Rome: The other basilicas of the Vatican

San Giovanni in Laterano

When we visit the Vatican, we visit the seat of the pope, probably a place everyone knows. That basilica, gardens, and several other buildings are actually the capital of the church, and they all create the state of Vatican City. Just a few people know that the pope has three other seats in Rome; these are also papal basilicas, which are, after the Vatican, the most important churches for a Catholic.

What distinguishes them? They all have the same building characteristics. We will find here a papal throne and an altar located in the middle of the church exclusively reserved for the pope or the prelates delegated by him; any other priest can't celebrate the mass here. Each of them has jubilee holy doors that are opened every millennium years. This is something we never meet in other churches.

It shows their range.

Pope Benedict XVI also added to the list the Basilica of St. Lorenzo fuori le Mura, but it is not so popular and has a smaller range because here it never lived.
All of them showed great artism of mediaeval art and baroque because here worked the most famous artists of that age. I also recommend to the unbeliever a beautiful shadow game, a cuddly decoration. These are also amazing artistic works that are worth seeing.

1) San Giovanni in Laterano, aka St. John in Lateran

The second most important papal basilica is St. John in Lateran (San Giovanni in Laterano), known mostly as Lateran. That is actually the first seat of the pope, established by Emperor Constantine. Popes resided here until 1308, when the building burned down. The popes then moved to the Vatican, and there they were, even though the palace and the basilica were rebuilt. Today, the basilica is also the seat of the bishop of Rome, and the Pope is also that person. So for Rome, that church is the most important. Thanks to that, the buried pope moved to the Vatican, and the Vatican became his residence. In Lateran, there are stairs (Scala Santa), after which supposedly Christ was to be led to court. The basilica combines many styles. It is the oldest basilica and we can find here many masterpieces of early Christian art. The most beautiful is the apse. On my picture here came a mysterious light that looked a little like a person. ghost.

Pope throne, the light- all my life I still don't know what or who it is

 

International site about place: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_giovanni/index_it.htm

2) Santa Maria Maggiore

                                      

According to legend, the church was built for the Mother of God, who indicated the place, ordening to build the church where there will be snow in the summer. The basilica is located on the Esquilino hill, in the place where the snow has fallen. For her first renovation, money was given by ex-Queen Isabelle of the Catholic Church.

　

 The oldest part of the church is the mosaics from the 5th century. We will also find here a polish accent. On one of the paintings, there is the residence of Malbork. The most valuable object of worship is the image of Our Lady of the Snows, the Roman guardian, mostly known as Salus Populi Romani, ''Literally Greetings to the Roman People.'' She brought the snow during the summer, which saved the fields that deteriorated due to the drought. Saving the city from hunger. We can believe in a legend or not. I have been believing in that for a few months. Salus Populi Romani is the only style of writing icon created in the West. Other icons are typical symbols of the eastern church. There are also the relics of the Jesus Holy Cirb, brought from Jerusalem as most of the relics related to Christ by the mother of emperor Constantine-Helene. During the Christmas season, there is a holy mass with the Pope. This church is also closely related to the prophecy of Malachy; according to that, the current Pope is the last.

Our Lady of the Snow

Jesus Holy crib relics

International site about place :  http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/sm_maggiore/index_en.html

 

3) San Paolo fuori le Mura 

 

San Paolo fuori le Mura, the youngest papal basilica, built on the site of the tomb of Saint Paul, is located, as the name suggests, behind the ancient city walls. Here are the images of all Popes from Saint Peter to the present. With the image of a living pope, the light always shines. 

Mosaic with the popes Francis and Benedict XVI

In particular, it is necessary to visiting this place today, as not enough people know that we live in the epistles of historical precedent. Though we have two living popes, that's why in the basilica we find two illuminated images. The previous Pope Benedict XVI abdicated, and Francis became the new pope. However, both of them are still alive, and may they live as long as possible because they are the last rock of our declining civilization. The basilica itself, however, has had no luck. Almost completely burned during renovation in the nineteenth century, until the next fire occurred several years ago. This temple complex is surrounded by a very beautiful garden.In the Middle Ages, the patrons of the church were the kings of England.

 



 

St Paul's  shakles

 



Pope throne

St Paul statue as a defender of faith is always presented with a sword.St. Peter is presented with keys as a sign of authority over the whole church and its knowledge

International site about place :  http://www.basilicasanpaolo.org/index.asp?lang=eng

Rome: Via Appia Antica ancient road where St. Peter last time met Jesus

 

Every Christian who knows something about their own religion must hear about Via Appia Antica. They will remember the most popular story of the apostle Peter's escape from hostile Rome. When he wandered the ancient way, he met Jesus, who was walking towards the city.

