There is over 900 in Rome

Today you will find out what there is over 900 of in Rome.

We have noticed a type of shop in Rome we have never seen before. I'm sure there are other places where these shops exist, but in one area near The Pantheon is where men of the cloth go to buy, well, the cloth.

This is by no means a tourist attraction and is what makes the difference between being a tourist and a traveler.  There are a number of businesses in the area that have displays in the windows of differing garments available.  I can't provide much information as we didn't go in to browse, but from the outside could be seen other items available like gold and silver crosses, goblets and religious accessories.

I like to think of us as travelers as we spend a little more time in each destination than regular tourists allowing us to explore back streets and lanes.  This allows us to see beneath the blanket of common tourism that is covering many cities. It is not these shops that there are over 900 of in Rome.

Whilst in this area Katie near the Pantheon found that the Church of St. Ignatius had a special display - "The Trees of life".  This art installation was a temporary exhibit that was quite impressive in an already impressive church.

One amazing thing about this is the ceiling, most churches in Rome have a dome that is painted and this church is no exception. No it wasn't this church that had over 900 trees in it.

This dome is an exception, it isn't actually a dome, it is a canvas that the artist painted to look like a dome, and it works well if you look from the correct direction. The dome painting on canvas, was originally created in 1685 and destroyed by fire, and the current in situ is an 1823 reproduction by Francesco Manno.

Next stop was the Church of Jesus, with a name like that it was unmissable and just around the corner.

We stopped in and took a few photos, it was good to see some of the church cordoned off allowing some restoration to be performed. With the country of Italy in such fiscal pressure it is relieving to see that places like these with such historic value are able to raise money for restoration and maintenance. No it isn't 900 maintenance projects either.

Lunch today was multicultural, with Nachos for entree, Katie having Fish and chips and me having Chili con Carne, all in a booth at an Irish pub.  We also got to read a menu where English was first and the barman and wait staff also spoke English.  It was a good reminder of what home will be like ever so soon.

Domus Romane was our next stop (this time I got the day and time right) with another 8 English speaking tourists we were taken underground and back to the Ancient Roman era.  The Domus Romane is modern multimedia exhibition that has been placed over an archaeological dig in Palazzo Valentini.  For about 90 minutes we walked underground on glass floors while projections and lighting explained the many layers of the dig.  Unfortunately we were unable to take photos but have a quick look at the Domus Romane website and you will understand the experience. Oh, there are many more than 900 archaeological sites in Rome.

With our last day in Rome today we needed to perform our ritual to ensure our return.

Up until now throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain has ensured our return, let's hope the luck continues. 

Finally, what are there over 900 in Rome? Churches. Yes, there are over 900 Churches in Rome, amazing.

Tomorrow, On the road again?