Josh Haydon
Within S. Paul's Basilica, which lies outside of the Roman city walls and does indeed have walls of its own, we were treated to a great Byzantine mosaic set above the great arch of the church. Beneath this arch is the site of the tomb of Saint Paul. Further into the church there is yet another grand mosaic though it may have been a restoration project as the basilica has been destroyed and subsequently rebuilt several times. Around the walls of the basilica are arranged gilt medallions of each of the popes where those who became saints are depicted with halos. There are a great many of these medallions but not so many places are left free which makes me wonder what they plan to do when they run out of wall-space. The windows of the basilica contain intricate patterns of swirling colour which were achieved by slicing marble into pieces so thin that they have become translucent.
After we hurriedly departed S. Paul's without the walls we moved swiftly back to the nearby train station to use the final few minutes of our tickets' validity to take a train to the Colosseum which stood immensely high but has mostly been reduced to brick after the pilfering of most of the marble for the construction of churches. A shame to be sure but still the churches couldn't have been built upon wishful thinking alone. The highest levels seemed to be cordoned off for tour groups only but we could stand on the platforms below that and better see the layout of the subterranean passages which would once have been used for gladiators and fighting animals. All quite interesting sights to drink in.
Our final stop for the evening was the location of the Imperial residences within Rome and beneath it the Roman Forum. A large portion of the Emperors' palace still remains where a large course is still visible as are the walls of some surrounding buildings though their original purpose is difficult to determine. The forum itself was during much of the Middle Ages buried beneath metres upon metres of dirt to the point where only the tops of the tallest structures could be seen by anyone on the surface. The monuments which stood out the most were two triumphal arches and a truly immense Roman basilica which was not a place of worship but rather an immense marketplace. Following this we were released to the streets for dinner.
