Policoro, Italy (280 BC) The Battle of Heraclea was arguably the first truly large scale military engagement between the Romans and a comparable opponent, the Greek colony of Tarentum in Southern Italy. Fought at a time when various Greek powers still ruled most of the Mediterranean region, it was an effort to contain the growing menace of the Romans, who were in a position … [Read more...]
BATTLES OF SYRACUSE (SYRACUSE BATTLEFIELD)
Syracuse, Italy (415-413 BC) The civilization of Greek city-states reached its height in the period after the defeat of the Persian invasions of Europe and before the rise of Alexander the Great. During this period the Greeks found ample opportunities to turn their armies against each other, most notably during the Peloponnesian War. Fought primarily on the Peloponnesian … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF THE HOLY CROSS IN JERUSALEM
Rome, Italy The Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem is one of the great churches of Rome. Home to an assortment of relics related to the Crucifixion of Jesus, it was historically and ironically the least important of the city’s traditional pilgrimage churches. Nevertheless it is one of the seven recognized pilgrimage churches of Rome, despite the fact that it is neither … [Read more...]
APOSTOLIC PALACE
Vatican City Although the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican is just one of three official residences of the Pope, it is the one which most pilgrims to Rome are familiar with. Adjacent to St. Peter’s Basilica, it is one of Europe’s most magnificent residences, on par with Buckingham Palace in London or the Royal Palace of Madrid. It is also the world’s single greatest … [Read more...]
ANCIENT CHRISTIAN MONUMENTS OF RAVENNA
Ravenna, Italy The city of Ravenna in Northern Italy is famous for its place in Christian history, not for its association with any great Catholic saints. But this unlikely former capital of Roman Empire is home to over half a dozen essentially intact churches and other Christian sites which date back to the 5th and 6th centuries. This amazing collection of churches from the … [Read more...]
BASILICAS OF ST. MARY MAJOR & OUR LADY OF DIVINE LOVE
Rome, Italy Rome is home to a number of churches which are classified as Marian shrines; two of these, the Basilica of St. Mary Major and the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Divine Love, are among the most important Catholic churches in the world. Although ranked after St. Peter’s, St. Paul’s and St. John’s Basilicas, both of the churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary are among the … [Read more...]
CHURCH OF ST. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA
Rome, Italy As if Rome did not already boast enough world class churches filled with the tombs of the Church’s honored dead, the Eternal City is home also to the Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martin. Ironically, St. Ignatius is not buried here, but at the Mother Church of the Jesuits, also in Rome. However, Robert Bellarmine, one of his most important successors … [Read more...]
MOTHER CHURCH OF THE JESUITS
Rome, Italy As if Rome did not already boast enough world class churches filled with the tombs of the Catholicism’s honored dead, the Eternal City is home also to the Church of the Gesu, or the Mother Church of the Jesuits. The Jesuits, the most famous post-medieval Catholic order, was the brainchild of Ignatius of Loyala. Despite his Spanish heritage, he established the … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF SAN DOMENICO
Siena, Italy Siena, one of the oldest cities in Italy, was the home town of Catherine, one of the towering female Christian figures of the Middle Ages and one of only three women to be designated as a Doctor of the Church. During her years as a Dominican disciple, she used Siena as a base for her travels throughout Italy and France, where she worked diligently to achieve … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA
Padua, Italy Italy has produced more than its share of great saints. But few have risen to the popularity of Anthony of Padua, considered to be among the greatest theologians and speakers of his age. An important disciple of Francis of Assisi in the early days of the Franciscan Order, he distinguished himself by surpassing Francis in church honors and, despite all humility, … [Read more...]
