TravelswithCharie

Nave of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme (Holy Cross in Jerusalem) We had an extra day in Rome and decided to see one of the seven pilgrim churches. Santa Croce was our fourth pilgrim church after we visited Santa Maria Maggiore, St. John Lateran, and St. Peter’s. We chose Santa Croce for the simple reason that it was not too far from our hotel. The other three which we sadly missed were St. Paul Outside the Walls, St. Lawrence Outside the Walls and St. Sebastian Outside the Walls. Main Altar Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is so called because when St. Helena came back to Rome after her trip to Jerusalem, she brought with her some soil from Mount Calvary where Jesus was crucified. This soil was spread under Santa Croce when she was building a chapel to house the Holy Relics, hence “in Gerusalemme”. St. Helena is the  mother of Emperor Constantine (306-337) who was the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity. He issued the Edict of Milan which granted his people the right to practice thei...

  River God floor mosaic This floor mosaic is a representation of the river god shown here in a half recumbent position and holding a reed. He is facing Leda and the Swan (Zeus) but this part of the composition is almost washed out. The mosaics are made of stone and glass tesserae in white, black, red, gray, brown, ocher and yellow and measures 9.5 square meters. This mosaic is on the podium at the entrance to the reception room. Constantine the Great Constantine the Great was born in Niš around 280AD. Together with Licinius, he signed the Edict of Milan in 313AD which proclaimed religious toleration within the Roman Empire and decriminalized Christianity. The ruins from his villa in Mediana, about 7 km (4.3 miles) from the city center, is now open to the public after years of restoration. Floor mosaics of varying geometrical designs run the length of the 40-hectare residential complex. Various artifacts from the archeological excavation of the premises are on display in the museum...

Niš (pronounced Neesh) was a thriving Roman city called Naissus in the second century AD. Traces of Roman occupation are evident in these Roman baths found inside Niš Fortress.  Constantine the Great was born in Niš around 280AD. (Together with Licinius, they signed the Edict of Milan in 313AD which proclaimed religious toleration within the Roman Empire and decriminalized Christianity.) The ruins from his villa in Mediana, about 7 km from the city center, is now open to the public after years of restoration. Floor mosaics of varying geometrical designs run the length of the 40-hectare property. Various artifacts from the archeological excavation are on display in the museum as well as fine floor mosaics that were in the villa of the Emperor. See my article about the Constantine’s Villa here:  https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2023/07/the-villa-of-constantine-great-in.html The remains of an Early Byzantine street from the 5th-6th century was excavated in 1962. It was one of th...