Orthodox Rome: what an Orthodox pilgrim needs to visit. Shrines of northern Italy

In mid-September, a group of pilgrims led by priest Boris Levitan, cleric of the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, returned to their native Novosibirsk from a trip to the holy places of Italy and Greece. This is the second trip of a priest to these countries as a leader. Father Boris stressed that, taking into account the experience of the past pilgrimage, this time the trip became more eventful and properly structured. First of all, the qualitative changes affected Italy, in particular Rome.

St. Peter's

“Immediately from the airport, we went to St. Peter's Cathedral to venerate the holy relics of the Supreme Apostle,” says Father Boris. - In my opinion, it is correct and very symbolic - to start a pilgrimage in Italy, and even more so in Rome, with a visit to this particular temple, which houses the tomb of the "first throne" apostles.

The cathedral, erected on the site of the burial of the Apostle Peter, is simply grandiose. Judge for yourself: such masters as Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini and other skilful architects of Italy worked on its creation. But that is precisely why I ask my pilgrims to try not to focus on the outward splendor of the cathedral, but to fully concentrate on the meeting with the apostle, because for us, Orthodox Christians, this meeting is the most important.

And it took place! We are at the tomb of St. Peter. And all the beauties of the world fade, as there is a feeling of the real presence of the saint. And so, in the heart of the Vatican, an Orthodox prayer resounds: we serve the first prayer service on our trip with the reading of the Gospel and worship the holy relics of the Apostle Peter.

But there are many other great shrines in this cathedral. The relics of Gregory the Theologian, John Chrysostom, Gregory the Great, Leo the Great rest here ... We worship the saints with reverence, we sing glories. It is difficult to describe our condition. This is not even joy, but some kind of amazing inspiration that slightly opens the mysterious veil into the Upper World ... "

Stronghold of Orthodoxy in Rome

“After praying in the Cathedral of St. Peter, we are going to the Russian Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine - it is very close. They wanted to build the temple at the beginning of the last century. In 1913, fundraising for its construction began throughout Russia. But because of the revolution, the project did not take place. They returned to him only in the early 90s: the initiative was supported by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow and All Russia. Construction began in 2001, and in 2009 the great consecration of the temple, erected in the form of a tent, took place. But the interior of the church had not yet been painted. Today, the Church of the Great Martyr Catherine in Rome is a real stronghold of Orthodoxy in the very center of the Catholic world. The church has a secretariat for the administration of the parishes of the Moscow Patriarchate in Italy, a large pilgrimage service has been organized, a children's parish school operates, and every Sunday after the liturgy, conversations with priests are held. In general, life is in full swing.

The church houses the arks with the relics of the holy Great Martyr Catherine, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helena and the saints of the first centuries. Here we again serve a prayer service, and on this the first day of our pilgrimage ends. Still, people are out of the way, you need to have a good rest, gain strength for the upcoming spiritual deeds. "

Basilica of the Holy Cross

“The second pilgrimage day began with the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. According to one of the legends, the temple was built by the Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine according to the will of his mother, Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helena, on the site where her palace used to be. The basilica was rebuilt several times. The building is very beautiful, in the Baroque style, its facade is crowned with sculptures of saints. But our goal is the holy relics kept in the temple.

A statue of Queen Helena is installed in the church. Under this statue is said to be earth brought from Jerusalem.

The basilica contains three large parts of the Cross of the Lord. There is also a part of the title - a plate that was nailed to the Cross, with an inscription in Aramaic, Greek and Latin "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." True, the inscription is almost erased. Of the other shrines, the basilica contains two thorns from the crown of thorns of the Savior and a nail that nailed the body of Christ.

One of the relics is the finger of the Apostle Thomas, who put his finger in the wounds of the Lord and by his "unfaithfulness of Christ's Resurrection, he announced."

Another shrine is a part of the cross on which a prudent robber was crucified at the right hand of Jesus Christ. The very one that "let out a small voice ... on the cross, you gained great faith in a single moment, being saved, and the first one, the heavenly gates opened, into the interior."

All pilgrims were deeply impressed by what they saw. But this is only the beginning of the pilgrimage day! "

In the way of Christ

“We are in the Church of the Holy of Holies, in Italian it sounds like Sancta Sanctorium. Initially, it was dedicated to the holy martyr Archdeacon Laurentius, but over time, the name of the saint for some reason ceased to be mentioned. Here is the Holy Staircase (Rock of Santa), along which the Savior climbed several times to the house of Pontius Pilate. This shrine was brought to Rome by the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena. According to the pious tradition, believers climb the 28 steps of the Ladder exclusively on their knees. Let me tell you right away: it's not easy. Someone's legs hurt badly, someone feels incredible heaviness throughout the body during the ascent, one of the pilgrims admitted that he had never experienced anything harder in his life, and he even had a thought to rise from his knees in the middle of the way, because there was no longer any strength. But everyone gets up, even old women with arthrosis of the knee joint.

Orthodox pilgrims have a tradition to read Our Father at every step. But this is optional. Someone does the Jesus Prayer, someone prays in their own words. The Lord accepts all our prayers that come from our hearts.

Before the ascent, we read a passage from the Gospel about how the Savior ascended these stairs to the judgment to Pilate. I see that the Gospel reading leaves no one indifferent. Then we get down on our knees: the Lord went for us to the hardest sufferings, so now we will have a little patience when we ascend the Holy Ladder. "

Apostolic chapters

“We are approaching the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on the Lateran Hill. Italians call it the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. The place is unique in its own way, since the papal throne stands in the temple. It is very close to the Church of the Holy of Holies. Like most Roman temples, the cathedral is, of course, majestic, especially since there is also the cathedral of the Roman bishop. But the architectural splendor and rich interior decoration does not obscure our eyes, because we are waiting for something else. In this cathedral, in the upper part of a special tabernacle, behind twisted lattices in gilded silver vases, are kept the heads of the chief apostles Peter and Paul. You can't get close to this place, but our prayer shortens the distance, and I think at some point we all felt that the Savior's disciples were next to us.

The cathedral is also significant in that it contains a plaque from the table at which the Last Supper was performed, a part of Christ's sponge with traces of blood, a particle of the robe of the Mother of God, the relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. "

Holy Mother of God, save us!

“The Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is located in the city center and is considered the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos. The history of its creation is interesting. In the IV century, the Most Holy Theotokos appeared in a dream to a wealthy Roman who wanted to donate a large sum for a godly cause and ordered to build a large temple on the spot where it would snow in the morning. Such a dream in itself is amazing, but it is also surprising that it was hot August outside. And yet, in the morning, snow fell on one of the hills. Here a church was built, which was called the Church of St. Mary on the Snow (Snow). Later, a basilica appeared on this site, which to this day is one of the most famous churches in the Christian world.

The cathedral contains boards left over from the Savior's Manger. We prayed at this treasure, imbued with the spirit of the Nativity of Christ. Then we went to the chapel (chapel) at the church to pray at the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Salvation of the Roman people." History tells that through the prayers of the inhabitants of Rome at this icon, the Most Holy Theotokos saved the city from the plague invasion. Since then, the townspeople have especially revered this image. "

Having Christ on his chest

“We went to the Basilica of St. Clement, located not far from the famous Colosseum. Due to the lack of time, we did not enter the Colosseum itself, but passing by, I noted that for believers it is a monument to the terrible persecution of Christianity. In the arena of this huge amphitheater, the pagans killed our brothers in Christ by the thousands. All the land in the Colosseum is saturated with the blood of martyrs.

