Vatican

Recommended Sightseeing Spots in RomeThe Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, the Vatican, and Roman Catholicism

List of Recommended Reference Books on Rome - History, Culture, Religion, and Art! A list of great books that will make Rome more interesting!

In the previous article, "Monks' Recommendation: 15 Sightseeing Spots in Rome! From the Royal Road to Maniacal Churches, Taste the Ultimate in Beauty" introduced the recommended spots in Rome, and in this article, we will introduce a recommended reference and guidebook to enjoy Rome even more.

Please refer to each link for a more detailed discussion of the book.

Rome is so deep. It is like a bottomless swamp that the more you know about it, the more you become addicted to it. I, too, have become completely obsessed with this Roman wanderlust.

I hope this article has been helpful to you.
Recommended Sightseeing Spots in RomeTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

15 recommended sightseeing spots in Rome unique to monks! Taste the best of beauty from royal to maniacal churches

In this article I will introduce some of my favorite places to visit in Rome.

In this article, we will introduce not only famous churches such as St. Peter's Basilica and the Colosseum, but also maniac churches that are not often visited by tourists.

Rome is indeed a wonderful city. However, there is a trap of having too much to see and do. We hope that our blog posts will be of help to you.
Apollo's CupYukio Mishima and Japanese Literature

Yukio Mishima's "The Cup of Apollo" Synopsis and Impressions - A travelogue of his first trip around the world and his experiences in Greece! Recommended to learn about Mishima's view of art!

Yukio Mishima embarked on a round-the-world trip at the end of 1951 as a special correspondent for the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. The travelogue of this trip became "Apollo's Cup.

Mishima enjoyed the ruins and art of Athens and Delphoi, and wrote about his thoughts in his travel journal. He visited many places during his round-the-world trip, but his impressions of these places clearly stand out.

And this is very interesting because it frankly describes what Mishima thought about Greek art and how it influenced his own view of literature and life.

The Cup of Apollo" is filled with Mishima's original Greek and Roman experiences. It is also a very informative work for understanding Mishima's literature and way of life.
Rome and DostoevskyTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(42) What does Dostoevsky, who criticized Roman Catholicism, think of Rome, the temple of beauty and theater city?

We have updated our Rome travelogue 41 times so far.

As I reported in the introduction to this travelogue, I toured Rome with the question, "Although Dostoevsky hated Roman Catholicism, could he not be captivated by St. Peter's Basilica, its main temple, and Bernini's stage art in Rome?

For me, I did not forget Dostoevsky for a single moment during my stay in Rome. I was always with Dostoevsky during my stay in Europe.

So what did Dostoevsky actually think of Rome during his stay?

The truth is that we do not know as Dostoevsky left nothing behind. But even so, I have come to the conclusion that Dostoevsky would have liked but disliked Rome.
Travels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(41) The Death of the Genius Bernini: Learning from the Master who Lived and Died as a Good Catholic

We have finally come to this point. We have been tracing Bernini's life and looking at his works so far, but Bernini ended his life in 1680 at the age of 81.

It was quite a long life for those days. Moreover, he had the amazing vitality to produce works until the very end of his career.

And, after all, his end was no ordinary one either. He was an overwhelming figure right up to the moment of his death.

In this article, we will look at Bernini's journey to death.
berniniTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(40) Bernini suffered disappointment and slander in his final years - Construction of the third colonnade in St. Peter's Square was also halted.

I cannot help but feel saddened by the fact that Bernini, who had so much glory, spent his last days in pain. If he had achieved his glory through arrogance and pushing others away, it would have been karmic retribution. But he was never like that. That is why I feel regret.

Great artists are often prone to suffer from slander. And it is not uncommon for them to finally be appreciated decades after their death. People who are called geniuses are too immense to be understood by their contemporaries. It would be extremely fortunate if they were appreciated while they were alive.
berniniTravels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(39) "Blessed Ludovica Antoni" - A powerful work from Bernini's last years in the church of San Francesco a Ripa!

This article presents "Ludovica the Blessed" in the Church of San Francesco a Ripa.

The beauty of "Ludovica the Blessed" glowing in the dark night is tremendous.

Bernini has perfect control over the lighting. He has also calculated how the light will illuminate the sculpture. You can never reproduce that with light. You can see why Masumi Ishinabe was so careful.

It was indeed a wonderful experience. It may be a minor spot in Rome, but it is a very impressive church. I highly recommend a visit if you are ever in the Trastevere area.
Travels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(38) Angel of Ponte Sant'Angelo by Bernini in his later years - a famous sculpture now in the collection of Sant'Andrea delle Fratte Church.

This time, we would like to introduce two angel statues installed on the Ponte Sant'Angelo in front of Castel Sant'Angelo.

In this article, I will talk about such an angel statue by Bernini. In fact, the original of this work is housed in another church, which is also wonderful!

The quality of the angel statue I saw in the original was completely different. I could see that it had been polished, and above all, the dynamism of the garments conveyed was something else.

And strangely enough, for some reason, these two angel statues reminded me of the Wind God and Thunder God of Sanjusangendo in Kyoto. Perhaps the miraculous rippling of the angels' robes reminded me of my favorite wind god and thunder god.
Travels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(37) "Cathedra Petri" in St. Peter's Basilica - The sum total of Bernini's art! An astonishing masterpiece that incorporates the space itself into the work!

In this article I will discuss Cathedra Petri, located in the apse of St. Peter's Basilica.

The Cathedra Petri is the most important part of this cathedral. It too was designed by Bernini. This article looks at the meaning behind this Bernini masterpiece.

St. Peter's Basilica is still a special place.

No matter how many times I come here, I am always impressed. And it was Bernini who created this wonderful space. The Cathedral is the highlight of a Bernini visit. I hope that many people will experience the theatrical space created by Bernini.
Travels in Rome" - Charms of the Theater City of Rome and Pilgrimage to Bernini

(36) "Scala Regia" by Bernini - Magic staircase next to St. Peter's Basilica. Bernini's illusions are vibrant!

Bernini took pleasure in overcoming adverse conditions to create beautiful works of art, saying, "If you want to know what a person is capable of, you have to put him in a difficult situation."

The Scala Regia, adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica, is Bernini's architectural masterpiece that is well known to those who know it.

Under difficult and challenging conditions that would make an architect weep, he created a staircase that could be described as a miracle.

Although not open to the public, I was able to visit these stairs on a special occasion. I will discuss it in this article along with my experience at that time.