How has the Religion in Italy evolved? All thanks to Rome!!

HOW HAS THE RELIGIOUS STRUCTURE OF ROME EVOLVED OVER TIME?

 IF here is one factor which is mystical, sublime, awe inspiring and interest invoking, and makes people sit around a bone-fire and discuss it is GOD, RELIGION  and MYTHOLOGY. The Romans were no different. the had there own beliefs in many Gods and Goddesses that left behind many traces in Italy in the form of the various temples that were constructed in veneration of these Gods. The various constructions where 

Soon after the Crucifixion of Christ and his Resurrection, Christianity spread like wild fire across Rome. Roman Catholicism came to being in the late 18th century, thanks to the Christitianity loving Roman emperor, Constantine.     

 

Marcus Aurelius, the great roman emperor  (head covered)
sacrificing at the Temple of Jupiter

When it comes to the Gods of Rome, they were many in number and had a function each. There were three sects or triads of God to begin with, They were highly respected and feared by all.

• Archaic Triad: Jupiter, Mars, Quirinus        

  

  Jupiter

        
• Capitoline Triad: Jupiter, Juno, Minerva

  

  Mars

• Plebeian or Aventine Triad: Ceres, Liber, Libera

These names are not high jargon but are just periodical names given by a religious follower Georg Wissowa.Georg Wissowa, in his manual of the Roman religion, identified the structure as a triad on the grounds of the existence in Rome of the three flamines maiores, who carry out service to these three gods. He remarked that this triadic structure looks to be predominant in many sacred formulae which go back to the most ancient period

Lectisternium:

Just as we Indians offer our deities Gods and fantasize that they partake a meal at our place so did the romans. This concept was called a lectisternium. A lectisternium is a banquet for the Gods at which they appear, as images seated on couches as if present and participating. In describing the lectisternium of the 12 major Gods in 217 BC the great historian Livy beautifully gives an account of the banquet and then places them as a couple as follows

• Jupiter-Juno( god of sky and thunder vs. protector and special coucellor of the state)
•  



Neptune

• Neptune-Minerva (God of freshwater and the sea vs.  Roman Goddess of Wisdom) 



Venus

• Mars-Venus(God of war and agricultural gardian vs. Goddess love, beauty, sexuality, fertility, and prosperity)
•  Apollo -Diana(Olympian God vs. Goddess of the hunt the moon and the birthing)

Apollo

• Vulcan vesta( the God of Fire vs. Goddess of the hearth Home and the Fire
• Mercury-Ceras(God of Financial gain vs Goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility

Mercury

Varro gave his verdict of the principle Gods on the basis of their function to be 

• Janus, god of beginnings and transitions and thereby of gate, doors, doorways, passages and endings. he is uysually depiced as having two faces as he caters to the future and to      the past
•  Jupiter: also known as Jove is the king of gods and is the God of the Sky and thunder  

saturn

• Saturn: He was the first God of the capitol and was seen as the God of generation, dissolution, plenty, wealth, agriculture
• Mercury:patron god of financial gain and eloquence, messages, communication, boundaries,trickery, luck,  thieves, he is also the guide of souls to the underworld
•  Genius: in roman religion, the genius is an individual instance of a general divine nature that is present in every individual, person, place, or thing
• Apollo: is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in classic Roman mythology
• Mars: was the God of War and was an agricultural guardian.was  the most prominent of the military gods in the roman Army

• Vulcan: Is the God of fire  including the fire of volcanoes, also the god of metalworking and the forge.

  

  Vulcan 

•  Neptune: He is the brother of Jupiter and Pluto. the brothers presided over the realms of the heavenly earthly and the underworld.  
•  Sol: Sol was the solar solar deity in the Roman Religion.
• Orcus: orcus was the God of the underworld and the punisher of broken oaths  in Italic and Roman mythology

the mouth of Orcus

• Liber:  means the free one. Also known as liber Pater ("the free father") was the God of Viticulture and wine, fertility and freedom.
• Tellus: means mother Earth also called Tella Mater Mother Earth She is the Goddess of the earth and Growth. 

Tellus

• Ceres:In ancient Roman Religion Ceres was a Goddess of agriculture, Grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships.
• Juno:is an ancient Roman Goddess the protector and special counselor of the state. she is the daughter of Saturn and the Sister of the Chief God Jupiter. She is also mother to Mars and Vulcan . 
•  Diana:Was the Goddess of the hunt the moon the birthing and is associated with wild animals and woodlands, and having the power to talk to and control animals.

