Almost across the street from us are Diocletian's Baths, now part of the Roman museum setup. It originally occupied some 13 hectares and could accommodate several thousand in baths, saunas, theatres and gyms. Outside were very pleasant garden settings now used to display an astonishing variety of roman statues and antiquities from the 2nd century onwards.
Over time they have been changed of course. In 1561 the then pope commissioned Michelangelo to design a church to be dedicated to Maria of the Angels. From the outside it is very easy to miss, it resembles in no way what a church should look like. The inside is an entirely different matter with the influence of Michelangelo seen in every aspect.
A couple of blocks away is the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. It's quite a large church and naturally lavishly finished like all those in Rome seem to be. The marble canopy over the formal altar was also designed by Bernini, as was the canopy at St Peters in the Vatican and also the colonade in St Peters square.
The heat was becoming quite oppressive, so the walk to San Pietro in Vincoli (St Peter in Chains) became more of a pilgrimage than a stroll. This also looks nothing like a church from the outside but again has an interior of breathtaking splendour. Here you can see Michelangelo's famous statue of Moses. There is also a holy relic here of the chains used on St Peter who was crucified hung upside down. As with all the churches in Rome they have a respectability dress code for entry. Ladies should have covered shoulders and arms and dresses past the knee. In this weather that can be quite uncomfortable, but there is always a handy street hawker outside selling scarves for tourists at 2 euros a pop so the ladies can cover up.
Click here for pictures of Dioclesians Baths, etc.
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