Final Day In Rome

We had no specific plans for our last full day in Rome so decided to meander at a much slower pace today. We headed in the opposite direction of the Colosseum crowds into an area we had yet to visit. There was much less traffic and far fewer people which was a nice change of pace for us both. Several blocks into our walk opened an enormous square with an incredibly tall spire.

I learned later it is the largest standing ancient Egyptian obelisk in the world, weighing over 230 tons. It was brought to Rome in 357. It's difficult to wrap my head around the date of 357. History.History.History.

Another epic building stood in front of us and we assumed it was 'another church' but decided to go inside to see.

Oh my goodness am I glad we did. It was the Basilica of St. John Lateran (Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano) and it is breath taking inside.

I literally stood there with my hand on my chin, just staring, trying to take it all in.

It has beautiful frescoes, stunning sculptures and the ceilings are magnificent. The sheer scale of things is overwhelming. 

This gives you an idea of what a massive set of doors these are.