Diana of Versailes 

• Luna:Luna is the divine embodiment of the moon. She is presented as the female complement of the sun concieved of as a God
•  Minerva:Minerva was the Goddess of Wisdom and the spnsor of arts, trade and strategy. she was born with weapoms from the head of Jupiter.

Minerva 

•  Venus: Venus is the most enrapturing Goddess of all. Odes to her beauty and grace. She is the goddess encompass sing the qualities of love, beauty, sex, prosperity, fertility and desire.
•  Vesta:Vesta is the Virgin Goddess of the home, hearth and family. 

Good to Know:

Agriculture:Bonus Eveentus was one of the agricultural dieties.

Chastity:Vesta, a goddess of chastity is usually concieved of as a virgin

father: Pather familas associated with Jupiter,Mars 

Mythology of Italy refers to the Mythology includes the myths of peoples living in Italy.

Important Gods and Goddesses of Italian Mythology:

 Anteros is the Italian God of love and passion. Specifically, Anteros was the God of mutual love and would punish those who did not return love.

Aradia is the Italian witch Goddess. She protects women against the aggression of masculine faith and symbolizes the air element and the moon.

Carmenta is the Goddess of spells, known for chanting incantations in verse to ease the pains of women in labor and children facing illness.

Frebruus is the Italian God of purification who lives in the underworld.

Fortuna is the Goddess of fate and fortune and also bringer of fertility.

Jana is the Goddess of the Moon, said to have 2 faces, one facing the past one facing the future.

Jove is the Sky God. He is the equivalent of Jupiter of Roman mythology who is the King of all other Gods.

Nox is the Goddess of the night, believed that all things had their beginning from her, and that she is one of the oldest of the Gods.

Umbria is Goddess of shadows, secrets, darkness who lives in the underworld.

Malocchio or The Evil Eye

Well the mythology of Italy was totally insignificant compared to the mythology of Rome. Roman mythology was so massive and expansive, it took the center stage and ruled the hearts of one and all. that was because there were Gods just for about everything. The number of Gods was huge and the mythology behind them was even more incredible that the Roman Race- the Italian Race at large dedicated its conscience to these Gods and Venerated them with great reverence

 FOR EG

If you were busy with your household work and you you got stuck, you could possibly pray to Lares, the household goddess

If you were jealous of your friend, and wanted to stab her you'd get a warning from Invidia, Goddess of envy and wrong doing

if you were a sailor you'd talk to mater matuta, patroness of mariners

MYTHOLOGY OF ROME

From the gods spread their mythology. the Mythology of Rome the equally interesting to hear about. The Romans usually treated their traditional narratives as historical, even when these have miraculous or super natural elements. It's always sent people into flights of fantasy and left them in awe and wonder. It has shaped the Italian culture quite a bit and is still a part of popular folklore. It is repeated generation after generation by the masses. 

Well What is Roman mythology? Roman mythology just consists of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. Heroism is an important theme in these stories. The roman mythology was influenced by the Greek and the Etruscan Religion neighbouring regions as they were. ritual played the central role in Roman religion that myth did for the Greeks.

From the Renaissance to the 18th century, Roman myths were an inspiration particularly for European painting. The Roman tradition is rich in historical myths, or legends, concerning the foundation and rise of the city. These narratives focus on human actors, with only occasional intervention from deities and a firm belief in destiny.

Well there are ,many sources and artifacts still available sanding the test of time

n many museums in Italy and world over.

In this wall painting from Pompeii,Venus looks on while the physicianIapyx tends to the wound of her son,Aeneas

Major sources for Roman myth include

• ·        the Aeneid of Vergil and the first few books of Livy's history as well as
• ·        Dionysius' s Roman Antiquities.

Depiction of Vergil

• ·         Other important sources are the Fasti of Ovid, a six-book poem structured by the Roman religious calendar,
• ·          The fourth book of elegies by Propertius.
• ·         Scenes from Roman myth also appear in Roman wall painting, coins, and sculpture, particularly relics.