Some disappointment awaited us at the Basilica of St. Clement. Reconstruction was in full swing here. This was not what we expected. But, thank God, the temple was opened.

The church houses the tomb of the holy martyr Clement, Pope of Rome. For preaching Christianity to the holy martyr Clement, they put an anchor around his neck and threw him into the sea. His disciples greatly grieved that they could not bury him, but one day, through their prayers, the sea opened up, and they saw the teacher's body at the bottom in one of the sea caves. For several years, on the day of the martyr's death of the holy martyr Clement, the sea parted, and the believers could bow down to the holy martyr. And the cave in which his holy relics rested, people began to call the Angelic Church. But then the relics of St. Clement became inaccessible, and only after the prayers of the Equal-to-the-Apostles brothers Cyril and Methodius were they miraculously found again, brought to Rome and placed in the basilica.

Equal to the Apostles Cyril, who died in Rome, is also buried in this basilica.

The relics of another great saint, the Holy Martyr Ignatius the God-bearer, one of the disciples of the Apostle John the Theologian, rest in the church. According to Church Tradition, Saint Ignatius is the same boy mentioned in the Gospel, whom our Savior embraced with the words “whoever becomes belittled like this child is more in the Kingdom of Heaven”. In the medieval patericon, it is said that the question of Emperor Trajan: who is the God-bearer? - Saint Ignatius answered: having Christ on his chest. When the pagans decided to throw him at the mercy of beasts, people wanted to persuade them not to do this, and perhaps they would have succeeded. But Ignatius the God-bearer forbade them: "I am the wheat of God: let the teeth of beasts grind me down so that I may become the pure bread of Christ." The beasts tore apart the saint, but his heart remained unharmed. When the pagans cut open the heart, they saw the inscription on its inner walls: "Jesus Christ".

In the basilica, the relics of St. Ignatius the God-bearer are located in the center of the church in a special cage, which is almost always closed. I asked our guide if they would open it to us, as we were preparing to perform a prayer service at the relics of the saint. The guide expressed deep doubts: this was not done in the old days, and even now, when the reconstruction is underway, even more so. But at my urgent request, she nevertheless went to ask. And we began to pray. She returned rather quickly, at the same time joyful and greatly surprised. She said they would open it now. For twenty minutes! Here it is, a small miracle in response to a common prayer! The prayer service at the relics of Ignatius the God-bearer has become especially joyful! "

On the Aventine Hill

“We are heading towards the Basilica of Santi Bonifacio e Alessio. You already understood - this is the church of St. Alexis, the man of God, and the martyr Boniface. Their holy relics rest in this temple. Of course, you know the lives of these saints, especially revered in Russia. I just want to add that their stories seem to be connected. After Aglais, the mistress and concubine of Boniface, who wanted to have the relics of one of the martyrs who suffered for Christ, was brought the tormented body of her servant, who at the last moment declared himself a Christian and tortured by pagans, she erected a temple on the Aventine hill, in which she kept his holy relics. After some time, the wedding of young people took place in this church - the groom's name was Alexy. By the providence of God, he was destined to become a man of God. And he was buried 34 years later after his marriage in this temple.

Later, another church was built over the church of St. Boniface, into which the relics of both saints were transferred. Today they rest under the main throne in a marble sarcophagus.

Saint Alexis is considered by the Romans to be the heavenly patron saint of marriage, therefore many weddings are performed in the temple. At the entrance to the church, on the left, there is a fragment of a staircase under which the saint lived, a well is installed nearby, from which he drank water. There is also the miraculous icon of the Mother of God "Edessa", from which came a voice calling Saint Alexy a man of God. According to legend, the icon was painted by the Apostle and Evangelist Luke. "

City of the apostles

“The culmination of our Roman pilgrimage was, as we planned, the Basilica of St. Paul outside the city walls. The temple was built on the burial place of the apostle, whom the Lord called His "chosen vessel." While we were driving, I talked about the apostles Peter and Paul. I wanted the pilgrims to be imbued with the fact that the saints were just like us, living people with their human flaws, perhaps completely different in temperament, who had disputes and disagreements among themselves. But they were united by holy faith and ardent love for Christ, for whose sake they, without hesitation, went to death, having acquired holiness.

In the cathedral are the chains of the Apostle Paul, part of his staff, as well as the heads of the apostles from seventy: Ananias, who baptized the persecutor of Christians Saul, who later became the great Apostle Paul, and Epaphras, the companion of the Apostle Paul. In addition, many particles of the relics of other saints of God are kept here.

With a prayer to the Apostle Peter we began our pilgrimage to Rome and with a prayer to the Apostle Paul we ended it. But ahead of us was a trip to Amalfi, Ravello, Salerno, Bari. And then - the island of Corfu and, of course, Saint Athos.

Therefore - to be continued ”.

Recorded by Dmitry Kokulin
Novosibirsk Metropolis Bulletin

"All roads lead to Rome" - the eternal city, the capital of the great Roman Empire, within which the Lord was pleased to incarnate. The city, which accepted the teaching of Christ during the times of the Apostles, heard the sermon of the holy apostles Peter and Paul and became the place of their eternal rest. "From here will be caught up Paul, from here Peter," exclaims St. John Chrysostom. - Think and shudder! What a spectacle will be presented to Rome when Paul and Peter will rise there from their tombs, and will be caught up to meet Christ. "

The Roman land is abundantly watered with the blood of martyrs. A whole host of Christ's hierarchs - the Popes of the first millennium - became famous here. By God's providence in Rome, there have been collected material monuments of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ, the relics of many saints of God, many miraculous icons transferred here from the Holy Land and from all over the Orthodox East.

Rome is a sacred city for the entire Christian world. There are more shrines of universal significance here than in all of Europe. And therefore, Rome has long attracted pilgrims not only from the West, but also from the East.

In this report I will try, firstly, to briefly describe the main ancient Christian shrines of Rome, which are of interest to Orthodox pilgrims; and, secondly, consider the traditions of veneration of these shrines in antiquity and trace the history of the Russian Orthodox pilgrimage to Italy.

Originally Roman shrines

Since ancient times, the Roman See has considered the Saint Apostle Peter as its founder. Although this is now disputed even by Catholic scholars, it is difficult to question the fact of his stay, preaching and martyrdom in this city. In Rome there are several places associated with the memory of the Apostle Peter: the Cathedral of St. Peter, erected over his relics; The Mamertine dungeon, in which he was imprisoned together with the apostle Paul; the temple of the Apostle Peter "in chains", in which his chains are reverently kept.

Let's dwell on each of these places in more detail.

