My Italian Link - Issue #09 My Italian Link Issue #09 | Page 24

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T R AV E L G U I D E
Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano
RETAIL THERAPY
GOOD TO KNOW!
If your money is burning a hole in your pocket, head to the ultra fashio-
nable via dei Condotti high street. It leads out from the bottom of the
Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti, and features many boutiques and flagship
stores. You could also head to the Galleria Alberto Sordi, a stunning
shopping arcade where you’ll find local boutiques and department
stores. Stop by one of the many bars and cafes for some traditional
cuisine. If you’re the flea-market type, try the Porta Portese market in
Trastevere, where you can purchase antiques, crafts, art and jewellery.
Don’t miss the Capitoline Wolf sculpture
in the Musei Capitolini. She is depicted
suckling Romulus and Remus, the twins
said to have founded Rome in 753 BC.
The image has been associated with
the city for millennia.
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THE FOUR MAJOR BASILICAS
Galleria Alberto Sordi
Museo e Galleria Borghese
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This is the name given to the four highest ranking Roman Catholic
churches in the world (all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites).
Each basilica has a set of holy doors, which bless entrants every 25 year
during the Jubilee. They are laden with artistic and historical treasures,
and are must-sees no matter your religion!
The Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterano, in the piazza of the same
name, is the highest ranked (and oldest) of the four. It is said that the
cedar table showcased in the Altar of Holy Sacrament here is the very
MUST-SEE MUSEUMS
Perhaps the most well-known museum in Rome is the Museo e Galle-
ria Borghese. It boasts one of the most famous collections in the
world, featuring Tiziano’s Sacred and Profane Love, several incredible
statues by Bernini, and many other works from the likes of Caravaggio
and Raphael. Make sure you pre-book your tickets! Visitors are only
admitted every 2 hours. Then there’s the Musei Capitolini in the Piazza
del Campidoglio. This is the oldest museum in the world! Take a mo-
ment to take in the humongous marble head, hand and foot in the
courtyard, which were once part of the statue of Constantine.
Musei Capitolini
Basilica San Paolo Fuori le Mure
same used in the Last Supper. The second largest is the Basilica San
Paolo Fuori le Mura (St. Paul Outside the Walls). This 4th-century Neo-
classical church is built over St. Paul’s final resting place, and is decorated
with dazzling mosaics of the Apocalypse under its triumphal arch. Thirdly,
there’s the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, perched on the Esquiline
Hill. The Bethlehem Crypt beneath the altar is said to contain wood from
the Holy Crib of Jesus Christ. Lastly, and perhaps most well-known
amongst tourists, is the Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter’s Basilica) in the
Vatican City, which we describe in the next section.
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