I wanted to visit Villa Giustiniani Massimo to see the famous frescoes that adorned its walls, but unfortunately for me, the villa was closed.  I would just have to save that for another time.Close by is the Giardini di Via Carlo Felice — a small park that runs along a section of one of the city walls.  My next stop was going to be the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme — a basilica which I highly recommend visiting when in Roma.  This is one of the seven Pilgrim Churches in Roma — one of seven churches that the faithful seek out for prayer and to see historical/religious relics.The convent attached to the church as its own garden, which is gated and normally closed to visitors, but I fell in love with the glass embedded in the iron work.The actual church dates back to 325.  It was built to house the relics of the Passion of Jesus Christ, which had been brought to Roma.  At the time, the floor of the church was also covered with dirt from Jerusalem, but today, unfortunately, the dirt is gone, and a more modern floor exists.  The relics of Jesus Christ are kept in a chapel, off to the left.  The relics include a panel from the cross with writing on it, 2 thorns from the crown of thorns, a nail, and a few other pieces of wood from the cross which Christ was nailed to. There is an archeological area behind the church, but tours are only given on certain days, and reservations are a must, so I was not able to see that.  It is just another thing that I will have to add to my to-do list for next time.The Chiesa di Suore Adoratrici del Preziosissimo Sangue is located on Via di San Giovanni in Laterano.A section of Via di San Giovanni in Laterano is also known as “Gay Street”, called that for a small area of gay-friendly establishments that line the road.  Across the street from one of Roma’s oldest gay bars, “Coming Out”, you can find the remains of the ancient structures that housed the gladiators, who took part in the games directly across the street in the Colosseum.  

Next up: a trip to Garbatella — one of Roma’s most unique areas!

Note: this blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations which may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please check out our archives for more posts on bella Roma, as well as additional Italian destinations…  Grazie!