Some Myths Good to Know:

 The Founding of Rome:   

 

The she-wolf feeding the twins Romulus and Remus, the most famous image associated with the founding of Rome

Th with theThe story begins with Trojan prince Aeneas coming to Italy.  He was accompanied with the fallen heroes of Troy. They Reached Lavinium where Aeneas married the princess Lavinia and fought her fiancé`Turnus and killed him in the war. The young son of Aeneas, Ascanius, also known as Iulus, went on to found Alba Longa and the line of Alban kings .Toward the end of this line, King Procas was the father of Numitor and Amulius. At Procas' death, Numitor became king of Alba Longa, but Amulius captured his brother, and sent him to prison; he also forced the daughter of Numitor, Rhea Silvia, to become a virgin priestess.

Rhea married Mars and begot two sons Remus and Romulus. Because of a prophecy that they would overthrow their great-uncle Amulius, who had overthrown Silvia's father Numitor, they were, in the manner of many mythological heroes, abandoned at birth. Much like the prophecy that followed Vasudev and Devki’s marriage that their eighth child would kill Kans, and that child Krishn had to be given up.  The twins were nurtured by a she-wolf until a shepherd named Faustulus found and took Romulus and Remus as his sons. Faustulus and his wife, Acca Larentia, raised the children. When Remus and Romulus became adults, they killed Amulius and restored Numitor. They decided to establish a city; however, they quarrelled, and Romulus killed his brother. Thus Rome began with a fratricide, a story that was later taken to represent the city's history of internecine political strife and bloodshed.

The name "Romulus" is probably a back-formation  that is, the name "Romulus" was derived from the word "Rome". The suffix "-ulus" is masculine and a diminutive, so "Romulus" means "the little boy from Rome."

 Rape of the Sabine Women

The Rape of the Sabine Women byGiambologna, in the Loggia dei Lanziin Florence

Rape of the Sabine women, explaining the importance of the Sabines in the formation of Roman culture, and the growth of Rome through conflict and alliance

The Rape of the Sabine Women (Latin: Sabinae raptae) is an episode in the legendary history of Rome, traditionally dated to 750 BC, in which the first generation of Roman men acquired wives for themselves from the neighboring Sabine families. The English word rape is a conventional translation of the Latin raptio, which in this context means "abduction"

The Rape is supposed to have occurred in the early history of Rome, shortly after its founding by Romulus and his mostly male followers. Seeking wives in order to found families, the Romans negotiated unsuccessfully with the Sabines, who populated the area. Fearing the emergence of a rival society, the Sabines refused to allow their women to marry the Romans. Consequently, the Romans planned to abduct Sabine women, during a festival of Neptune Equester and proclaimed the festival among Rome's neighbours. At the festival Romulus gave a signal, at which the Romans grabbed the Sabine women and fought off the Sabine men. The indignant abductees were soon implored by Romulus to accept Roman husbands.

no direct sexual assault took place, albeit when compared with the later history, the fuller evidence was a seduction based on promises by the Romans (which were inadequate, in any event) and then betrayal of the Romans' promises. It is the story of an unfulfilled promise.

Giambologna

The sculpture by Giambologna (1579–1583) that was reinterpreted as expressing this theme depicts three figures (a man lifting a woman into the air while a second man crouches) and was carved from a single block of marble. This sculpture is considered Giambologna's masterpiece, and is still the showstopper in many museums.

The Tarpeian Rock, and why it was used for the execution of traitors.

The site of the Tarpeian Rock as it appeared in 2008.

The Tarpeian Rock was a precipitous cliff of the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill, overlooking the Roman Forum in Ancient Rome. It was used during the Roman Republic as an execution site. Murderers, traitors, perjurors, and larcenous slaves, if convicted by the quaestores parricidii, were flung from the cliff to their deaths, as were the disabled and mentally ill. The cliff was about 25 meters (80 ft) tall.

According to early Roman histories, when the Sabine ruler Titus Tatius attacked Rome after the Rape of the Sabines (8th century BC), the Vestal Virgin Tarpeia, daughter of Spurius Tarpeius, governor of the citadel on the Capitoline Hill, betrayed the Romans by opening the city gates for the Sabines in return for 'what they bore on their arms.' Titus Tatius bribed Tarpeia into letting his army into the gates in exchange for the golden bracelets and bejeweled rings. In Book 1 of Livy’s Ab Urbe Condita, the Sabines “accepti (in arcem) obtruam armis necavere,” meaning, “having been accepted into the citadel, [the Sabines] killed her, having been overwhelmed by weapons, and “scuta congesta”, meaning, “they heaped up shields on her.” The Sabines crushed her to death with their shields, and her body was buried in the rock that now bears her name. Regardless of whether or not Tarpeia was buried in the rock itself, it is significant that the rock was named for her deception.

