaggio show at the National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini, I headed across Rome. My route took me near the madness of the Trevi Fountain, so I climbed the stairs and entered the Chiesa dei Santi Vincenzo e Anastasio. With no plans to visit a cathedral, I wanted to say prayers for my mother, grandfather, and a friend’s husband who’d just died. And I (of course) took some pictures inside. I still had plenty of time, so I decided to have lunch, away from the heavily trafficked tourist routes, but still accepting that it would be a tourist restaurant. Il Boccaccio appealed, and I stepped down a short flight of stairs and was seated at a small table. Four pages of menu, and I wanted a light lunch – selecting zuppa tomate, and fettucine al pesto, with a liter of still water and a draft red beer. The soup was awesome, thick with cheese; the pasta flavorful, with plenty of pesto per my request.

When I finished lunch, I headed to the museum and queued for the exhibition.

Fonrt of National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini, Roma — National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini, Roma

A guide led the tour admittedly fast, blocking many painting from viewers. I returned to the beginning, getting my own photos of paintings, using patience where I had to, and didn’t try to take shots of the two that were restricted from photography. (Twenty-four pictures were displayed; I took 27 photos, some duplicates in the hour I spent in the building. I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to see this exhibition.)

Floating on a cloud, I headed back from the museum to the central train station. Passing near the neighborhood where I’d B&B’d two years prior, I revisited some favorite buildings, including the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major.

I felt it was important to enter through the Holy Door and to pray my list there. On to the train station, where I spent a half hour waiting on my booked train back to Civitavecchia.

View of Rome's major train and bus station from front. — Roma Termini (train station)

Returning to my room, I took an hour nap. Out for a stroll, I wandered in neighborhoods I hadn’t seen on prior visits, and got pictures of some street art. An Irish pub, The Black Lodge, was tucked into an alley, so I stopped for a pint. On my way back, I passed by the rear of the local cathedral, and grabbed some take away to have at Residence Stendhal.