Week 7: 325

Last Wednesday, instead of staying in a big group, we split up and did each other’s walking tours. The tour that my group followed was to St. Paul’s. We had never been there before, so I was very excited to see the second largest basilica in Rome. (Second to St. Peter’s Basilica)
Our student group of three was accompanied by the “widely known” Professor Mustafaga. After getting a group Momento, we headed to the metro and began our tour. I kind of had the feeling like we were pirates on an adventure, guided by a map, looking for the hidden treasure. I wanted to commit fully to this tour, so I brought no distractions. Not even my camera. I just wanted to be free from everything and fully experience this walking tour.
After a pleasant lunch post up, we made our way to the back of the basilica where we saw several memorials honoring Italian soldiers. There was also a nice grassy knoll and playground set, which a couple of us took very seriously. It was finally time to enter the basilica, so we followed the path to the entrance.
As we entered the St. Paul’s, I was struck by its beautiful atmosphere. There was a courtyard that accented the entrance with a statue of St. Paul himself. The tour paper included specific information regarding this statue, which was very beneficial. When we entered the actual building, I was blown away by its size. I knew it was going to be big, but not this big. Wowzers! We discovered many frescos along the ceiling, portraits dedicated to the popes, and the chains of St. Paul. One area that we spend some time on was the dome painting. There were so many hidden ideas and messages that with the help of the tour information and high definition equipment, I was able to see and understand it all.
St. Paul’s was outstanding in every way, but not to the point where it intimidated me. I was almost comforted by its awesome atmosphere. There was something about the way it presented itself that made it my favorite church so far. This walking tour was different from our normal excursions and I really enjoyed it. Our tour definitely led us to the perfect treasure.