After Mass, we headed to Castel Sant'Angelo for lunch. We took the long route, figuring there would be fewer people the further we were away from the Vatican. And that worked - we had an easy, though longer walk across the Tiber and back for lunch. And so we were there before anybody else from our group!
Peter and Yvonne, with Castel Sant'Angelo in the background.
In what was probably the moat, or at least a defensive barracade of Castel Sant'Angelo, awaiting the rest of the group for lunch - one member of the group had the lunch ticket, which was valid for all of us! As an entirely irrelevant aside, note that the chairs shown in this photo are the same type I have here at home for my patio furniture! I guess they really are Italian.
From near the Palace of Justice, looking towards St. Peter's, and also showing the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Piazza del Popolo was designed by Valadier around 1900. It's perfectly symmetrical, and very large. According to legend, in the early middle ages Nero's spirit haunted this place where his ashes had been deposited in the Domitian family tomb.
The Piazza del Popolo, looking towards Villa Borghese. The obelisk was the city's second one, being bought to Rome by Augustus, and erected here by Fontana under Sixtus V in 1589.
The "twin churches" of Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli.
Finally the long walk back to the bus near the Vatican took us along the Tiber where we had this nice view of the Palace of Justice.
Canonisation Mass
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