Trastervere means is Latin for "Beyond the Tiber", and is just accross the Tiber river from central Rome. It's about a five minute walk from our apartment. This is Santa Maria in Trastevere and is one of the oldest churches in Rome, with the basic structure dating back to the 340s CE.
My father was really getting a kick out of studying the masonry work and comparing it to how things are done back home.
If you look closely at the capitols on top of the columns they are Ionic in style and more than likely taken from the Ancient Roman Baths of Caracalla or the Temple of Isis. Early church construction often raided Roman ruins for building material. After visiting the Baths later that day it kind of made me mad.
I took this picture shortly after entering the church. Notice the woman kneeling at the foot of Jesus.
This picture was taken right before we left the church almost 10 minutes later. It really got my mind wondering about what this woman was praying for. I don't have any faith of my own, so when I come into a place like this it is just like any other historical monument to the past. For some people it is still a living experience that is very much real. I do try my best to be respectful of that at all times.
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