Cathedral of the Apostle Peter on Vatican Hill

The cathedral is the largest church in the Christian world, the heart of the Roman Catholic Church. It stands on the site of the ancient catacombs (or underground cemeteries), in which the first holy martyrs in Rome found their resting place, who shed blood for Christ in the nearby circus of Nero. Here, according to legend, the Holy Martyr Clement, Bishop of Rome, honorably buried in 67 the body of his teacher, the Apostle Peter, after his crucifixion. This place was sacredly revered by Christians, and in about 90 a special monument was erected over it. Modern researchers of the Vatican Catacombs find appeals to the holy apostles Peter and Paul among the wall inscriptions of the 1st century. In 324, with the participation of Saint Sylvester, Pope of Rome, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine laid the foundation of the magnificent basilica. In the XVI-XVIII centuries, the basilica was rebuilt and acquired its present appearance. The main altar of the temple was erected over the honest remains of the holy apostle.

The question of where the Apostle Peter was crucified has long been the subject of debate. On one of the supposed sites, on the Janiculum Hill, a church was erected by the Spanish king in 1502. Pilgrims usually take sand from the site of the crucifixion of the Apostle Peter.

Mamertine dungeon

From the Mamertine dungeon, the holy apostles Peter and Paul were led to a martyr's death. The dungeon is located at the foot of the Capitoline Hill, on the side of the Roman Forum. On the top floor of the dungeon, there is a church dedicated to the holy Apostle Peter “in the Dungeon”. A small gloomy pillar has been preserved on the lower floor, to which both of the chief apostles were chained. A source of water has also been preserved, miraculously brought out by the Apostle Peter for the baptism of prison guards and 47 prisoners.

In the Mamertine dungeon, during the persecution of the emperor Valerian, many Christian martyrs were kept: Adrian, his wife Peacock and the children of Neon and Mary; Deacon Hippolytus; Deacon Markell; presbyter Yevsey; Saint Sixtus, Pope of Rome; deacons Felicissim and Agapit, and many others.

Church of the Apostle Peter, called "in chains"

In this temple are kept the iron chains (chains) of the Apostle Peter, with which he was bound twice for preaching about Christ. The honest chains of Petrov are kept in a special ark, which stands inside the main throne. Also, in the underground cave of the temple, in a special sarcophagus, are the relics of the seven Maccabean brothers (commemorated August 1). The relics of the holy Martyr Agnia (Comm. 21 January) and parts of the crosses on which the holy apostles Peter and Andrew the First-Called were crucified are kept in the church sacristy.

Basilica of St. Paul the Apostle

The basilica is located on the Ostian road, outside the walls of the ancient city, at the burial place of the holy Apostle Paul. In terms of its size, the suburban cathedral in the name of the holy apostle, after the Vatican Cathedral, occupies the first place among all the churches of Rome. The reliquary of the basilica contains the chains of the Apostle Paul; part of his staff, with which he made his travels, as well as many other shrines revered by Orthodox Christians.

Church of the Holy Apostle Paul "on Three Fountains"

The temple stands on the spot where the holy Apostle Paul received his martyrdom on June 29, 67. According to legend, the truncated head of the apostle hit the ground three times during the fall, and at the places where it touched the ground, it produced three springs, or three fountains of living water, which has not dried up to this day. The temple got its name from these three fountains.

Chapel of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian "in Oil"

The chapel "in Oil" is so named because it was built on the place where, according to legend, the apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, by order of the emperor Domitian, was thrown into a cauldron of boiling meat, from where he came out unharmed, after which he was exiled to the island of Patmos ...

Coliseum

The Colosseum got its name from the Latin word "giant". This is how the circus, built in Rome under the emperors Flavius ​​Vespasian, Titus and Domitian in the 70-80s of the 1st century, was subsequently named for its enormous size. The Colosseum was one of the favorite places of entertainment for the inhabitants of Ancient Rome. Here they enjoyed the terrible spectacle of the struggle between animals and people. Under Emperor Trajan, Christians also appeared in the arena of the Colosseum, whom the pagan haters presented as the cause of all social disasters. The torture of Christians in the Colosseum continued for two whole centuries. This is not the only circus in Rome where Christian blood was shed.

It is impossible to list the names of all the martyrs who suffered in the arena of the Colosseum. There were not tens or hundreds of them, but many thousands. According to St. Gregory the Dvoeslov, "this land is saturated with the blood of martyrs for the faith."

The first, whose blood stained the sand of the Colosseum, was the Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer, Bishop of Antioch (Comm. 20 January and 29 December). The holy martyr Tatiana (Comm. 12 January), the holy martyrs of Persian princes Avdon and Sennis (Comm. 30 July), the Hieromartyr Eleutherius (Comm. 15 December) and many other martyrs of Christ took their martyrdom here.

Under the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine, the persecution of Christians stopped, but gladiatorial battles in the Colosseum continued until the beginning of the 5th century.

Temple in the name of the holy great martyr Eustathius Placis

The temple, founded during the reign of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Tsar Constantine on the place where the holy martyr Eustathius Placis, the former commander of the Roman troops, his wife Theopistia and their children Agapius and Theopistus, suffered during the persecution of the emperor Hadrian in 120 AD. In this temple, a cancer serves as a throne, in which the honest relics of the martyrs rest (Comm. 20 September).

Catacombs

The catacombs are one of the most eloquent shrines in Rome, which will not leave indifferent any of the visitors. These are underground cemeteries, where Christians of the first centuries laid their dead and martyrs, and also performed divine services. The catacombs formed a whole underworld that surrounded Rome like a grave belt. By the 5th century, the custom of burying in the catacombs had ceased, but they remained a place of veneration for the relics of martyrs. Starting from the 7th century, sacred remains began to be transferred to city temples. Thus, by the 9th century, the catacombs were empty and remained forgotten for several centuries. Their rediscovery and the beginning of research dates back to the end of the 16th century. At present, thousands of kilometers of underground galleries have been found and examined. The most famous and open to the public are the catacombs of St. Callistus, the catacombs of Domitilla, the catacombs of Priscilla and some others.

Temple of the Holy Martyr Clement, Pope

The temple is located on the site of a house that belonged to the Holy Martyr Clement, Pope, who suffered in 102 on the Black Sea coast. His honorable relics were miraculously found by the saints Equal to the Apostles Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century and solemnly transferred to Rome. The tomb in which the relics of the saint rest is located inside the elevation on which the main altar stands. From the church sacristy, a wide staircase leads to the underground original basilica of St. Clement. In addition to its antiquity, it is sacred for us, Russians, because it once served as the resting place of St. Cyril, Equal-to-the-Apostles, the first teacher of the Slavic. During the excavations, clear traces of the presence of the relics of St. Cyril were found. To the right of the place where the throne was supposed to be in the ancient temple, there was a brick building of a rectangular shape, empty inside.

Church of the Holy Martyr Archdeacon Lawrence

Above the resting place of the holy martyr Lawrence (Comm. 10 August), who was archdeacon under the holy Pope Sylvester I, a church named after him was erected by the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine in about 320. In the church vestry, among the various shrines, part of the martyr's blood of St. Lawrence is kept; a particle of the relics of the Holy Martyr Sixtus, Pope; a particle of the relics of the martyr Roman, a soldier who turned to Christ at the sight of the torment of St. Lawrence, and other relics.

