Celebrating Peter and Paul

As the patron saints of the city of Rome, their day is a special occasion (as well as a public holiday) here in the Eternal City. The day begins with a spectacular mass at St. Peter's Basilica which ends with the Pope kissing the feet of the medieval statue of St. Peter.

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San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, or When the Inspired Outshines the Inspiration

No answers? No guesses? No comments whatsoever? This either means the question was too hard, or no one reads this blog. Ok, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I'm sure you couldn't sleep last night, mentally cataloguing of every work of art, church, building, and monument in Rome, desperately trying to discover the work that was inspired by the brilliant mosaic ceiling of Constantia's gorgeous mausoleum. I'm heartless, I know. So here it is.

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Mysterious Mausoleum

The Mausoleum of Constantia is what inspires me to write today. Constantia was the daughter of Emperor Constantine and his second wife Fausta. Despite a medieval legend that would have her devoutly praying at the tomb of St. Agnes, she was by most accounts a vicious, greedy and not particularly religious person. However, she was venerated (but it seems never canonized) as a saint, although she is not recognized as one by the church.

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