About 500 BC, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seventh legendary king of Rome, leveled the top of the rock, removing the shrines built by the Sabines, and built the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on the intermontium — the area between the two summits of the hill. The rock itself survived this remodelling, being used for executions well into Sulla's time (early 1st century BC).

Bear in mind the Latin phrase, Arx tarpeia Capitoli proxima, which translates to, “the Tarpeian Rock is close to the Capitol,” which some have interpreted to mean that “one's fall from grace can come swiftly”.

To be hurled off the Tarpeian Rock was, in some sense, a fate worse than death, because it carried with it a stigma of shame. The standard method of execution in ancient Rome was by strangulation in the Tullianum. Rather, the rock was reserved for the most notorious traitors, and as a place of unofficial, extra-legal executions

Mucius Scaevola, who thrust his right hand into the fire to prove his loyalty to Rome:

Mucius Scævola by Louis-Pierre Deseine, 1791, Louvre Museum

.

In 508 BC, during the war between Rome and Clusium, the Clusian king Lars Porsena laid siege to Rome. Mucius, with the approval of the Roman Senate sneaked into the Etruscan camp and attempted to murder Porsena. It was the soldiers' pay day. There were two similarly dressed people on a raised platform talking to the troops. He misidentified Porsena and killed Porsena's scribe instead. Mucius was captured, and famously declared to Porsena: "I am Gaius Mucius, a citizen of Rome. I came here as an enemy to kill my enemy, and I am as ready to die as I am to kill. We Romans act bravely and, when adversity strikes, we suffer bravely."

"Watch this," he declared. "so that you know how cheap the body is to men who have their eye on great glory." Mucius thrust his right hand into a fire which was lit for sacrifice and held it there without giving any indication of pain, thereby earning for himself and his descendants the cognomen Scaevola, meaning 'left-handed'. Porsena, shocked at the youth's bravery, dismissed him from the Etruscan camp, free to return to Rome saying "Go back, since you do more harm to yourself than me".

Mucius was granted farming land on the right-hand bank of the Tiber, which later became known as the Mucia Prata (Mucian Meadows).

Caeculus and the founding of Praeneste:

In Roman mythology, Caeculus (meaning "little blind boy", from caecus "blind") was a son of Vulcan, and the legendary founder of Praeneste (modern Palestrina).

King Caeculus appears in Book VII of Virgil's Aeneid as an ally of Turnus against Aeneas and the Trojans, where he is said to be the "founder of Praeneste" and described as "the son of Vulcan, born among the rural herds and found upon the hearth".

The myth concerning the birth of Caeculus and his divine parentage  is of great interest for the study of Latin religion. In the myth he is the nephew of two divine twin brothers (divi fratres) called the Depidii (or Digidii). They had a younger sister. One day while she was sitting by the hearth, a spark landed on her and she was impregnated. When the child was born, she exposed him near the temple of Jupiter, where he was found, lying next to a fire, by a group of girls (one version says that these girls were also sisters of the Depidii), who had come to fetch water from a nearby spring. The girls took the child to his uncles, the Depidii, who reared him. After spending his childhood among shepherds, he gathered a band of youngsters of his age, and founded the city of Praeneste. Caeculus was unharmed by a fire, caused by his casting doubt on the divinity of his ancestry. He also showed mastery over fire by starting and extinguishing another at his will. The smoke though damaged his eyes, which remained smaller than normal, hence his name, Caeculus, little blind one.

His story is reminiscent of the practise of ver sacrum and similar to that of Romulus and Remus the founders of Rome.

CHRISTIANITY IN ROME 

Everybody was going on hunky dory with their Gods Mercury, Venus and Jupiter and had their own mythology and Gods.

At around the same time in Jerusalem was a humble man who would later set the pavings for the greatest religion on the earth-Christ.

Benevolent Christ 

Jesus, a carpenter by trade, lived in Nazareth, a village, in the Province of Judaea. When he was around 26 or 27 he began preaching the gospel of mankind.

These people believed that he was the son of God. Some years later, Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, declared Jesus A rebel against the state and ordered him to be crucified. Jesus’s resurrection made People’s faith stronger on him.