Church of St. Gregory Dvoeslov, Pope of Rome

Saint Gregory Dvoeslov (interlocutor) is named so for his essay "Conversations, or Dialogues about the Life and Miracles of the Italic Fathers." The memory of this great saint, with whose name the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is associated in the Orthodox service, is celebrated on March 12. Before his election to the papal see, he set up a church in the name of the holy Apostle Andrew the First-Called in the house he inherited from his parents, and with him a monastery. Subsequently, Pope Gregory II built a real church here. The venerable relics of St. Gregory the Dvoeslov rest in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in a specially arranged chapel.

Church of the Holy Martyr Boniface and St. Alexis, the Man of God

The life of the saints so revered in Russia is directly connected with Rome. The Holy Martyr Boniface (Comm. 19 December) suffered at the turn of the third and fourth centuries and was buried in the estate of his former mistress, the wealthy Roman Aglais, who built a temple for his honorable relics.

In the 5th century, next to this temple lived Saint Alexis, a man of God (Comm. 17 March), who for the sake of Christ left the house of his noble parents and young wife and retired to Edessa. After 17 years, he returned back and for another 17 years he lived in the form of a beggar under the stairs of his home, unrecognized by anyone. The relics of Saint Alexis were buried with honor in the church of Saint Boniface, in which his marriage was performed.

Subsequently, over the temple of St. Boniface, another, more extensive temple of St. Alexis, the man of God, was built, where in 1216 the relics of both God's saints were transferred. To the right of the main altar, a special chapel was built, where the Edessa miraculous icon of the Mother of God is located. The icon, written, according to legend, by the Evangelist Luke, is the one that stood before in Edessa, in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos, on the porch of which the Monk Alexy spent 17 years. There is also a remnant of a wooden staircase, consisting of ten steps, under which Saint Alexy, the man of God, lived and was saved.

Church of the Holy Martyr Clement

The Basilica of St. Clement can literally be called a unique archaeological complex. It includes three levels.

The first, the oldest, was created in the 1st century AD, there are two buildings there. Mithraeum is a cult structure built to worship Mithra; an altar has been preserved in it. The other building was much larger, with a courtyard.

The middle level dates back to the early Christian period of the 4th century, when the first basilica was built. By the beginning of the 5th century, there were many Christian shrines in it, among them the right hand of Ignatius the God-bearer, who died as a martyr in the Colosseum. In the 9th century, the relics of Pope Clement were brought here.

The 12th century basilica is located on the upper level.

The construction of a new basilica became necessary due to a fire in 1084. All the most important relics from the lower temple were transferred to it. The basilica is decorated with unique frescoes and keeps the relics of St. Clement, the fourth bishop of Rome, after whom it was named.

Shrines brought

Above, we have described some of the shrines of Rome, which in their origin can be considered primordially Roman, since these are, in the main, the honest relics of the holy apostles and martyrs who suffered and were buried on this earth. However, many shrines came to Rome from the Holy Land and Byzantium after the era of persecution of Christians. Sometimes these were gifts from Byzantine emperors and hierarchs; sometimes - shrines stolen in Asia Minor under the pretext of salvation from desecration by the Gentiles (for example, the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker). However, the vast majority of eastern shrines ended up in the West as a result of the 13th century Crusades. We list just a few of them.

Vatican Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle

In this cathedral, in addition to the primordial Roman shrines - such as: the relics of St. Peter the Apostle, the saints Popes Linus, Markellinus, Agapitus, Agathon, St. Gregory the Dvoeslov and St. Leo the Great (Comm. 18 February) - the relics or parts of the relics of saints, brought at different times, rest. the apostles Simon Zealot (Comm. 10 May) and Judas (Comm. 19 June); St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory the Theologian.

Lateran Cathedral

Lateran Basilica of St. John the Baptist - one of the most ancient churches of Christianity, is the Cathedral of Rome. Here, in a special room, behind a grate and a red curtain, is kept a sacred meal, or a table on which the Savior performed the Last Supper with his disciples. In the cathedral courtyard there is the marble upper hoop of the well, over which the Savior talked with the Samaritan woman; two halves of a column from the Temple of Jerusalem, cracked during the Calvary earthquake.

In the cathedral sacristy of the temple:

Thorns from the crown of the Savior;

Part of the life-giving Tree of the Cross of the Lord and the title that was on it;

Part of the sponge on which the soldiers brought vinegar to the mouth of the Savior on the Cross;

A part of the purple robe in which our Lord Jesus Christ was clothed with soldiers in the court of Pilate;

Part of the lention (towel) with which the Savior wiped the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper;

A particle of stone from the pillar to which Jesus Christ was tied during the scourging;

The plate with which the head of Jesus was laid in the tomb was wrapped;

Part of the hair of the Mother of God;

Part of the honest jaw of John, Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord;

Part of the relics of St. Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles;

The honest hand of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Queen Helena and much more.

Next to the Lateran Cathedral there is a temple called the "Holy of Holies", which also houses many shrines brought from the Orthodox East at different times. This is the Holy Staircase from Pilate's palace, along which the Savior passed four times; an ancient icon of the Savior, secretly sent to Rome by Saint German, Patriarch of Constantinople, during the time of iconoclasm; part of the relics of the Monk Martyr Anastasius the Persian (commemorated January 22).

Holy staircase

The Holy Staircase is the marble staircase of the old Lateran Palace, which no longer exists. Now she is in the chapel of San Lorenzo, where she was placed by order of Pope Sixtus V, under whose leadership the Lateran Palace was rebuilt in 1589.

According to legend, the staircase was brought to Rome by Saint Helena in 326 from Jerusalem. The staircase was located in the palace of Pontius Pilate and Jesus was taken to the court along it.

The staircase consists of 28 steps, all of them covered with wooden planks so that nothing could damage this holy relic. Believers and pilgrims can climb on it only on their knees, reading special prayers at each step. In the places where the blood of Christ remained after the scourging, special glass windows were made.

Baptistery of John the Baptist

The construction of the Baptistery took place between 1316 and 1325. This place was known before - in ancient times there was a pagan temple to Mars. It was later transformed into a church where the early Christians performed the ordinances of baptism. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, a Baptistery was built, dedicated to John the Baptist. It is this saint who is the patron saint of Florence.

The baptistery is a square room with a Gothic vault, divided by two pilasters into three naves. In its depths there is an apse. There is also a baptismal bowl made in 1417 by Jacopo de la Querci. The entire building is painted with frescoes inside.

The baptistery is dedicated to John the Baptist - the spiritual patron of Florence - and is currently a museum. The vault of the building is decorated with six rows of scenes from the life of John the Baptist, our Lord Jesus Christ, righteous Joseph, from the book of life and heavenly theocracy (with Christ and angels). Above the pulpit are images of the Old Testament prophets, the Mother of God and John the Baptist on the throne.

Basilica of St. apostle paul

In the reliquary of the basilica, together with those described above, such significant shrines for the Christian world are kept, such as:

Particle of the Life-giving Tree;

Part of the relics of the Apostle James Zebedeev;

Part of the relics of the Apostle Bartholomew;

Part of the honest foot of the Apostle James, the Lord's brother in the flesh;

The honest head of the Apostle Ananias;

Part of the relics of righteous Anna, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Cathedral of Our Lady "Maggiore"

The cathedral is called "Maggiore", which means "larger", since in its size it surpasses all the churches in the name of the Mother of God that exist in Rome, and there are about eighty of them. The manger in which the Infant Christ was laid are kept here. This manger was transferred to Rome in 642, together with the relics of Blessed Jerome, and then laid in this cathedral. The manger in its original form no longer exists: the five boards from which they were made, disassembled and stacked together. These boards are made of thin, blackened wood.

