Found below is a rough draft of a walk. I would appreciate feedback on the info, plus other nearby places to see and things to do enroute, and suggestions on where to eat and drink.

I think there is a department store near San Giovanni Laterano and also parts of the old city wall. I may be dreaming, but think I also caught a bus close by and went out to the catacombs one time.


Rome: Southern Church Walk

This looks to be a long walk, but doable since you stop frequently and sit inside the churches admiring the interiors. Remember most churches close at 12 or 1 pm for a few hours and then reopen at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. You could do first three in the morning, have lunch, and then see San Giovanni Laterano and the remainder later in the afternoon.


Start: SAN PIETRO VINCOLI


NOTE: You can reach San Pietro in Vincoli through a dark archway on Via Cavour which has only a few steps. That's the way to go. Another way is large amount of stairs off Via degli Annibaldi.


Contains chains (vincoli) that bound St. Peter during his incarceration in Mamertine Prison (next to Santi Luca e Martina basilica at the Forum). The chains were eventually taken to Costantinpole. During the 5th century, Empress Eudoxia put one of the chains in a church in Constantinpole and gave the other one to her daughter, Eudoxia, in Rome. Her daughter gave her chain to Pope Leo I, who built St. Pietro in Vincoli to house it. Many years later, the second chain was brought back to Rome where it miraculously linked with the other already there. They are enshrined in a beautiful tabernacle on the altar. Best known for Michelangelo's breathtaking Moses. This marble tomb facade is breathtaking. Also, check out the picture frame on the opposite wall in front of the High Altar that has skeletons holding up the frame.

http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/spvinc.html

WALK SOUTH THROUGH THE DOMUS AUREA GREEN AREA TO VIA DI GIOVANNI IN LATERANO, THEN SOUTHEAST TO

CHURCH OF SAN CLEMENTE

This 11C church's 12C apse mosaic with its Tree of Life motif, the chapel just to the right of the entrance frescoed in the 15C by early Florentine master Masolino, and the massive 6C marble schola cantorum taking up much of the nave. Head downstairs and see Rome's layer effect at work, exploring down one level the church's earlier incarnation (4C), down two levels the remains of a pagan temple to Mithras and an AD 1C house, and down three levels a street and buildings from Rome's 2nd Century BC and even view water from an aqueduct that still runs through here.

roma.katolsk.no/clemente.htm
http://www.initaly.com/regions/l...emente.htm


NOTE: Ulderico is a small trattoria across the street from San Clemente,and is frequented by locals from the neighborhood. But they do have a menu in English. They make an especially good bucatini amatriciana, stewed veal and peas, fritto misto del mare and be sure to try the roast potatoes.


OPPOSITE SAN CLEMENTE, WALK A SHORT WAYS DOWN VIA DEI QUERCETTI TO

CHURCH OF SANTI QUATTRO CORONATI (AND CLOISTER).

This used to be the bastion of the pope's residence, the Lateran Palace. It is named for the four Christian soldiers who refused to worship a pagan god. It was built in the 4C and rebuilt after the invasion of the Normans in 1084. You can get special permission to visit the beautiful cloister, which was built c. 1220, one of the earliest of its kind.

View the Chapel of St. Barbara, which has remnants of medieval frescoes. The Chapel of St. Sylvester, which has frescoes of 1246 depicting the conversion of Constantine to Christianity. The story goes that Constantine was stricken by the plague (leprosy) and was told in order to be cured he must bathe in children's blood. Refusing to do so, he was supposedly visited by St. Peter & St. Paul in a dream, who told him to find Pope Sylvester I (who reigned 314-35), who cured him and baptized him. It also has a wonderful Carolingian bell tower.

http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/coronati.html
roma.katolsk.no/quattrocoronati.htm
http://www.initaly.com/regions/l...h/4cor.htm

WALK BACK TO VIA DI GIOVANNI IN LATERANO, TURN RIGHT AND WALK EAST TO


BASILICA OF SAN GIOVANNI IN LATERANO (AND CLOISTER)

This is the Cathedral of Rome, the most important church after St. Peter’s. The first church was built in 314, when the Emperor Constantine gave the land to the Pope. The current building complex is made up of the Church, the Baptistery, Palazzo Lateranense, the Scala Santa and the Hospital of San Giovanni.

The current Holy Door was designed and installed for the last pilgrimage year, 2000, the Jubileum, and is quite impressive. Inside, huge statues of the Apostles (six on each side) are in niches along the sides of the nave. The 12C fresco located in this Basilica, which had originally been attributed to Giotto, was likely the work of his students. The High Altar is absolutely breathtaking. Along the outside of the church is a loggia where the Pope gives his blessing that is exposed to the elements with beautiful ceiling frescoes.

The interior is from the 17C by Borromini and the grand facade is by Alessandro Galilei of 1735. The Papal Altar in this church was originally reserved for the Pope and only he could celebrate mass from this pulpit. However, it is now used freely by other clergy to dispense the Holy Sacraments. The Papal Throne in the apse is reserved only for the Pope; in fact, he must take his seat there to become Pope officially. The Gothic baldacchino dates from the 14C. The domed octagonal baptistry dates from Constantine's time (432 AD) and is well worth viewing.

roma.katolsk.no/giovannilaterano.htm

SCALA SANCTA AND SANCTA SANCTORUM (Sacred Steps), Piazza di San Giovanni in Laterano, 14. 630a-1150a, 330p-645p (Oct-Mar 3p-645p) daily.

Located across the piazza from S. Giovanni in Laterano, in a building that houses two surviving parts of the old Lateran Palace. One is the pope's private chapel (Sancta Sanctorum) and the other is the Holy Staircase (Scala Santa).