Two of Jesus’s follower’s, Peter and Paul took this religion to Rome. In its early years Christianity was very popular especially among the poor and the slaves because it promised them everlasting life, regardless of wealth.

The Christian belief in one God conflicted against the Roman state religion of multiple Gods and with the official view that Emperors were Gods. Because Christians could not take part in the ceremonies on special festival days of emperor worship they would be punished cruelly. Christianity was alone among the many religions that came to Rome and was banned everywhere and was subject o systematic repression.

It was not that Rome DISLIKED Christianity, but they persecuted Christianity for the political disobedience that resulted from their religious scruples.

The Christians insisted like they still insist today according to their 10 commandments that they alone possessed the truth and that all other religions including the state ones were false..   so as I said they refused to to observe the ritual acts connected with the emperor.

Yet as much as they hated the Christians they hated them for their warlike bravery and martyrdom in the face of torture. They could take risk in the mouth of a cannon.   

Ironically Christianity attracted followers both rich and poor. By 3^rd century AD Christianity was still accumulating converts, and had become less doctrinaire. Christian writers were agreeing that it was possible to be a good Roman and a good Christian. Nevertheless the struggle between Christian and Non-Christian went on. It spread so rapidly that the Emperor Galerius passed a law allowing the Christians to worship openly on condition they act no way against the established order.

2 years later the famous Edict of Milan issued by the Roman Emperor Constantine I gave the Christians Freedom to Dispose of land and elect their own church and Government. Constantine was  so drawn to Christianity that he was the first emperor to be baptised as a Christian. . Under Theodosius I christianity had become the official region of the empire.   

Orthodox Bulgarian icon of Constantine and his mother, St. Helena

The proof of the pudding: the first church in italy to be commissioned by Constantine 

 

SEED BED OF CHRISTIANITY  

First century Romans Regarded Christ as a minor political rebel who was given an undeserving punishment, Crucified for 3 days on the Cross of Cavalry. The greatness of Christ is Although he preached in remote Palestine for less than 3 years His disciples were many and they were soon travelling on Roman Roads. In no time the whole empire became a seed-bed of the religion.

Roman Authorities used Christians as political scapegoats for 3 centuries till the reign of Constantine. From then on, Rome’s forms of Government legal tenants and architectural styles were increasingly reflected in the Church’s administration, law and building sand Rome catered to both the Empire and the Church

In the early years the church had no central organization. Despite a common belief, forms of worship differed from town to town, rivalries rose among disciples, doctrinal disputes thrived. The organization of the empire influenced the organization of the Church. Christianity became an urban movement. The poor masses were ready converts for they expected salvation from rich masters. Stabilization increased.

THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT:

From Constantines time on the Christianity religion got both power and popularity. The Church was beginning to execute rebels and clergies were wielding power. As church and state grew closer, basilicas, the old public buildings of Rome were converted into churches , bishops took a hand in municipal matters, and the state supervised internal affairs of the church. When at last the political power of the emperors collapsed, the Church endured- and in the dark ages that followed helped to preserve the Roman heritage.

Roman Catholicism

 The Roman Catholic Church portrays itself as the one legitimate heir to New Testament Christianity, and the pope as the successor to Peter, the first bishop of Rome. The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans about AD 55 and addressed a church body that existed prior to his first visit there (but he made no mention of Peter, though he greeted others by name). Despite repeated persecutions by the government, a vibrant Christian community existed in Rome after apostolic times. Those early Roman Christians were just like their brethren in other parts of the world—simple followers of Jesus Christ.

Things changed drastically when the Roman Emperor Constantine professed a conversion to Christianity in AD 312. He began to make changes that ultimately led to the formation of the Roman Catholic Church. He issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which granted freedom of worship throughout the empire. When doctrinal disputes arose, Constantine presided over the first ecumenical church council at Nicaea in AD 325, even though he held no official authority in the churches. By the time of Constantine’s death, Christianity was the favored, if not the official, religion of the Roman Empire. The term Roman Catholic was defined by Emperor Theodosius on February 27, 380, in the Theodosian Code. In that document, he refers to those who hold to the “religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter” as “Roman Catholic Christians” and gives them the official sanction of the empire.

The fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Catholic Church are really two branches of the same story, as the power was transferred from one entity to the other. From the time of Constantine (AD 312) until the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, the emperors of Rome claimed a certain amount of authority within the church, even though it was disputed by many church leaders. During those formative years, there were many disputes over authority, structure, and doctrine. The emperors sought to increase their authority by granting privileges to various bishops, resulting in disputes about primacy within the churches. At the same time, some of the bishops sought to increase their authority and prestige by accusing others of false doctrine and seeking state support of their positions. Many of those disputes resulted in very sinful behavior, which are a disgrace to the name of Christ. From that time on, the church and state were fully intertwined as the Holy Roman Empire, with the pope exercising authority over kings and emperors.

Roman Catholicism The bishops, with the pope as their head, rule the universal Church. God has entrusted revelation to the bishops. The pope is infallible in his teaching. Scripture and Tradition together are the Word of God. Mary is the co-redeemer, for she participated with Christ in the painful act of redemption. Mary is the co-mediator, to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions. Initial justification is by means of baptism. Adults must prepare for justification through faith and good works. Grace is merited by good works. Salvation is attained by cooperating with grace through faith, good works, and participation in the sacraments. No one can know if he will attain to eternal life. The Roman Catholic Church is necessary for salvation. Christ's body and blood exist wholly and entirely in every fragment of consecrated bread and wine in every Roman Catholic church around the world. The sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated in the sacrifice of the Mass. Each sacrifice of the Mass appeases God's wrath against sin. The sacrificial work of redemption is continually carried out through the sacrifice of the Mass.

Biblical Teaching Christ, the head of the body, rules the universal church (Colossians 1:18). God has entrusted revelation to the saints (Jude 3). God alone is infallible (Numbers 23:19;Acts 17:11). Scripture alone is the Word of God (John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 7:1-13). Christ alone is the Redeemer, for He alone suffered and died for sin (1 Peter 1:18,19). Christ Jesus is the one mediator to whom we can entrust all our cares and petitions (1 Timothy 2:5; John 14:13,14; 1 Peter 5:7). Justification is by faith alone (Romans 3:28). God justifies ungodly sinners who believe (Romans 4:5). Good works are the result of salvation, not the cause (Ephesians 2:8-10). Grace is a free gift (Romans 11:6). Salvation is attained by grace through faith apart from works (Ephesians 2:10). The believer can know that he has eternal life by the Word of God and the testimony of the Holy Spirit who indwells believers(1 John 5:13; Romans 8:16). There is salvation in no one but the Lord Jesus Christ, “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The bread and wine are symbols of the body and blood of Christ, and He is bodily present in heaven (1 Corinthians 11:23-25; Hebrews 10:12,13). The sacrifice of the cross is finished (John 19:30). The once-for-all sacrifice of the cross fully appeased God's wrath against sin (Hebrews 10:12-18). The sacrificial work of redemption was finished when Christ gave His life for us on the cross (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3).

These doctrines don’t date back all the way to Constantine, except for perhaps in seed form, but were slowly adopted over many years as various popes issued decrees. In many cases, the doctrines are not even based on Scripture but on a document of the church. But all said and done, Rome has contributed largely to Christianity.

What has Rome left behind to Italy in terms of Religion?

Every Great civilization leaves behind some footprints on which, generation after generation people walk So what is the proof of Roman mythology, Religion and Gods? What has it left behind on Italy? And the world? Sometimes pictures say what words can’t. Let me take you through a gallery of Rome’s religious portfolio.  

The map of  Giacomo Lauro and Antonio Tempesta dating to 1599 depicting the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome with San Pietro in Vaticano in the foreground, used for the Holy Year of 1600.

St Peter's Basilica 

 

St. Peter's Basilica as painted by Giovanni Paolo Panini

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and remains one of the largest churches in the world.  It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom. It has a unique standing in Italy's tourism.

Arch basilicaof St John Lutheran.  

facade of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran 

 It is the oldest and ranks first among the four Papal Basilicas or major basilicas of Rome  (having the cathdral of the Bishop of Rome), and the oldest church in the West. It claims the title of ecumenical mother church among Roman Catholics. The basilica was originally dedicated to Christ the Savior.

Basilica of St paul.

