Celebrating Easter in Rome

Holy Week (Settimana Santa) in anticipation of Easter (Pasqua) this Sunday is underway in Rome. It will be a rather intense week leading up to Easter and events will be filled with many tourists and devout locals. If you are not put-off by a little overcrowding, Rome will definitely be a rewarding experience. On Holy Thursday (Giovedi Santo) the Pope …

Crux Vaticana on Display at St. Peter’s Basilica

After a year and a half at work, the Vatican has just finished restoration of a jewel-encrusted golden cross said to be the oldest reliquary of its kind, according to USA TODAY. The foot-tall, jewel-encrusted, golden cross, known as the Crux Vaticana, was given to the people of Rome by the Byzantine emperor Justin II in the 6th-century and bears …

Quick Tip: When to Visit the Vatican Museums

Don’t Go: The last Sunday of the month when admission is free. Truly everyone and their mother will be in line with you. Do Go: Wednesday morning when other visitors will be in St. Peter’s Square for the Pope’s weekly blessing. (He blesses the crowd from his apartment window at 11 a.m.)

Holy Planes, Batman! Pope Launches Airline

A Vatican-backed charter airline inaugurated flights this week between Italy and Catholic shrines such as Lourdes, Fatima, Santiago de Compostela and the Holy Land. The Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, an outfit that organizes pilgrimages for the Diocese of Rome, has signed a five-year agreement with Mistral Air, a small airline owned by the private Italian post office. The flights using a …