Orginal footprints of Christ in St. Sebastiano church



 





Peter asked, Quo Vadis Domine? ''Where are you going, My Lord?''' Jesus answered: ut Romam iterum crucifigi''—''to Rome to be crucified again''. 
Saint Peter turned back; he died crucified at his own request with his head down because, as he said, he was not worthy to die like Christ. At the place where that famous meeting took place today stands the church under the name Quo Vadis Domine. In the church, on one of the stones, there are footprints belonging to Jesus. However, this is not the original stone; it is located in the nearby church of St. Sebastiano. Maybe it's just a legend, maybe not. But here, St. Peter changed his mind.

Copy of Jesus footprints in Quo Vadis Domine?

                                                             

Beautiful bust of Christ - Salvator Mundi , Gianlorenzo Bernini

Many pilgrims touched the stone, which inevitably began to deteriorate; therefore, it was decided to move the stone and better secure it, and in the meeting place to put a replica. This story also inspired the Polish Nobel Prize winner Henryk Sienkiewicz to write the book Quo Vadis Domine?, For that book, he got the Nobel Prize. The story was filmed many times; the most famous version is the film with Klaus Maria Brandauer.





Quo Vadis Domine?-church interior

 

 



Via Appia Antica was one of the most important roads of the ancient empire; it was called Regina viarum, the queen of roads; it was the beginning of all roads leading to the East. It connected the roads from the south of the empire to the east. On Via Appia, which Crassus ordered to crucify for a distance of 200 km, 6'000 defeated slaves who took part in the Spartacus uprising. Since the city was not allowed to hide the dead, there are numerous tombs of famous people from Rome, including the daughter-in-law of Crassus, Caecilia Metella. In the Middle Ages, the building was transformed into a castle. There are also ruins of the great Villa of Maxentius, and here is an ancient hippodrome. Part of the ancient road with time passes into a modern road with asphalt, on which people still move, so when you decide to visit a place, remember about cars while taking a photo. Part of the road is still ancient, and an archaeology park is closed to cars. In that part, nothing had changed since the Roman Empire.
  

Caecilia Metella grave

Villa of Maxentius

 

 

International site about place( any) article at Rome site: https://www.romesightseeing.net/appia-antica-park/

The unique ancient pyramid in Europe , Pyramid of Gaius Cestius in Rome

 Is it possible to encounter ancient pyramids on the European continent? definitely is.One is in Rome, and it is a tomb, similar to the Egyptian pyramid. It is the final resting place of the praetor and tribune Gaius Cestius; until the Middle Ages, it was thought to be the legendary Romulus' tomb. The Pyramid was incorporated into the city walls in the third century.It is accessible from the metro station to the Papal Basilica Paolo Fuori le Mura, St. Paul's resting place.

It's a small building, however unique it is. We will not see more pyramids in Europe. Why did that man choose the pyramid? There are many theories. Even the conspirators' stories talk about connecting the pyramids. In fact, during that time, Rome liked Egyptian art very much and absorbed much of it. to own architecture and even religion. The rich man's enchantment is the most eloquent explanation.

Italy: the mausoleum of the first caesar Octavian Augustus. History and the country should be ashamed.

If Augustus, the first emperor, were to speak today, he would say that during his reign, the Roman Empire was the biggest because of the conquests he made in Egypt, Panonia, Dalmatia, and, to a lesser extent, Germania. He could also claim that Christ was born in his reign's 23rd year and died in Tiberius' 17th year, on the 13th day of Nisan month (we know the last date of Christ's existence from the files, and in fact, all we know about the great prophet is from historical documents other than biblical stories). In reality, we can place Jesus in the historical frame and assign him an age based on the information we have about Augustus and his population count.

That's how historians define the dates of Christ's life, because, at that time, the calendar related to the dates of the reign of the Caesars. The current calendar, as a result of errors in recalculation, has c. 7 years of error from the real date of Christ's birth.

Augustus was a man who established an empire with permanent borders and probably protected our part of the world from Cleopatra's despotic governments, declaring war on her and eventually forcing her to commit suicide. She may be a feminist icon, but the truth is that she was a cruel man who had broken everyone in her path, including her brother and sister, because she was obsessed with power. He was an eminent politician who, before his death, just said that life is an art. He famously said, "Acta est fabula, plaudite." He was buried on the Field of Mars. His mausoleum exists still, but it will probably be really gone soon. That is very sad. The ruins of his mausoleum are standing there today, are not visited by tourists, and certainly are not as magnificent as the other mausoleum of Hadrian, known today as Castel St'Angelo. But it is still a memorial to the first Emperor of the Roman Empire and, to be honest, the last truly powerful and normal ruler of that country.

