The last stop on my extended theme on piazzas is Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere. The five of us in the Trastevere apartment traveled here on a Thursday night and it was lively as ever. The surrounding bars and restaurants were full people. However, it likely isn’t the bars and restaurants where your attention is drawn; it is the magnificent Santa Maria church. According to our Eyewitness guide, this was likely the first Christian church built in Rome. Walking up to the church, you can see statues of saint adorning the balcony over the rounded arched doorways. This design reminded me of Saint Peters. Above the balcony are mosaics dating back to the 12th Century. We proceeded inside of the church and on this particular day, the boy’s choir was putting on a performance. We stayed for a few songs and were very impressed. These boys must have ranged from 6-14 years of age and sung with perfect harmony. I also couldn’t believe how loud they sung. We were in the back row and could hear them with good clarity. One of the noticeable aspects of this church is the statue of Saint Anthony. I was told Saint Anthony is the patron saint of lost things. So, when people have lost something important in their lives, the leave a note in the shrine of Saint Anthony. There must have been hundreds of pieces of paper lying on and around this statue.
This piazza was not much different than other piazzas in the way that there were many vendors and restaurants were priced higher than others in the vicinity. So, we decided to save a bit of money and dine a few streets over, and thus ending our trip to Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere.
This piazza was not much different than other piazzas in the way that there were many vendors and restaurants were priced higher than others in the vicinity. So, we decided to save a bit of money and dine a few streets over, and thus ending our trip to Piazza di Santa Maria in Trastevere.
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