Piazza del Popolo

One of the things that makes Rome such an amazing city are its many piazzas/piazzi. When you descend from the BSR down through the Villa Borghese park to the northern gate of the Aurelian Walls, once the Porta Flaminia of ancient Rome, and now called Porta del Popolo, you will find yourself in Piazza del Popolo. The name in modern Italian literally means "piazza of the people", but historically it derives from the poplars (populus in Latin, pioppo in Italian) after which the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, in the northeast corner of the piazza, takes its name.


Inside there are two fantastic paintings by Carravaggio. This one is called Conversion on the Way to Damascus (Conversione di San Paolo) and was painted in 1601. The painting depicts the moment recounted in Chapter 9 of Acts of the Apostles when Saul, soon to be the apostle Paul, fell on the road to Damascus. He heard the Lord say "I am Jesus, whom you persecute, arise and go into the city." According to the Scotman Billy Connolly, JC's appearance was accompanied by a blinding blast of light and Paul's reaction to this was the first ever utterance of the F-word.


This is just one of the many beautiful sculptures that fill this church.


This skull and bones motif, here in cast bronze and imbedded in the marble floor, can also be seen outside in the piazza on the clothing and jewelery worn by the young Italian Goth and Metal kids who like to hang out there.