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June & July 2005

Rome & Vatican City

Jeremy Koh
2005-11-05 11:48:59

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to our hostel, Pensione Kenzo. It wasn't easy locating it. It was located within a nondescript building with no signs to indicate that it was in there. All we had was the block number, and we had to go door to door within the building to find it. Finally we found it. Alas, the boss wasn't around, so we couldn't check-in. After waiting some time, the boss called and told us that he had alternative lodging for us. He claimed that it's better than the place we were at. Since we wanted to quickly put down our bags and start exploring Rome, we agreed to follow him. He drove us to another building that's very near Termini. Great! We put down our bags and left the building in double quick time.

After grabbing some food and sitting by the roadside to eat it, we started walking around. Eventually we ended up at the 4th-Century Baths of Diocletian. It was the largest and most sumptuous of the imperial baths and remained in use until the aqueducts that fed them were cut by the Goths in 537. Today there's a museum within it, the Museo Nazionale Romano as well as the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. Look out for an interesting exhibit outlining the history of the building's transformation from baths into a church. Michelangelo had worked up to 1561 to adapt the baths to a church. Most guidebooks don't mention this place but I think it's well worth a visit. The church was the official state church during the Kingdom of Italy. There're lots of paintings in there and the interior is really nice. There's also a 45m long sundial on the floor that's used to predict Easters. The exterior is interesting as well as it shows the partially preserved outer walls of the Baths of Diocletian.

In front of the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri is the Fontana delle Naiadi. It's said to be the most beautiful of the modern Roman fountains. From here, we walked down ...