Façade of the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls

The Papal Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura), commonly known as St Paul's Outside the Walls, is one of Rome's four ancient major basilicas or papal basilicas

 Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore

The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore is the largest church in Rome dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (English: Basilica of Saint Mary Major, Latin: Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is the largest Catholic Marian church in Rome, Italy.According to the 1929 Lateran Treaty, the basilica located in Italian territory is owned by the Holy See and enjoys extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies. The building is patrolled internally by police agents of Vatican City State, not by Italian police. It is located on Piazza del Esquilino, number 34, some five blocks southwest of the Stazione Termini.

 Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura

The Basilica di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura is a shrine to the martyred Roman deacon, Saint Lawrence. 

The Papal Basilica of Saint Lawrence outside the Walls (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Lorenzo fuori le Mura) is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica, located in Rome, Italy. The basilica is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and one of the five Patriarchal basilicas, each of which is assigned to a patriarchate. St. Lawrence outside the Walls is assigned to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem.


The papal basilica is the shrine tomb of the church's namesake, Saint Lawrence, one of the first seven deacons of Rome martyred in 258. Pope Pius IX, who has been beatified, is also buried at the basilica.


 Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem 

Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem  

Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Italian)

The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem (Latin: Basilica Sanctae Crucis in Hierusalem, Italian: Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme) is a Roman Catholic parish church and minor basilica in Rome, Italy. It is one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome.


According to tradition, At that time, the basilica floor was covered with soil from Jerusalem, thus acquiring the title in Hierusalem - it is not dedicated to the Holy Cross which is in Jerusalem, but the church itself is "in Jerusalem" in the sense that a "piece" of Jerusalem was moved to Rome for its foundation. 

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love

Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore (Italian)

Santuario della Madonna del Divino Amore or the shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary that consists of two churches: an old church built in 1745 and a new church added to the sanctuary in 1999. The church was included by Pope John Paul II in the pilgrimage of Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome during the Holy Year 2000.

Roman temples

Well there are many Roman temples as well built for their own Gods and Goddesses. Here's a look 

The temple got ruined after many Roman invasions but continued to remain a hotspot tourist attraction.

The Maison Carrée in Nîmes, one of the best preserved Roman temples 

The Temple of Hercules Victor, in the Forum Boarium in Rome

The Pantheon-one of the greatest tourist spots in Italy. 

Remains of a capital of the Temple of Apollo Palatinus

The Temple of Apollo Palatinus (Palatine Apollo) was a temple on the Palatine Hill of ancient Rome, which was first dedicated by Augustus to his patron god Apollo. It was only the second temple in Rome dedicated to the god, after the Temple of Apollo Sosianus. It was sited next to the Temple of Cybele.

Temple of Divus Iulius

The Temple of Caesar or Temple of Divus Iulius(Italian Tempio del Divo Giulio) also known as Temple of the Deified Julius Caesar, delubrum, heroon or Temple of the Comet Star, is an ancient structure in the Roman Forum of Rome, Italy, located near the Regia and the Temple of Vesta.

Temple dedicated to Jupiter

I have a couple of pictures that I've shot from very old books, books a decade and a half, books  century years old, Let me have the pleasure of sharing them with you. 

If you've wanted to know what the areal view of Rome looks like from a helicopter, here you go

Temple of Venus and Roma

Palace of Septimius Severus and Aqueduct of Nero

Temple of Jupitor Victor

Temple of Mars The Avenger

Curia Senate House

  Basscilla of Maxentius 

 The Grand colosseum

 Temple of Claudius

Trajan' Forum

Baths of Constantine

Temples of jupiter Capitolinus

Temple of Trajan 

thater of marcellus(above) Temple of aesculapius (below)

CITYSCAPE OF ROME 

Well the inscription below seems blurred.. for better understanding the hero Aeneas, who wanders after the defeat of troy, crosses the Mediterranean to defeat the latin tribes. this picture is taken from an account of Vergil's epic poem of the Roman peope's origin.

Well today Christianity has spread to most parts of the world including Italy, But it was Rome that ushered the spread of this Religion into the countries and left behind stunning substantiation of this fact. At the same time it kept its own religion intact and spread its cultural heritage to Italy. It left behind some valuable traces such as The statue of the Rape of the Sabines and Temples such as the temples to Applolonius. All these traces are of great worth all around the world and in Italy, be it tourist spots or priced artifacts. Rome has definitely left a mark in terms of Religion and nythology. When Christianity set in it gave Italy beautiful Basilicas which were again, visited by the  masses. 

Great minds come and go and leave their footprints behind, and Rome has carefully guarded their footprints, making it one of the most powerful empires