A day in the name of Baroque Rome, a treasure hunt that you cannot miss, read on to discover the secrets of Christian and pagan symbolism, among clues and enigmas.
Do you feel able to collect all the clues and reach the final destination?
“…from santi’s earthly tomb with demon’s hole,
‘cross rome the mystic elements unfold.
The path of light is laid, the sacred test,
Let angels guide you on your lofty quest”
These are the verses of John Milton, which the protagonist will have to solve in order to conclude the enigma of the “WAY OF LIGHT” in the heart of Rome, creating a cross-shaped path that connects the Altars of Science: different places, but united by a great artist, Bernini, by the presence of angels and by the elements of nature (Earth, Air, Fire and Water,).
Our journey full of mysticism, begins at the Pantheon which is a building of ancient Rome, built as a temple dedicated to all the gods past, present and future.
The first Altar of Science representing the Earth
The peculiarity of this building is a circular opening in the dome called “oculus”, which allows the illumination of the interior and during the film is named as “hole of the devil”, because it was opened in the dome by demons when the building was transformed from a pagan temple into a church.
The first altar of science is Santa Maria del Popolo, in Piazza del Popolo, which was one of the first Renaissance churches in Rome. Inside and more precisely in Chigi Chapel which represents “Earth” on the Path of Illumination in the movie, you will find the sculpture of Habakkuk and the Angel, placed within a recess, that hides a secret message.
You cannot miss that both the Habakkuk statue and the angel are pointing in different directions. Since the paper which Robert Langdon steals from the Vatican secret archives states “Let the angels guide you on your lofty quest”, you have to follow the direction that the angel points in to reach the second altar.
The second Altar of Science representing the Air
This clue takes us straight to St. Peter’s Square, near the central obelisk, there is an elliptical marble plaque depicting “a face of a kind of angel” that blows a breeze from its mouth, named “Breath of God“. This represents the “Air” element for the illuminati.
The third Altar of Science representing the Fire
From the altar of the Air, following the direction of the breath of air you reach the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria, a Baroque church on Via XX Settembre. The church holds the famous Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini that represents “Fire” on the Path of Illumination. The association with the element ‘fire’ comes from the fiery dart used by the angel to strike the saint.
Once again, it is the angel that indicates the direction. The angel’s arm is pointing in a very precise direction and takes you to Piazza Navona, the site of Domitian’s ancient circus and at the center of which is the monument par excellence dedicated to water: the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
The fourth Altar of Science representing the Water
An incredible work of architecture and baroque art , the fountain depicts the four main rivers of the Earth, one for each continent known at the time: the Danube, the Ganges, the Nile and the Rio de la Plata, and is surmounted by the obelisk from the Circus of Massenzio on the Appia Antica. This is the last altar of science representing the element “water”.
The fourth clue, which will lead the protagonist to the ‘church’ of illumination, the final stage of the journey, is also indicated this time by the direction in which the dove with the olive branch looks, well-known as the pagan symbol of the angel of peace.
If you try to connect the four places where the cardinals were found, you will see that a cross will appear.
Castel St. Angelo and the secret Path
The center of which is Castle St. Angelo, which was the secret meeting place of the Illuminati.
The castle used to house the ashes of Hadrian and those who ruled after him. Once taken over by the Catholic Church, it was used as a residence, a fortress and also a prison.
Furthermore the Passetto di Borgo, the secret passage that links the Vatican to Castel Sant’ Angelo, was used by the Pope as an escape route when in danger.
With a visit to the Church of Illumination you will conclude your tour to discover the places mentioned in the film Angels and Demons, a beautiful walking tour of Rome, an exciting walk through Baroque’ art and some of the most beautiful places you will ever see in your life.
The walking time if you follow the itinerary in order is 2h8 for a total of 11km, which is reduced to 1h15 and 6.5km if you visit the monuments in close proximity.