The mausoleum of a man who had a huge impact on the fate of our part of the world just disappears. From year to year, the damage is worse. Although there are plans to restore it, the residents realise that it's just a shame to let this place disappear. The problems have grown like a curse.

 

Rome: Julius Caesar death, Area Sacra dell' Argentina aka Largo di Torre Argentina

Forgotten ruins like many in Rome, on the route to the first in the history of the baroque building—the church Il Gesu—this beautiful symbol of counterformation and the beginning of absolutism, and the peak of human skills in the field of art—visit not many tourists, but rather those who actually know something more about Rome. And what are the ruins that are not mentioned in guidebooks? A cat shelter. Nowadays, it's an informal shelter for stray cats; every cat that comes here is protected; it must not be harmed; and people from nearby homes bring food to them. As for the southern countries, which, to put it mildly, care less about the fate of others, it is a solution to fight homelessness. But why here? Because it was here that the first Christians really died—not in the Colosseum, which also watched the deaths of many martyrs, but definitely later. Here died also somebody else... Area Sacra dell'Argentina is a remnant of a great complex that included Pompey's theater. The first theatre in the Rome empire. Here should be said who was Pompeius Magnus, the second man in history who obtained the name '' the Great '' in antiquity.

 

Pompeius Magnus, Cassius, and Julius Caesar, the founders of the first triumvirate, shared the technical reality power of the Roman Empire, which was still a republic at least on the papal level. Julius Caesar even gave his daughter the right to marry Pompey. It was rather a successful marriage, even though her father had his own business. Day by day, Pompeius was more popular in Rome; after all, he conquered the eastern part of Europe, which was much richer than the full forests of France. Caesar couldn't accept that man who was famous for his futility and ambicious for satisfaction, for which he was able to do everything. After eliminating the politic Crassus, it was time for Pompey. Initially, Pompeius must run from Rome. At the beginning of the civil war, he wins at Dyrrachium, but he loses the battle of Farsalos, as a result of which he must take refuge in Egypt. He counts on the support of his young brother Cleopatra VII Philopator (in history, there were seven queens with that name), but the Ptolemy family has other plans. Pompey, after descending ashore, is murdered, and his head is sent to Caesar, who had just arrived in Egypt.

 

Caesar becomes the most powerful man, but his mania for power, or perhaps more mania for the power of his current partner, who wants to be the ruler of not only Egypt, doesn't meet the acceptance of the senators. At that time, the Senate was sitting in the Pompeii theatre, and in one of the corridors stood his bust. March arrives... Rebuffed, Crassus thought about vengeance for a long time, as did Ceasar, not his legal son Brutus. Caesar, killed by 23 blows with a dagger, falls in front of the bust of Pompey, probably one of the greatest jokes of history.

 

Today, Area Scara dell Argentina is a ruin, a forgotten ruin of a huge

complex. In the restaurants, not far away, you can try wine in the remains of the theatre's underground. Pompeii theatre was amazing, and we can say that thanks to the murder in that place, the Roman Empire was born with caesars on thrones ( in fact, the Roman rulers were called caesars in honour of the murdered, not emperors). On the small market with vegetables, you can feel today's Italian life, a little visited place ... even for restaurants, climate should be visited more often.

 not typical international site, inform about place on international site of city of Rome:
https://www.rome.net/area-sacra

the Teutonic Order state and capital - Malbork. From Malbork to Vienna of military order country builded after crusade.

 

 

 

It would seem that Malbork's castle, inscribed on the UNESCO list, is a truly famous monument, not only because of its rich history. Malbork is not only a huge castle; it is actually a city-fortress from the Middle Ages. It is also the capital of the Teutonic Order, the only state in history managed by a military order. Who were they?

 

The Order of Brothers House of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, more commonly known as the Teutonic Order because of the black crosses on their coat, Founded in 1190, the catholic military order for aid and protection of Cristotelian pilgrimages to the Holy Land arose in the same way as the Templars in the crusades, to fight in defence of Jerusalem. It was the youngest order of fighting knights and is the only one that has survived in an unchanged form to this day, although nowadays the order is based in Vienna and has a more peaceful function. The main purpose is to help the poor and carry out missions in poor countries. The headquarters of Grand Master nowadays is Vienna, and what is the role of Malbork? This military order created a dream about what the Templars and Knights Hospitaller dreamed of: building their own country. Hospitaliers are ruling Malta. However, the Teutonic Order was considered the heirs of the Templars, also in these mystical matters. They got the Templars property, which gave them reasons for speculation.

