Me and Philip

We interrupt our regular programming to bring you this special photo spread of my first trip to Rome and one of the very first stops I made, to see St. Philip Neri.


First lunch: Chinese

Then on to the holy stuff:

The Chiesa Nuova




The first Oratory. Now owned and operated as a library by the Italian govt.


Dramatic angled shot.


Me going in.




The image of the flaming heart was everywhere.


Not the original Caravaggio, but pretty good anyway.


Having a wee chat.




The man himself.


The famous painting...also not the original but a mosaic...above the saint.


On the ceiling of the chapel.


The rather spooky ancient part of the Oratory...getting the tour.


The door to Philip's rooms.


In wax, from the death mask.


I've got a holy card of this painting. This is the original above his altar.


Under that altar, is the one he used to say Mass on.


Philip's room.

This is the only portrait of him done during his lifetime. When he was too old and frail to continue going on the big picnics, he allowed this life size portrait to be painted and his followers took it along with them so he could be there in spirit.

2-D spirit.


I got to touch Philip's chair, one of the few sticks of furniture in his room, from which he used to "discourse on the holy Word."


A London Oratorian, following in the Father's footsteps and discoursing.


Got about ten holy cards of this one. This is the original of the famous portrait. Next time I go, I'll use the flash.


Yep...got a holy card of this one too.

If you look closely, you can see in the lower left, it is a depiction of that lovely story of the two boys who peeked in to the saint's private chapel while he was saying Mass. This is what they saw.



The altar in his private chapel where the above scene happened. In the middle, you can see his chalice in which are reportedly his teeth marks from his ecstasies.


A completely different kind of ecstasy: gelatto.


Amare nescire.

And here's how you find St. Philip on Bernini's Colonnade:

Stand facing St. Peter's.

On the left hand side, start at the fancy-schmancy baroque decorative thing in the middle of the statues.

Count 7 to the left.

That's him.