The 28 steps, said to be those that Christ ascended in Pontius Pilate's house during his trial, were brought from Jerusalem by St. Helena in approximately 325 A.D. When the Lateran Palace was destroyed in the late 16th century, Pope Sixtus V had the steps moved to their present site. No foot may touch the holy steps, so they are covered by wooden boards. They may be climbed but only on your knees, a penance that is performed especially on Good Friday. However, both the left and right side of the sacred steps are staircases you can go up to see the chapels above. Other highlights of this building include the sculpture, Ecce Homo, by Giosue Meli in 1874.

The Scala Santa lead to the Chapel of St. Lawrence, or Sancta Sanctorum, built by Pope Nicholas III in 1278. This chapel contains many important relics, the most precious being an image of Jesus -- the Acheiropoeton, or "picture painted without hands", said to be the work of St. Luke, assisted by an angel. The image was taken on procession in medieval times to ward off plagues.

The church was included in the pilgrims' itinerary of Roman churches, and later became a Jubilee basilica. St Philip Neri included it in his list of seven churches that should be visited by pilgrims.


http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/steps.htm
http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/nail.htm

MUSEO STORICO DEL VATICANO.

THEN WALK TO VIALE CARLO FELICE AND HEAD EAST PARALLEL TO A STRETCH OF THE AURELIAN WALLS TO PIAZZA DI SANTA CROCE IN GERUSALEMME

CHURCH OF SANTA CROCE IN GERUSALEMME AND RELICS OF THE CROSS

It was consecrated in about 325, in an older building that was rebuilt to house the Passion Relics brought to Rome by St Helena. The floor was packed with soil from the Holy Land. It was at first known as the Basilica of Helena or Basilica Sessoriana (after the imperial palace that the site belonged to), but the official name was Hierusalem. The present name was given to it in the Middle Ages

The façade is from the 18th century, in the Baroque style. If you walk around the church, it is still possible to see the original Roman masonry in some places. you can also see the ruins of a medieval cloister adjacent to the church.

roma.katolsk.no/crocegeru...images.htm
roma.katolsk.no/crocegerusalemme.htm


FINISH

WALK TO PORTA SAN GIOVANNI AND TAKE THE METRO BACK

ttt

Has anyone done a walk like this one?

I know where some of these churches are. i visted San Clemente and I knew where santi Quarto Coronati was. This looks to be very ambitous for a single day walk. Santa croce in gerusalem is by porta maggiori is a distance away from San clementi. National Geographic travelor Rome guide has two sections (Monks, Mosiacs an martyr walk; and the second walk is Laterno to Terme Diocleziano) that looke like this Southern walk, sugesting that it is Better to try this over 2 days.

You can see catacombs without going all the way out to the Appain way. St Agnes/st constanza had catacombs in the basement. it was on Via Nomentina outside the old city walls in Eastern Rome. The mosaics in in St Agnes and in St Constanza's mausoleum were awesome.

While I didn't do the walk, I've been to these churches. We took a subway to SAN GIOVANNI IN LATERANO and then took a bus to the Catacombs. I may be wrong, but it would seem the walk from St. Peter in Cahins to Laterano is long and average beighborhoods at best. Again ,taking a train it was hard to tell.
Another great historical church is St.Paul's outside the Walls.It's a beautiful Basilica (very large) with very nice grounds.

quote:

Has anyone done a walk like this one?

I think you will find that doing this "walk" in one day will be very daunting to say nothing of the artistic overload......just plot it out on a mapping web site like mappy.com with pedestrian routes.

Even though it may not be terribly long in terms of miles, keep in mind that a good portion of this walk, from the Colosseum to San Giovanni in Laterano, is uphill. On a warm day, it will be a push.

Bill

Churches of Rome

Bill, When was the last time you were in the cloister of the Lateran?

I ask because I saw it on my first trip to Rome, many years ago. It was a delight, colorful, delicate, harmonious.

I went back about two years ago. Somewhere between one-third and one-half of the mosaic tiles have been pried out as "souvenirs." The cloister looks pillaged; there is no unity, no harmony.

When I expressed my dismay to the priest at the desk, he had a few choice words to say in which the words "turisti" and "barbari" recurred frequently and interchangeably...

quote:

There are many much nicer church walks in Rome. My favorite is the Celian hill walk from the Porta Capena up to S. Gregorio Magno (and SS. Barbara, Silvia, Andrea al Celio in their garden), then SS. Giovanni e Paolo, ending at S. Maria in Domnica and S. Stefano Rotondo):

I agree with you. SS. Giovanni e Paulo was very beautful and the walk from san Clemente to there was very nice. this area is not a big tourist draw. It is quiet and beuatiful. The last part of th way is along the celio park. SS. Giovanni e Paulo has Roman ruins in nthe basement that are interesting and beautiful. The frescoes in le case Romane del Celio dei SS Giovanni e paulo. are gorgeous. When we got to S. Gregorio Magno, there was nobody there and it looked like the church was closed. An Impressive building form the outside.

Hi degas,
We have just returned after 1 week in Roma and it was fantastic. We did not do any particular walk to see the churches but what I do advise is to go into any church you pass. Most are open although some close between about 12:30 to 4pm. No matter what a church may look like from the outside go in and you will find some absloute gems. Unique frescoes, statues and oozing in history.
Both my wife & I really enjoyed discovering these places of worship.

As far as eating - take a picnic lunch, it will be cheaper. We found the 'fast food' was of a poor standard and sit down meals were mainly pasta & pizza.
Cheers Mario

B