Roma

Day 49: La Giustiana to Roma, 14 km: 8 km to the Vatican, 6 km to our hotel.

Well….not a triumphal walk to Rome. Our last night’s accommodation at Resort La Rocchetta was lovely…they even upgraded us to a bigger room with a balcony….only one problem…no hot water in the shower😩.

We wanted to walk the last 9 or so kilometers into Rome. We wanted to see the Vatican from a distance in a park we were supposed to walk through. However, the park was closed….the gate was open but the signage said no entry.

We’d been warned by the hostess at our accommodation but the closure had been a month previously. We looked online but couldn’t find anything definitive about whether or not it was open. So we just went to see. Our fear was that if we went through the gate, it might be closed on the other side where we’d exit, requiring us to walk all the way back out. So Mike found us a detour. Unfortunately, it was on a busy highway with no sidewalks. We had to walk there for a kilometer or so before rejoining the Via. These pics are from where we got off the train in Monte Mario to the Vatican, about 8 km.

The walk today made us realize how spoiled we have been….quiet country roads, paths through the countryside, very little traffic or trash, friendly, interested people! Today nothing but big city stuff…exorbitant city taxes at our accommodations, rush, rush, rush, traffic jams, horns honking, sirens wailing…..we are in Roma!!!!

Vatican City!!!!!!! We were focused on St. Peter’s Basilica, where we had to go to get our testamoniums (a document that verifies the completion of a pilgrimage to Rome). To get the testamoniums we had to show our credentials which we had stamped and certified at every accommodation we stayed at in a “pilgrims passport.” There were so many people! We were totally overwhelmed! However, sanity returned and we found the “prayer path” which short-circuited all the lines. It only took 50 days and 1000 km of walking to earn the privilege to cut the lines. Other people waited in lines for hours. A volunteer took us right through to the exit of the Basilica where we were given our testamoniums and he took us right inside to see the mother of pilgrims. Earlier I had said I wouldn’t cry. I did!!!! Cry that is!

Testamoniums and Credentials….

Spent a lot of time inside the Basilica, overwhelmed by the splendor and opulence, history and power.

Back outside to wander through St. Peter’s square on our way to find our hotel for the next 4 nights, the Domus Sessoriana, in an old monastery.

The Sculpture in
St Peter’s Square

Since September 5th, 2019, a life size sculpture called “Angels Unawares” stands in a corner of St Peter’s Square as part of an initiative of the Migrants & Refugees Section. The work belongs to Canadian artist and sculptor Timothy Schmalz, and its presence is meant to commemorate the 105th World Day of Migrants & Refugees (WDMR). On September 29, 2019. Pope Francis celebrated a special Mass in St Peter’s Square for the occasion.

Stopped for lunch…. and then walked another 6 km to our hotel.