Temple Friends

 

Several couples gathered at the home of Temple President and Matron for a delicious Taco Bar. If that doesn't sound very awesome to you... it is because crunchy, spicy, cheesy Mexican food is easy to find in your neck of the woods ....but it is a rare and special treat here in Italy!! It was a lovely evening of socializing, eating, laughing and visiting in Italian, English and Portuguese. 

 

Revived by Spring

The temple grounds are blooming beautifully! The gardeners have taken up the winter pansies and replaced them begonias and geraniums. Lots of other colors have popped out on the shrubs and trees. We are looking forward to seeing the many, many lavender plants in bloom. Primavera (the Italian word for Spring) has a way of reviving the soul!

Creepy, Creative Capuchin Crypt but Very Fascinating

Creepy and weird.

Creative and clever.

Those are the words we chose to describe our impressions of the Capuchin Crypt in Rome. It was a very unique and reverent experience! 

The human bones of roughly 4,000 friars, believed to have died between 1528 and 1870, are artistically arranged into lamps, chandeliers, crosses, an hour glass, ceiling ornaments, etc. 

From what we learned, as friars died, they were buried for 30 years in soil brought from Jerusalem and then were exhumed to make room for the recently deceased. 

Then their bones were used to add to the "artwork"!

These displays fill six small rooms, each with a name such as, The Crypt of the Tibia and Fibula, The Crypt of the Pelvises, The Crypt of the Skulls, etc.  

Some skeletons are intact and standing or lying down on beds of bones. They are clothed in the typical brown robes of a Franciscan friar or a Capuchino. 

This clock face made of bones seems to be a silent reminder of the swift passage of life on Earth and our own mortality. A very fascinating experience!

 

Smiles are contagious!

 This smile certainly made us smile! 

We found this smiling "Teddy Bear Salami" in the deli case.  Ain't he cute?!?!

Blooms (See new note at bottom of this post)

 Spring flowers are putting on a lovely show for us...on the temple piazza, on the trees in our courtyard...

...along the sidewalks. The poppies grow wild in the grassy areas along the roadways 

and even in cracks in the walkways.   

During a morning walk, we picked a handful and brought a bit of this beautiful Spring home with us!   

(NOTE: Since the time we picked these flowers and posted pictures on this blog, we have learned that picking wildflowers in Italy is punishable by fines or jail time.  Yikes!! We won't be doing it again!)

Cracking Open a Chocolate Easter Egg

Curiosity got the better of us! We just had to experience the fun of cracking open one of these big hollow Italian Easter treats.

Ferrero Rocher is a name we trust and we were not disappointed by the treasure inside...

...and the shell of the egg was just as delicious as the three candies inside. 

Cost? 10 Euros 

(but we waited until after the holiday when it was 50% off - which made it taste even sweeter!!!)

Two Easter Treat Traditions - Chocolate Egg and Colomba Bread

Our curiosity was peaked when we saw shelves and shelves of large egg-shaped, cellophane-wrapped items appearing at the grocery store. We have come to learn that these are one of two very Italian Easter traditions. In the cellophane is a very large, hollow chocolate Easter egg. They are the Italian version of America's chocolate Easter bunny!!

These Italian hollow chocolate eggs are filled with small toys or candy. They can be custom made to enclose something special like an engagement ring, concert tickets or money. 

The other unique Easter treat we have found at the bakery is dove or "Colomba" cake. 

It is similar to a Pannetone.

Both of these Easter treats have strong religious connotations. The egg, a sign of life and renewal, represents the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The dove is the universal symbol of peace and salvation also references Christ's life and sacrifice that brought peace and salvation to all who follow His example and teachings. We learn something new every day and every season!  

A Glimpse into the Past - Ostia Antica

A visit to Ostia Antica has long been on our wish-list. This was a large sea port city that shipped goods from the ocean, up the Tiber River, to Rome from 200 B.C. until about 400 A.D. Below is a drawing of what it used to look like. 

What an amazing experience it was to walk around a now-ruined, once-thriving metropolis! The archeological park is just 15 miles from our apartment (a 40-minute drive) 

and made for a wonderful day of exploring and learning. 

Beth stands outside a former hotel.

Frank plays the part of a tavern/restaurant owner ready to wait on  his customers. 

A long row of commercial offices once lined up on three sides of a large square surrounding an ancient temple. The elaborate tile work on the sidewalks served as advertising to tell what type of services 

were available inside the offices. 

Ancient Romans could visit this grassy fitness/exercise/wrestling area....like our modern-day gyms...before their daily bath in the large public bathing complex next door.

There were so many interesting things to see including this public latrine!! 

A New Discovery in Rome - Janiculum Hill

A visit to this hill, on the outskirts of Rome, has been on our list for a long time. From the top we had great views of the whole Eternal City with its many domes and bell towers.

We chose the perfect, sunny day to visit Janiculum Hill, or Gianicolo Hill. 

It was very peaceful and a refreshing change from the noisy bustling city.  

There are several monuments to Garibaldi and to the many fallen soldiers in the war of Italian independence, including one to Garibaldi's pistol-packing-baby-toting wife, Anita. 

The other reason for our field trip was to see Donato Bramante's "Tempieto" which is housed inside a church courtyard near Janiculum Hill.  This small temple was a unique Renaissance design for architect Bramante in1502. Circular structures were inventive in that era. What he learned he later applied to the work and design of the much, much larger Saint Peter's Basilica.  

Bramante died before the Basilica was completed but the design of the little Tempieto resembles the tall and massive Saint Peter's dome.