Further south, St. Paul outside the walls, EUR and Tre Fontane
About two kilometers from Porta San Paolo is San Paolo fuori le mura, one of the four patriarchal basilicas in Rome, built in place, where the tomb of St.. Paul, buried here after beheading at Tre Fontane. Out of all four basilicas, this one was probably the worst for centuries. Once upon a time she was probably the most wonderful of them, connected to the Aurelian walls by a 1.5 km long colonnade, consisting of 800 marble columns. As a result of the Saracen invasion in the 9th century. and a terrible fire in 1823 r. the present building is mostly a 19th-century reconstruction, located in an unattractive district of blocks of flats and factories.
Nevertheless, the replica of the former church is very successful and unlike St.. Peter is admired by its sheer enormity: whether, whether you enter from the cloisters, or the west entrance, the dimensions of the interior and the forest of columns crowned with semicircular arches are overwhelming. Some parts of the building survived the fire. In the southern transept there was a carved Romanesque paschal candlestick supported by semi-human creatures, passing upward through images of tangled vines and human limbs into scenes from the life of Christ. The figures were gathered as if for a photo. Dated on 1070 r. bronze doors also survived the former basilica, just like the thirteenth-century canopy, under which the remains of St.. Paul. The arch on the other side of the apse is also original and decorated with mosaics. The cloisters, covered with cos-matesco carpeting, are among the most beautiful in Rome: spiral, Columns inlaid with mosaics surround the quiet garden. The reliquary chapel houses a dusty set of semi-authentic relics, and in the pinacotheca you can see the carvings of the Church of San Paolo before and after the fire.
Via Ostende leads from San Paolo to via Cristoforo Colombo, which in turn leads to EUR. The full name of the district is "Esposizione Universale Roma", access by bus no 93 from Termini or by metro line B. It is more a message in stone than a living city: Mussolini planned them because of the World Fair in 1942 r. The fair did not take place, and the district was not completed even after the war. At least to those wide boulevards, intended for parades, and cold, rectangular buildings can be reached from the center of Rome by tram, they are light years separated in terms of climate. It is worth coming here because of several of the numerous museums and if you are interested in modern architecture and urban planning.
The main disadvantage of the EUR district is this, that it was not built for the people: the streets are wide thoroughfares intended for high-speed vehicular traffic, the number of offices and museums significantly exceeds the number of shops (mainly
with expensive confection) and restaurants (exclusive), which are located mainly on the main streets of viale Beethoven and viale Europa. After the war, mainly ordinary office buildings were built here, Therefore, pre-war fascist buildings are the most interesting. The Palazzo di Civilta di Lavoro stands out in the north-west, which is the most striking example of architecture inspired by Mussolini - the palace was dubbed the "square Colosseum", which perfectly summarizes the idea of combining classicism with modernity. The nominal EUR center is situated in the south of the Piazza Marcom district, where the wide converge, antique-inspired boulevards, and in the center there is an obelisk.
All museums are within walking distance of this place. On the square itself, there is the Folk Art Museum (pn.-sb. 9.00-14.00, nd. 9.00-13.00; Free entrance), containing a carefully planned cross-section of applied art, costumes and devotional items from all regions of Italy. Descriptions, as usual, in Italian, so take the dictionary with you.
Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum (pn.-sb., opening hours as above; 3000 L) is rich, well and clearly organized, but the prehistoric part is over-developed. Interesting ethnographic collections are a certain relief, with exhibits from South America, Pacific and Africa. Early Medieval Museum, in the same building (wt.-sb. 9.00-14.00, nd. 9.00-13.00; Free entrance), focuses on collections from the 5th to 10th centuries - mainly local finds, including beautiful jewelry from the 7th century. and a beautiful golden brooch found on the Palatine. However, the most interesting of all the museums is the Museo della Civilta Romana (pn.-sb. 9.00-13.30, nd. 9.00-13.00; 4500 L), in which, in addition to numerous finds from ancient Rome, there is a model of the city from the 4th century. on a large scale, which gives a perfect idea of the spatial distribution of Rome.
Great remedy for feeling alienated, which you can buy in EUR, it is the nearby Abbazia delle Tre Fontane abbey, group of churches founded in the place, somewhere in. Paweł was martyred. legend says, that when St.. Paweł was beheaded, right away, where his head fell, three springs gushed out, and three churches were built there. At that time, it was a picturesque neighborhood, so it was quickly abandoned, but in the second half of the last century, the Trappists drained the marshes and planted eucalyptus trees; they are still distilling the medicine for chest conditions, sold in a small shop next to the entrance.
The churches were rebuilt in the 16th century. and restored by the Trappists. Their architecture is not outstanding, but the area of the abbey is calm and relatively free from tourists. The Church of Santa Maria Scala Coeli takes its name from the vision, which St.. Bernard: he saw, like a soul, for which he prayed, ascends to heaven. This vision visited St.. Bernard, probably at the marble altar, located in the crypt. In the Church of San Paolo alle Tre Fontane a pillar is kept in the back, to which St.. Paul, and a few mosaic paviments from Ostia Antica.