Rome - December 28, 2011 - San Carlo al Corso

San Carlo al Corso

San Carlo al Corso is dedicated to Saints Ambrose of Milan and Charles Borromeo (see San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane). Borromeo was a bit of a character, suppressor of heresy, burner of witches and generally the life of any party. Funnily enough we would run into him again in Milan when we visited the crypt of Milan Cathedral where his creepy silver covered face peeks out of his rock crystal coffin. I’m pretty sure I took a picture of the front of San Carlo as it is right on the Corso and must have passed it half a dozen times.

The picture through the arch mentioned in the last two posts looks rather picturesque.

Rome - December 27, 2011 - Tiber Embankment

Palazzo di Giustizia, edible architecture?

Just west of La Maddalena the Corso Rinascimento rears it's ugly head, though dashing across the street I was pleasantly surprised to see that part of the old stadium of Domitian (now the Piazza Navona) was still visible.

Here it was just a quick walk north a slight left (west) and boom goes the dynamite...or rather at the end of the street I saw a hideous white building of the confectionery school of architecture and knew just where we were. 

Within a few moments we were right across the river from the Palazzo di Giustizia. Which really looks like someone has left a wedding cake out in the rain. Impressive? Yes. Enormous? Yes. Tasteful? Well maybe...maybe not. Grandiose certainly. After I had time to appreciate it I used the word "delectable" which I think covers it nicely.

Ponte Umberto I

Creepy embankment

Instead of crossing here over the ponte Umberto I we went down the steps to the cobbled embankment just above the surface of the river. Personally I was not enthralled by the idea of wandering about under the Roman equivalent of a freeway pass, but besides a few empty bottles and used prophylactics it seemed relatively harmless. 

In fact down here not a single person tried to sell us a wooden train, cheap plastic camera tripod, or pope soap on a rope.

The views of both the former tomb of Hadrian (now the Castel Sant' Angelo), Ponte Sant' Angelo and the Dome of St. Peter's were uninterrupted and ours for the taking!

Postcard perfect picture from embankment