Locked in a church with Caravaggio, Rafael and Bernini.
Jan 5th, 2010, 10:33 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Locked in a church with Caravaggio, Rafael and Bernini.
We just got back from Rome and I'll try to do a trip report in the next few days. To give you a taste of how it went, the first day was really interesting...
Flight arrives a tad late, but no big deal.
Rome Shuttle Limousine is waiting dutifully for us and takes us directly to our apartment in Piazza Rondanini, set up by Sleep In Italy (a great apartment, 1 block from the Pantheon).
Apartment owner is waiting, we do the walk through and are ready to go by 11 am.
We decide to go over to St. Agostino to do some photos, it is only 2 blocks away.
We dawdle around, taking photos. Some guys are building a backdrop for the Mass. The caretaker is sweeping up. Noon comes, the guys leave and the caretaker tells us we must go. So, we go to the front exit, which is an ancient set of doors in kind of a real dark, medieval dungeo-like entry. I mess around with all the sliding bars, various old locks and the modern deadbolts. Nope, door doesn't open.
I go back into the church to tell the caretaker it is locked. He is adamant that it is open and shusshes us away. We go back into the world of no light, fiddle around for several more minutes. Nope, it is locked and it needs a key.
We go back into the church, this time we hear a door slam somewhere in the back and a few seconds later all of the lights go out. For the next 90 minutes we alternate between banging on doors, hollering "Is anyone there", listening to people outside the church mumble about something. We find a paper with a phone number for the church, so we try to call it. Nope, it is no longer working.
I figure, what with the priceless works of art there should be some kind of security system, so I find little sensors and jump up and down and wave my hands in front of them. The lights change, you can hear a clicking sound, but nothing happens.
So, we decide to enjoy the peace and solitude of the church, get really great photos of the Caravaggio, the Rafael fresco and the Bernini sculptures. Then we lay down to rest on the pews. Finally, the priest returns and boy is he surprised to see us waiting on him, smiling away.
Luckily our apartment is close by, because neither of us went to the bathroom before we left on our supposedly short journey.
It gets better as the days pass by....
dave and regina
Flight arrives a tad late, but no big deal.
Rome Shuttle Limousine is waiting dutifully for us and takes us directly to our apartment in Piazza Rondanini, set up by Sleep In Italy (a great apartment, 1 block from the Pantheon).
Apartment owner is waiting, we do the walk through and are ready to go by 11 am.
We decide to go over to St. Agostino to do some photos, it is only 2 blocks away.
We dawdle around, taking photos. Some guys are building a backdrop for the Mass. The caretaker is sweeping up. Noon comes, the guys leave and the caretaker tells us we must go. So, we go to the front exit, which is an ancient set of doors in kind of a real dark, medieval dungeo-like entry. I mess around with all the sliding bars, various old locks and the modern deadbolts. Nope, door doesn't open.
I go back into the church to tell the caretaker it is locked. He is adamant that it is open and shusshes us away. We go back into the world of no light, fiddle around for several more minutes. Nope, it is locked and it needs a key.
We go back into the church, this time we hear a door slam somewhere in the back and a few seconds later all of the lights go out. For the next 90 minutes we alternate between banging on doors, hollering "Is anyone there", listening to people outside the church mumble about something. We find a paper with a phone number for the church, so we try to call it. Nope, it is no longer working.
I figure, what with the priceless works of art there should be some kind of security system, so I find little sensors and jump up and down and wave my hands in front of them. The lights change, you can hear a clicking sound, but nothing happens.
So, we decide to enjoy the peace and solitude of the church, get really great photos of the Caravaggio, the Rafael fresco and the Bernini sculptures. Then we lay down to rest on the pews. Finally, the priest returns and boy is he surprised to see us waiting on him, smiling away.
Luckily our apartment is close by, because neither of us went to the bathroom before we left on our supposedly short journey.
It gets better as the days pass by....
dave and regina
Jan 5th, 2010, 10:57 AM
#2
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,248
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello daveesl
Oh my, what an eventful first day! But to have all those paintings and sculptures to yourself must have been heaven-sent!
A few years ago, we stayed in the SIL Piaza Rondanini apartment as well. Loved it too!
Oh my, what an eventful first day! But to have all those paintings and sculptures to yourself must have been heaven-sent!
A few years ago, we stayed in the SIL Piaza Rondanini apartment as well. Loved it too!
Jan 5th, 2010, 11:08 AM
#3
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 45,322
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
What an experience, dave and regina. You two took it all in stride obviously but I was wondering about your bathroom situation, however. I sure look forward to reading about the rest of your adventures!
Jan 5th, 2010, 01:53 PM
#8
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 14,748
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Great story, Dave.
I posted this question for you on another thread, and I hope you can answer it:
daveesl: Can you tell me if the Montevecchio Bis apartment has a stand up shower? It doesn't look like it does, but I really like the apartment. I hope you see this.
I posted this question for you on another thread, and I hope you can answer it:
daveesl: Can you tell me if the Montevecchio Bis apartment has a stand up shower? It doesn't look like it does, but I really like the apartment. I hope you see this.
Jan 5th, 2010, 01:58 PM
#9
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 387
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I never try to interrupt the Italian lunch hour.
I was surprised one Sunday morning in Perugia when I innocently pushed open an unlocked door to a building (I won't say which one) which is famously filled with priceless artworks, of astonishing historical and artistic importance -- and no one was there. I didn't realize I was early, well before opening hours, so I just pressed on and toured the building. Finally, an employee who had come in early to do some work, but eft the door unlocked, found me. She was quite cheerful and unconcerned about my being there, and told me she would meet me by the door when I left to sell me the ticket I should have bought walking in.
I was surprised one Sunday morning in Perugia when I innocently pushed open an unlocked door to a building (I won't say which one) which is famously filled with priceless artworks, of astonishing historical and artistic importance -- and no one was there. I didn't realize I was early, well before opening hours, so I just pressed on and toured the building. Finally, an employee who had come in early to do some work, but eft the door unlocked, found me. She was quite cheerful and unconcerned about my being there, and told me she would meet me by the door when I left to sell me the ticket I should have bought walking in.
Jan 5th, 2010, 04:17 PM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,026
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To TuscanLife...
If I remember correctly Montevecchio Bis had a tub in the upstairs bathroom with a shower. The downstairs bath was only like a half-bath, with no shower or tub. Our daughter's family stayed in it, except for one or two nights where we stayed after they left. It did have a big kitchen.
If I remember correctly Montevecchio Bis had a tub in the upstairs bathroom with a shower. The downstairs bath was only like a half-bath, with no shower or tub. Our daughter's family stayed in it, except for one or two nights where we stayed after they left. It did have a big kitchen.
