Caravaggio and Bernini

 We did get to walk by the Tiber River to the next stop, Santa Maria de Popolo and I liked spending time on the river that had so much to do with the progress of civilization.  It’s kind of sad that it has embankments now and doesn’t flood half the city like it used to, but I’m sure 

 that Rome is happier with it this way.  Santa Maria de Popolo had two more Caravaggio’s and I have to say that they are stunningly beautiful.  You could see them better than the previous ones and these are his paintings that I love the most.  

 The two paintings in this church are the martydom of St. Peter and the conversion of St. Paul.  These two canvasses are huge, take up entire walls of the chapel they are in and as you can see in the pictures, are very powerful.  At least I hope that 

you can see it in the pictures, but my camera skills most likely don't do them justice.  The tour groups were had to get through to get to them, but the good part about that is that some tour guide keeps putting euros in the machine to light the paintings and you can get plenty of pictures while these stay on.  Caravaggio is one of those painters that I didn't know until I took art history classes, but have come to really enjoy.

He does too many little boys for my taste really, but his saints are awesome.  We got on the metro (which was a first for most of the students) and Rachel had to keep an appointment with the Vatican for some research that she is doing in the ruins under Santa Maria Maggiore.  So, John got to lead the students to the National Museum with the cloisters, the Baths of Diocletian and a

Rodin exhibit going on at this time.  I have to say that this was a welcome change from the work that we’ve been doing because there were no tour groups, no things that “had” to be seen, just sitting in a peaceful setting having a coffee and looking at amazing remains

 watching her in her ecstasy, make it seem more pornographic than it is.  I call them the muppet guys because they remind me of the old men in the muppets that would make comments about the scenes, kinda creepy like.