Church of the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord

This church was erected on the very spot where the Sessorian Palace once stood. Here lived the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Empress Elena, mother of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine (their memory is May 21). The holy queen brought here from Jerusalem a part of the Life-giving Tree with the title on it, the land from Golgotha ​​and other shrines. These precious shrines are now kept in the relics chapel. Among them is the nail of Christ, most of the cross of the prudent thief, and the honest finger of the holy Apostle Thomas.

Basilica of the Great Mother of God on Esquiline

The Basilica of the Great Mother of God is considered one of the four main basilicas in Rome. According to legend, on a summer night in 352, the Mother of God appeared to Pope Liberia in a dream and ordered to build a church on the place where it would snow the next day. The next morning, August 5, 352, snow suddenly fell on Esquiline, after which the Pope outlined the perimeter of the future church.

In the 440s. Pope Sixtus III erected in its place a basilica in honor of the Mother of God. In the following centuries, the basilica was completed and decorated. In 1377, a bell tower was added to it, which is considered the highest in Rome. The last changes to the facade took place in the 1740s. under the direction of Ferdinando Fuga.

Three chapels are also of interest. The Sistine Chapel on the right is probably the most famous. It was built on the instructions of Pope Sixtus V.

Church of the Mother of God "Heavenly Altar"

The Church of the Mother of God "Heavenly Altar" stands on the top of the Capitol Hill. In ancient times, in its place was the Temple of Jupiter Capitoline. The first mentions of it date back to the 6th century. The main shrine of the temple is the relics of St. Helena, mother of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostolic Tsar Constantine. The chapel of this church is named after her. In the middle of the chapel, on a dais, there is a throne, a yellow marble plaque of which lies on a shrine made of red porphyry. In this reliquary, the relics of St. Helena rest.

Saint Helena has done a lot for the Christian world. The Holy Martyrs Averky and Helen, according to legend, were the children of the holy Apostle Alpheus. Already in her very advanced years, Saint Helena, at the request of her son, set off from Rome to Jerusalem to seek there the holy Cross, on which the Lord was crucified. It was found under one of the pagan temples. The queen immediately informed her son of this, and Constantine received this news with joy. Soon, the Church of the Resurrection of Christ was erected in that place.

Through the efforts of Saint Helena, churches were built in other holy places. Saint Helena died at the age of about 80 in the year 327. For her great services to the church and her labors to acquire the life-giving cross, Queen Helena is called Equal to the Apostles. Her relics were first kept in the mausoleum, over which a basilica was built in the name of the martyrs Peter and Markellinus. Then in the church built on the ancient Labican road. Since the 16th century they have been in the Church of the Mother of God "Altar of Heaven".

History of pilgrimage and veneration of shrines

First millennium

Let us now turn to an examination of the traditions of pilgrimage. The shrines of Rome, the number of which over the centuries did not decrease, but only increased, have always attracted the pious interest of many Christian pilgrims. In an era of persecution, we find evidence of the reverent preservation and veneration of the honest remains of the martyrs (the suffering of the holy martyr Ignatius the God-bearer and many others). Already from the first centuries of Christianity, monuments have been erected over the burial places of “witnesses of the faith,” and on their graves in the catacombs, the Eucharist and agapa, the feast of love, are celebrated.

Catacomb researchers talk about the "cult of martyrs" among Christians of the first centuries, which was expressed not only in visiting and venerating martyr tombs, but also in the desire to have holy relics and to be buried next to the revered shrine (the life of the holy martyr Boniface). In this regard, many wealthy Christians from noble Roman families allocated places for underground cemeteries on their own plots of land. The first Christian basilicas, built by Emperor Constantine on the most revered sites, also became a gathering place for pilgrims. The catacombs continued to be used as burial places only until the beginning of the 5th century. However, even after that, they continued to attract huge streams of Christians who wanted to worship the remains of the holy witnesses of Christ's faith. The arrangement and restoration of places of veneration took place with the direct participation of the popes.

The "Itinerarii" of the 7th-8th centuries have survived - itinerary books for pilgrims who came from all over Europe and the Middle East, which show how lively and intense the traditions of pilgrimage to Rome were in the first millennium.

Russian pilgrimage

As for the Russian pilgrimage to Italy, there is every reason to believe that in the pre-Mongol period, numerous pilgrims from the newly enlightened Kievan Rus, who rushed to the Holy Places of Palestine, which is an undoubted fact of church history, sometimes visited the Apennine Peninsula. This, in particular, is evidenced by the establishment in Russia of the celebration of the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra in Lycia to the Italian city of Bari in 1087 under the Kiev Metropolitan Ephraim. The establishment of the celebration of the memory of St. Nicholas and its wide distribution in Russia took place almost simultaneously with the event itself, which suggests that our compatriots could have been among the eyewitnesses of the transfer of his relics.

The official separation of the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054 did not immediately resonate in the popular mind. Almost the entire southern coast of Italy was for a long time under the military and ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Byzantium. On this basis, it can be assumed that the church schism was not an obstacle to pilgrimage to the shrines of Italy in the minds of Eastern Christians, including the Slavs, until the beginning of the 13th century.

In the period from the 13th to the 18th century, one can speak not only of a decline in pilgrimage, but the almost complete absence of Russian pilgrims in Italy. The Latin Crusades of the early 13th century, undertaken with the aim of liberating the Holy Land from the Gentiles, whose victims were Constantinople and many other Byzantine cities, left a deep imprint on the Orthodox consciousness and significantly aggravated the schism. Many shrines plundered in the Orthodox East ended up in European cities. However, any regular Eastern Christian pilgrimage to the West is hardly possible. In addition, during this era, a negative and even hostile attitude towards the Orthodox as schismatics is being formed in the Western Church. At the same time, Ancient Russia was under the Mongol yoke for a long time, which also affects a significant reduction in pilgrimage abroad.

The first written evidence of a visit to Italy by our compatriots dates back to the 15th century. These are descriptions of the journey of the Moscow church delegation to the Ferraro-Florence Cathedral in 1438-1439. In addition to describing the meetings of the Council, the author, monk Simeon of Suzdal, leaves a detailed list of the temples and shrines seen in Ferrara, Florence, Bologna and Venice. In the descriptions, there is a deep reverence for what he saw. However, the monk's bewilderment is evident as to how to express his veneration for the shrine located in the heterodox church.

In the 17th century, in connection with the transformations of Emperor Peter I Alekseevich, the flow of Russian travelers to Europe increased. For the study of pilgrimage, the journey of the steward Pyotr Andreevich Tolstoy to Italy, in 1697-1699, is of great interest. He was sent by Tsar Peter I to Venice for the development of naval affairs. But being a very devout man, he left a detailed description of the shrines of many Italian cities that he visited - including Rome.

Almost simultaneously, Count Boris Petrovich Sheremetev made his trip to the island of Malta, having visited many other cities.

