“Coronation of the Virgin” (1130–1143), Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, Rome, Italy
Aureate: denoting, made of, or having the color of gold.
Join Paula at Lost in Translation for her Thursday’s Special Pick a Word Challenge 2020-3. Chose one or more of the five words featured in the challenge.
Pedestrian tunnel in Genoa, Italy connecting the old town with an elevator to the viewpoint overlooking the city. The passageway opened in the fall of 2019. It saves you a steep climb up seemingly endless sets of stairs.
Join Becky’s July Sqares: Perspective. The July theme is Perspective. The only rule is the image must be square.
After dark, Basilica di Quatro Santi Coronati, Rome, Italy, 12th-century.
One of the oldest churches in Rome, Santa Maria in Trastevere is one of the most beautiful. It is a minor basilica. Although there has been religious activity on the site since the 2nd century, the existing structure dates to the 12th century. The columns in the nave were repurposed from old Roman buildings.
The upper mosaics in the apse date to the mid-12th century and illustrate the glorification of the Virgin. The lower panels, depicting the life of the Virgin Mary, date to 1291.
The portico on the front of the church was added in 1702.
Transept Dome, Coimbra, Portugal
Sé Velha, or the Old Cathedral, is a Romanesque church dating to the late 12th and early 13th centuries when Coimbra was still the capital of Portugal. Instead of a dome, a Romanesque lantern-tower surmounts the transept crossing. The tower windows are one of the main sources of natural light in the cathedral. Sé Velha is the only Portuguese cathedral built during the Reconquista era which has survived relatively intact.
The origins of Saint-Sauveur date to the 5th century. It has been enlarged, modified, and renovated through the Romanesque, Gothic, Neo-gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. This melding of periods is evident on the facade, though not well captured in this image.
The Nave and the Apse
The Baptistry
The base of the walls date to the 6th century. The columns are said to be from a Roman temple. The dome is a Renaissance addition. The paintings in the niches depict the seven sacrements. Clergy are buried beneath the floor.
Chapel of the Sacred Heart
Triptych of the Burning Bush, by Nicolas Fromant, 15th Century
Unfortunately, the altarpiece is rarely opened. The outside is still lovely and worth seeing.
The Cloister
The Cloister is open only with a guided tour. The schedule is posted on the door.
Of Note
The New 3 Rs: Retire, Recharge, Reconnect 