Final Hours in Rome

To wrap up in Rome, I went back to all the churches that were either closed or otherwise occupied when I first visited.  I started off at the Basilica di Santa Prassede, near Santa Maria Maggiore.  The current structure is from the 8th century, and the mosaics inside from the 9th.  It's not a particularly large building, so it was possible to get right up close to much of the artwork.

Notice the design in the apse.  Look familiar?

I'm really glad I made it to this one; I'd tried every day, but my timing was always wrong.

Next up was Santi Giovanni e Paolo (there was a wedding last time I was here).  The church dates from the 4th century, and is named after two Roman soldiers who were martyred by Julian the Apostate, the last pagan Roman emperor.  From the outside I expected it to be quite ancient...

...but inside it had been extensively renovated (and apparently still set up for the wedding):

I was a bit disappointed since from the outside it looked so promising, but then I discovered that there were the ruins of a Roman house underneath, complete with 3rd-4th century frescoes.

There were lots, lots more frescoes, but after I took these two pictures I was told that no photography was allowed.  A lot of them were very well preserved; I highly suggest that you visit if you get the chance.

Lastly, I went back to the Basilica di San Lorenzo Fuori le Mura.  One of the papal basilicas of Rome, the current structure dates to the 6th century, and is the resting place of St. Lawrence (he was martyred by being roasted on an iron grill.  Partway through, he cried out "Turn me over, I'm done on this side!"  He's also the patron saint of the cathedral in Alba, Italy, where I spent a semester 4 years ago).

I only managed to get inside between 2 funerals (the church is right next to a very large cemetery), but it was quite impressive inside:

The mosaics date the the 6th century, and were done by the Byzantines after Justinian's reconquest.  There's also a crypt covered in mosaics, but it dates to the 19th century.  It's rather out of the way, but I'm glad I managed to get inside.

I had planned to see Ostia Antica, the ancient port of Rome, but it turns out that the archaeological park is closed on Mondays.  So instead I just wandered around a bit and got my things together.  I'm writing this in Bari, and tomorrow I'll be exploring the city.  On Thursday, it's off to Brindisi.  A domani!