One of the most voluminous works of the pilgrimage genre is "Wanderings of Vasily Grigorovich-Barsky in the holy places of the East from 1723 to 1747" In Italy, he was saved by his knowledge of Latin and various documents and certificates of local authorities, who took him for a Polish Catholic. From the descriptions of Grigorovich-Barsky, it becomes clear that at that time it was very problematic for an ordinary Russian to make a pilgrimage to Europe. It can be assumed that few could venture on such an adventure.

Thus, in the period from the 12th to the 18th century, the pilgrimage trips of Russians to Italy could only be isolated. And only in the 19th century the flow of Russian pilgrims, including all strata of society, becomes regular. The pilgrimage of the peasant Kirill Bronnikov in 1820-1821 dates back to the beginning of this period.

The most important stage in the formation of the Russian pilgrimage to Italy was the journey to Rome and its subsequent description in his "Roman Letters" by A.N. Muravyov in the 1840s. Alexander Nikolaevich Muravyov entered Russian culture thanks to his revival of pilgrimage traditions. He arrived in Italy not as a simple pilgrim, in a sense he could be considered an envoy from the Russian Orthodox Church in connection with the impending visit of the Papal State by Emperor Nicholas I Pavlovich. In his opinion, the Russian pilgrim in Rome for the sake of the main goals of his pilgrimage must "temporarily stifle ... the very feeling of Orthodoxy." In his descriptions, he paid a lot of attention to shrines, but even here he did not spare paints in criticizing Catholic customs - in particular, the lack of an opportunity to apply to the relics, so important for the Orthodox. He was offended that an extraordinary multitude of shrines of the Orthodox East had come here as a result of deceit and embezzlement.

The work of A.N. Muravyov was used as a guide to Rome by Count V.F. Adlerberg, who visited Italy a little later. His Grace Sophrony, Bishop of Turkestan and Tashkent, shared his impressions of the trip to Italy in writing. A very valuable and deeply scientific description of the Italian shrines was left by Bishop Porfiry (Uspensky), who visited here in 1854.

Among the Russian pilgrims in Rome were not only clergy and educated persons, but also simple peasants. The votive trip of two peasant women from Perm to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is very indicative and curious. With a carriage that could accommodate only one person, they traveled from Siberia to Naples without documents, without knowing a single foreign word.

The first Russian author to systematically investigate Roman shrines was V.V. Mordvinov, who visited Italy in the 1880s and compiled a detailed guide for pilgrims. This first experience of a systematic description of Rome for Orthodox pilgrims was successful, and Orthodox pilgrims willingly used it. It was the 80s of the XIX century that became the time of mass pilgrimage to Italy. Although this country, as before, was not in the mainstream of the most popular Russian routes, nevertheless, many pilgrims who sailed from Odessa to Palestine by sea visited Bari and Rome on their way back. The main difficulty for our pilgrims was the lack of knowledge of the local language, which was often abused by the nimble Italians. Unlucky Russian pilgrims were robbed when paying for transport, and in places of accommodation, and in souvenir shops. The almost complete absence of Orthodox churches was also very felt.

The organization of the pilgrimage to Italy was taken over by the Imperial Palestinian Orthodox Society. For the pilgrims in Rome, first of all, they needed a hospice and help in examining the shrines. For this purpose, the residence of the Polish cardinals was used - the so-called House of St. Stanislav, where all Russian visitors to Rome, who came abroad through the channels of the Palestinian Society, were accepted for a post. In Bari, in 1915, the grandiose construction of the Russian Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and a hospice for pilgrims was undertaken.

The pinnacle of pilgrimage literature in Italy should be considered the "Companion of the Russian Orthodox pilgrim in Rome", prepared and published by the rector of the embassy church in Rome, Archimandrite Dionysius (Valedinsky) in 1912. The author, following his predecessors and the pilgrims themselves, had to do painstaking work to differentiate the ecumenical shrines from the purely Catholic ones. Fulfilling his pastoral duty, Father Dionysius warned his readers: “It is impossible not to mention that all the described sacred places and shrines are in the hands of non-Orthodox Christian Latins. Therefore, Russian pilgrims, when walking around the churches of Rome, cannot be consecrated in them either by Latin prayers, or by blessings, or by sacraments, but they have to be content with silent worship. " However, two years after the release of "Sputnik", the First World War broke out, followed by a revolution, and this painstaking work fell into the hands of only a few pilgrims.

During the Soviet period, there is no need to talk about a Russian Orthodox pilgrimage to Italy. Since the 1960s, only a few official delegations of the Russian Orthodox Church have visited the eternal city.

Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine in Rome

The first Orthodox church in Rome was consecrated on May 25, 2009 in honor of the holy Great Martyr Catherine. The temple has become a spiritual and cultural center for all representatives of the large Orthodox diaspora in the Apennines, as well as numerous pilgrims. The beginning of the work of the church became a really long-awaited event - a dome with a cross of a Russian Orthodox church was finally raised over the Eternal City.

The idea of ​​building an Orthodox church in the cradle of Western Christianity was expressed at the end of the 19th century.

In the fall of 1913, Emperor Nicholas II allowed to start collecting donations throughout Russia, and by 1916, 265 thousand lire had been collected, which would be enough for the construction of the temple. However, the revolutionary events in Russia prevented the implementation of this project.

This idea was expressed again in the early 1990s, and the initiative belonged to the Russian Foreign Ministry. After the blessing of Patriarch Alexy II, in January 2001, Archbishop Innokenty of Korsun, in the presence of the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at that time Igor Ivanov, consecrated the foundation stone on the site of the future church, which was destined to become the first large one built abroad after 1917.

Conclusion

Since the beginning of the 1990s, residents of Russia have again received the opportunity to freely travel abroad. Technological progress has provided new transport opportunities. This contributed to the revival of pilgrimage traditions. Undoubtedly, the main goal of Russian pilgrims remains the Holy Land, and Italy attracts mainly tourists. However, there are a lot of Orthodox among them, and someone is taking a trip to Italy with the aim of worshiping Christian shrines. At present, Bari and Rome are included in the traditional routes of almost all Russian pilgrimage services. The main difficulty faced by the modern Russian pilgrim in Italy is poor awareness of the shrines and their authenticity. The main guidebook - excellent, but inaccessible - remains "Sputnik" by Archimandrite Dionysius, republished by the Russian Orthodox Church in Rome in 1999 with corrections and additions by M.G. Talalaya.

In the 20th century, the attitude of Catholics towards Orthodox pilgrims also changed - they are treated with great tolerance and interest. In the Catholic world, which has practically lost the living, popular veneration of shrines, the increasing flow of church-going pilgrims is one of the forms of witnessing Orthodoxy.

The Church of the Holy Great Martyr Catherine is an active Orthodox shrine of modern times in Rome, subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate. Located on the territory of the residence of the Embassy of the Russian Federation.

The Cathedral of Catherine is interesting for the very fact of its existence - the center of the Russian Orthodox faith in the heart of the papal Catholic diocese. Confessional tensions are softened by the personality of the great martyr herself, because she was revered by Christians in an era when Catholics and Orthodox were united.

