Trastevere
Street in the quirky Trastevere area of Rome; the name means across the Tiber, as it lies on the other (the Western) bank of the Tiber from the ancient heart of the city.
The portico of the basicila of S. Maria in Trastevere is decorated with fragments of early Christian funerary inscriptions. (R) classical Christian symbols of doves, the eucharistic cup, and the chi-rho.
S. Maria in Trastevere is one of Rome’s earliest churches, with the original structure thought to date from the early 3rd C. The magnificent mosiacs at the left are 13th C.
(L) The Garibaldi monument on the Gianicolo hill. The Gianicolo hill is not one of the classic Seven Hills of Rome as, being “beyond the Tiber”, it lies outside the bounds of the ancient city. (R) View over Rome from the Gianicolo hill.
Back in central Rome, at the somewhat brash Victor Emmanuel monument.
Exterior view of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Interior of the huge basilica.
Reliquary of Thomas Becket in the slightly random museum associated with S. Maria Maggiore.
(L) Street view with S. Maria Maggiore in the background. (R) Trajan’s column, completed in AD 113, commorates Trajan’s victory in his wars with Dacia.