San Luigi dei Francesi

As I write this entry, the boys are sitting down to their first course of pasta in Italy. One of the boys, not keen for red sauce, has discovered the true beauty of fresh olive oil. His life has changed.

After a smooth, event free flight across the Atlantic, the boys arrived in a sunny Rome. There was no time for relaxing though. The Study Tour began immediately with visits to the Pantheon, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, San Luigi dei Francesi and Piazza Navona. The boys were impressed by Caravaggio's 1599 The Calling of St. Matthew inside San Luigi dei Francesi.

Caravaggio chronicles the moment when a typical daily routine is interrupted by something altogether different. The tax-collectors are interrupted! Fitting for this time of year. The painting captures the world of faith colliding with world of Levi.

Incredibly, on their way to Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, the group stumbled upon a back door entrance to the church and the tomb of Fra Angelico. The boys loved the piazza in the sunshine and the opportunity to draw and sketch. Tonight, their first in Rome, will be an early one. For many they have not really slept for 20 or more hours. Day one is done.

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