During her lifetime, Catherine was a noble resident of Alexandria, received a decent education and at the beginning of the 4th century. accepted Christ. Wanting to open her contemporary eyes to paganism, Catherine entered the imperial palace and participated in a theological dispute with the court sages, as a result of which they all came to believe in Christ.

Such a daring act entailed the imprisonment and quick execution of the girl, but before that, with her ardent speeches and unbreakable faith, she converted the emperor's wife and part of his army to Christianity - all of them were also executed.

Three centuries after these bloody events, Catherine's followers found her imperishable remains on Mount Sinai and transferred them to a new temple.

History

The idea of ​​founding an Orthodox church in Italy appeared at the end of the 19th century. The first step was taken at the beginning of the 20th century, when the Russian embassy bought out a plot on the embankment for the construction of a church, but the revolution turned the whole structure of society and such a factor as religion disappeared from the life of Soviet people for a long time. The Diaspora at that time also could not provide significant assistance.

In the 90s of the last century, multitudes of immigrants from those countries that make up the canonical territory of the Moscow Patriarchate arrived in Italy. The idea of ​​creating a symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church in a foreign land has gained new strength. The initiative quickly gained support among the clergy, and in 2001 the Patriarch of Moscow Alexy II solemnly blessed the creation of the Cathedral of St. Catherine the Great Martyr. The construction of the main part took only 4 years.

In 2006, the temple was first consecrated, and since then regular services have been held there, and a children's parish school has been operating at the temple.

In May 2009, the world Christian community watched the solemn Great consecration of the shrine, a great celebration of faith and unity of the Russian Orthodox people, who dared to take a desperate step and did not stop at any difficulties.

Architecture and interior decoration

The chief architect was Andrei Obolensky, whose team was able to create an ideal harmony between the Orthodox tradition and Roman architectonics. The territory is located on a hill, which predetermined the architectural composition of the temple, starting at the foot of the Gianicolo hill and ending at its top. In order not to be discordant with Roman architecture, the main church is built in the form of a tent, and all walls are faced with travertine, traditional for primordial Roman architecture.

The lower aisle of the church complex is marked with a faience iconostasis in honor of Constantine and Elena. And the main part, the so-called upper church, is the main marble iconostasis. The project of the latter was created and mostly implemented by Alexander Soldatov, a teacher at the Moscow School of Icon Painting. Unconventional for the Russian church, the iconostasis consists of only two rows. The lower one is made in a modest manner without frills and inappropriate brilliance using the fresco technique. The top row is already made in the usual medallion technique with gilding and rich decoration, paying tribute to Russian Orthodox traditionalism.

In 2012, painting began on the interior of the temple, which is a picture of the path of the Great Martyr Catherine from birth to ascension. Within the walls of the temple there are a number of Orthodox relics that attract hundreds of parishioners here every day, both on their own initiative and as part of pilgrimage tours of Orthodox Christians from Russia and the whole world.

• To obtain a license to build a temple, had to amend some laws of the Lazio region, previously banning any building in this corner of Rome.
• In the midst of construction, local architectural authorities limited the height of the church, as no building in Rome can be taller (Basilica di San Pietro). The architect did not abandon his plan and solved the problem by "sinking" the building in the hill.

How to get there?

• Address: Via del Lago Terrione 77
• Bus: No 64, go to the San Pietro stop.
• : line A, station Ottaviano-San Pietro.
• Working hours: Services are held at 9:00 and 17:00 according to the schedule indicated on the website.
• Official site: www.stcaterina.com

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Christian Rome.

"Few know Christian Rome. According to the old tradition, the attention of every traveler aspiring to Rome is attracted almost exclusively by the classical antique ruins and creations of the exquisite Renaissance. And only by chance and as a simple curious he visits the catacombs of Calista, St. Sebastian, St. Domicilla. "
Two main lines of the catacombs girdle half of Rome, starting under the Vatican and ending at the Appian Way. More than 7,400 martyrs were buried in them. The bodies of the deceased were placed in the walls of the corridors, altars were arranged in the rooms, mass and requiem were served. During severe persecution, Christians found salvation in these tangled labyrinths.
To a believer, the catacombs tell a great and wonderful story about people who sacrificed everything in the name of faith and who were destined to make a great revolution in the world.
An Orthodox person who has visited Rome will undoubtedly call it the "Second Jerusalem." For in no other place, except the Holy Land, has such a number of shrines of universal significance been collected together. There the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul finished their earthly career; in it countless hosts of martyrs shed their blood for Christ; from it, many saints spoke the word of God for Christians of all lands and all times.
Here, to the Eternal City, material monuments of the earthly life of our Lord Jesus Christ and the relics of many saints and saints of God were transferred from Constantinople, Jerusalem and other places in the East. There are also many holy icons, glorified by miracles - and about some of the icons there is a legend that they were written by the Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke.
Each of the cathedrals contains the relics of saints and sacred relics.

Rome occupies a special place among European capitals. It is a symbolic city, a city of origin, where Western civilization was born. The mighty Roman Empire, which conquered the entire Mediterranean, began here - on the banks of the Tiber River. The historical and cultural heritage of Rome is priceless; at every step, the tourist awaits architectural and cultural masterpieces.

Rome is home to the legendary Colosseum and treasures of the Vatican Museums, the historic ruins of the Capitol and the magnificent facades of Baroque villas. The entire city can be viewed as an open-air museum; its streets and squares are home to the history of three thousand years of the development of civilization, thought, art and culture.

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What to see and where to go in Rome?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

The main arena of Ancient Rome, a theater for gladiatorial fights, persecution of captives by wild animals and other equally bloody performances of the annual Games of the capital of the Empire. In honor of the opening of the Colosseum in 80 AD. the Great Games were arranged, which lasted more than 3 months. The ancient stones of the Arena still remember gladiators killed for the amusement of the public and slaves torn to pieces for pleasure from the captured provinces.

Construction of the II century BC, "temple of all gods" in translation from Greek. The Pantheon was created during the heyday of ancient Roman architecture. For many centuries, pagan gods were worshiped under the dome of the building, until at the beginning of the 7th century the Pantheon was turned into a Christian temple. The building has survived to this day in good condition thanks to numerous restorations that began before our era.

City-state, stronghold and main bastion of the Catholic Church, the seat of the Pope. In total, about 800 people are citizens of the Vatican, mainly priests and church officials. The Vatican is famous for its museums, which contain outstanding collections of painting, sculpture and applied arts. This is the real treasury of humanity. Also, tourists are attracted by the main Catholic church - St. Peter's Cathedral.

St. Peter's Cathedral is the spiritual center of the Catholic branch of Christianity. The Pope himself holds celebratory masses here. The temple was built on the site of the former circus of Nero in the 4th century. At first it was a small basilica where the relics of the Apostle Peter were kept. In the 15th century, it was rebuilt into a grandiose building. Raphael, Michelangelo, Peruzzi, Maderno and others worked on the Cathedral of St. Peter. In front of the temple there is a wide square with a colonnade of 284 Doric columns.

Memorable architectural complex of the 18th-19th centuries in honor of King Victor Emmanuel - the first ruler of a united Italy. On the site in front of the monumental palace, the Eternal Flame is burning and an honor guard is on duty. The inhabitants of Rome do not really like this bulk of white marble, as they believe that it does not fit into the architecture of the city. Some Romans call Vittoriano a ridiculous "wedding cake".