 

 

 

 

The Teutonic Order state does not exist any longer, but Malbork has its own autonomous rights; the order continues to sponsor any renovation of the castle. In this huge castle consisting of several castles, to which it was possible to ride a horse to the main room, it is necessary to renovate all the time. Grand Master can visit the castle from time to time at the invitation of the president or on the anniversary of the common turbulent history of Poland and the Order.

We can not blame Konrad Mazowiecki, the Polish prince, for bringing order to this part of the world. Yes, he gave them three residences, but it is not a denying fact that he was at the time threatened by raids by pagan robbers who brutally killed or stole people for sale. Lonely in battle, he wanted to save his principality. He was not a consummate politician like a Great Master; he did not think that the crusades were a losing matter and the order would want something more. In his situation, every choice was bad. Trained knights came to the state-wavering conflict and took advantage of the situation. The fights with the order were not avoided and were to last for many hundreds of years.

 

 

 

For several centuries, Malbork was the seat of the Grand Master of the Order. The castle was expanding in proportion to the conquest of the Order. The order conducted business on a large scale, just as the Templars were owners of the first banks. Although the Order behaved aggressively, taking over the lands of Livonia and Poland under the pretext of pagan conversion, it should also be said that it contributed to the development of several matters, such as the unification of the system of measures and weights and the value of money—it is the Order's merits.

The Order, while in the Middle East, was also acquainted with technical novelties that were unknown in Europe. For the first time in Poland, entral heating was used in the castle. The system consisted of distributing steam from boiling boilers, like in the ancient Roman thermae. The running water was supplied by a pipe system.

 

 



Visiting the castle takes all day; it is possible only with a guide because some of the rooms are not open to visitors and it is very easy to get lost in them. It is very easy to get to the city of Malbork from Gdansk by very fast train. The problem begins after getting off the train. Information in the city is quite poor, and you need to ask the local people. Although a short 20-minute walk is not a big obstacle, maybe it is not an ability to use tourism or not appreciating what someone has. Appreciating monuments and using them for tourism (which can save money), unfortunately, is a problem in the countries of Central Europe. They are delighted with everything that is abroad, underestimating what they have

 

 

 

In any case, this symbol of the power of the order and the day of the crusades need to be visited. Whether the crusades were a good or bad idea, it was not a place to judge; probably European knights in heavy iron armour would not have to win in this climate, even in the heat. There were too few orders knights... but maybe if someone in Europe did not prance for dogmas with Byzantium and take their help, and in the last King of Jerusalem, Baoudouin le Lepreux, did not see only a leper man, but that one who saw another site, the great mind king, who really was honoured by the other side with respect, today many problems would not exist.

Vienna Teutonic Order headquarters

 

 

The seat of the Grand Master in Vienna can also be visited, there are many objects brought from Jerusalem. interestingly, the largest most famous cathedral in Vienna is also the cathedral of the Grand Master. We will  see also a polish accent on one of the paintings in Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome( one of papal basilica) - there is the residence of Malbork on one fresco.

 

International site about Malbork castle :
http://www.zamek.malbork.pl/

Teutonic order site (just in german): http://www.deutscher-orden.at/

The longest gothic cathedral of world, St Pierre cathedral in Paris -Beauvais

 

Anyone who uses low-cost airlines flying to Paris usually arrives at the airport in Beauvais, but hardly anyone stops in this place, but they should for a short while. Beauvais is a charming town where you can feel the real France. In France,  people with whom no one knows what to do do not stay in the streets but live in tents, and the famous Parisian thieves are not there. In Beauvais, there is a charming old square, several nice restaurants, and life flows peacefully. Here is also a little forgotten but very important monument of gothic architecture: the cathedral. The Cathedral of St. Pierre in Beauvais is one of the longest gothic cathedrals in the world. Unfortunately, it may disappear from this world soon. The reason for this is the mistaken design of the building that the architects of the cathedral made in the Middle Ages.

 

This is one of the most sophisticated Gothic cathedrals that was created. It's possible that the architect was the same man who built Gloucester Cathedral. There was the same problem with building construction. The inside of the chimney got a very high vault, and the choir's arcades became more sharp than usual. Changing the original plan and expanding the windows to 48 metres, and too weak a retaining wall system—flying buttress—which discharging the building's weight to the ground, led to the building's collapse—the first collapse of the building. Despite the doubling of the number of pillars in 1284, it did not protect the building from further problems of existence. Today, the building is reinforced by special steel constructions, which are also not able to ensure its eternal existence to the end. In my opinion, the cathedral is much more beautiful than the famous Notre Dame. It is also a building that can disappear soon. In the cathedral, we can also see a great mediaeval clock. St. Pierre, which owns the tallest Gothic vault in the world, is one of the longest Gothic cathedrals in the world. But soon it can be gone.

International site about the place: any