The building began to be built back in the era of the Roman Empire in the II century A.D. During its existence, it served as a papal dwelling, a prison, a warehouse and even a burial vault. Today, the fortress houses the Military History Museum. The castle got its name in the 6th century A.D. after the image of the Archangel Michael appeared to Pope Gregory. Directly from the castle, a picturesque bridge is thrown across the Tiber River, which was built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. On the bridge it was possible to get to the Field of Mars by the shortest route.

The very heart of Ancient Rome, where important state and social events took place - the fate of laws was decided, consuls were elected, the triumphs of emperors after victorious wars took place. After the fall of the Empire, the forum was destroyed and ruined, and time did its job, so only fragments have survived to this day. The remains of the forum are included in the protected archaeological area, where an open-air museum operates.

The forum appeared at the turn of the 2nd-1st centuries. BC. In those days, it was a large square, surrounded by a marketplace, the temple of Emperor Trajan, Greek and Latin libraries. Trajan's 38-meter column made of Carrara marble has survived to this day. Inside the column is the tomb of the emperor himself and his wife. Trajan's Forum is the last of its kind to be built in Rome.

Remains of ancient Roman baths on the Appian Way. The culture of visiting the baths was well developed in the Roman Empire. People came here to chat, learn the latest news or conduct business negotiations. Baths of Caracalla were built in the 3rd century AD. under the emperor Septimius Bassian Caracalla. Already in the 5th century A.D. this architectural complex has come to be considered a real wonder of the world. In addition to baths and pools, there was a library here.

The Arc de Triomphe, erected by Emperor Constantine in honor of the victory in the civil war over the troops of his rival Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius. It was under Constantine that Christianity became the official religion (the ruler believed that God himself helped him to come to power), the capital of the Empire was transferred to Constantinople, and Rome gradually began to lose its former power and decline.

One of the oldest Christian churches, the first temple in Rome. In the church hierarchy, she is above all others, even above St. Peter's Basilica. Catholic hierarchs gave her the title of "basilica major", that is, "senior". She is recognized as "the head and mother of all churches." The temple appeared during the reign of Constantine under Pope Sylvester I in the 4th century AD. Six popes are buried in the basilica and the relics of the apostles St. Paul and St. Peter are kept.

Temple of the IV century AD, erected on the burial place of the Apostle St. Peter, who was executed at the behest of Emperor Nero in the 1st century AD. The building was rebuilt several times under the emperors Theodosius I and Valentian II. Almost every Catholic Pope tried to add something of his own to the temple complex, so over time, San Paolo Fuori le Mura expanded in size and grew with new extensions.

One of the four main Catholic churches in Rome. It has a very high status in the ecclesiastical rank of cathedrals (the highest status was given to the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano). The foundation stone of Santa Maria Maggiore was laid in the middle of the 4th century. In the XIV century, a 75-meter bell tower appeared near the church. The façade that has survived to this day is a mixture of Romanesque and Baroque styles.

The main Jesuit temple in Rome, where Grand Master Ignatius Loyola is buried. The first project of the temple was developed by Michelangelo, but the head of the order did not like it. In 1561, another architect, Giacomo Barozzi, began construction according to his plan. Until the abolition of the Jesuit Order at the end of the 18th century, considerable wealth was kept in the Ile-Jezu Church. The church building itself was taken away from the organization. Only after 1814 it was returned back.

Oval square in the central part of Rome, located on the site of the former circus of Domitian. Since the 16th century, ambassadors, cardinals, bankers and other wealthy members of society began to settle in this area. From the 15th century to the middle of the 19th century, there was a market here. In the middle of the square is the Fountain of the Four Rivers, a sculptural group with deep symbolic meaning. In the middle of the composition there is an obelisk symbolizing the power of the Pope. Around the obelisk there are sculptures representing the rivers of four continents.

Freely translated into Italian, the name of this place sounds like "People's Square". Piazza del Popolo played an important role in the life of Rome, as the road to the northern provinces began from here. The square is decorated with the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo and the Egyptian obelisk of Ramses II. The piazza got its modern look at the beginning of the 19th century; the architect D. Valadier worked on it.

A 16th century palace built for Cardinal Scipione Borghese on the site of a former vineyard. The building is surrounded by a huge English-style park with numerous antique statues. On the territory there is a hippodrome, a zoo, a theater and several museums. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the mansion with the park belonged to the Borghese family, then all the property went to the state.

It is located on the slope of the Pincho Hill in the former Lucullus Gardens. In the middle of the 16th century, the area near the hill became the possession of the Medici Cardinal, who built a villa here for his family. After the extinction of the Medici dynasty, the house and adjacent lands were transferred to the Lorraine family. The Medici Cardinal acquired many works of antique art to decorate the villa. Some examples can be admired in the Uffizi Gallery.

Numerous underground galleries and labyrinths that lie beneath the surface of Rome. Many pre-Christian burials have been discovered here, but the foundations of part of the underground passages were created in the era of early Christianity. The first companions of Jesus were hiding in these dungeons. Here they conducted religious rituals, meetings, prayers without the danger of being discovered and caught.

It is believed that the structure was erected in the 1st century BC. It served for burial purposes - here is the tomb of the praetor Gaius Cestius Epulus. The construction took place during the period of the conquest of Egypt, when the fashion for the "Egyptian style" appeared in Ancient Rome. At that time, obelisks, sculptures and other monuments were being taken out of the Nile Valley. The Cestius pyramid reaches 37 meters in height and almost 30 meters in width.

An antique hippodrome between the Palatine and Aventine hills. During the Roman era, chariot races were held here. Under Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar, the circus was rebuilt and expanded to a fairly large size. More than 250 thousand people could watch the show at the same time. In the spectator sector, boxes for patricians and standing places for plebeians were equipped.

One of the most important roads of the Roman Empire, which led from the Eternal City to the south of the Apennine Peninsula. The total length of the path is more than 500 km. The construction of the road began in the 4th century. Due to the excellent quality of the pavement masonry, the Appian Way made it possible to quickly reach places remote from the capital or transfer troops in a fairly short time. The roadbed has survived to this day in very good condition.

Italian Baroque staircase in the center of Rome. It is recognized as one of the most picturesque in Europe. The staircase starts at Plaza de España and leads to the Pincho hill. The Plaza de España itself is a very expressive place where it is always pleasant to stroll among the flowering flower beds. In the 17th century, the Spanish embassy was located here. As a sign of good relations between the two countries, the piazza was named after Spain.

A vibrant and colorful Roman quarter across the Tiber River. Here in the 18th century BC. the Etruscan tribe settled, from which the history of the Eternal City began. In the era of the Empire, there were luxurious patrician villas here. Many buildings and residential buildings in the area are many hundreds of years old, so they look very authentic and attractive to tourists. People continue to live in dilapidated houses.

The most famous Roman fountain of the 18th century, where every guest of the city is simply obliged to throw a coin for good luck. Several thousand euros worth of coins are thrown in a week. All money is donated to a charitable foundation. The sculptural composition of the fountain consists of the figure of the sea god Neptune on a chariot and his companions. 16 architects fought for the right to work on the construction of the fountain.