Our last full day in Rome, before we depart for home and there is so much to see in Rome.

After breakfast Peter and I caught the bus to Vatican City to see Saint Peter's Basilica, which is a late Renaissance church and remains one of the two largest churches in the world . There has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine. Construction of the present basilica, replacing the Old Saint Peter's Basilica of the 4th century AD, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.

When in Saint Peter's Basilica, we first visited the famous La Pieta (1498–1499) the work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo.  To my amazement it was smaller than I had imagined. Peter and I also claimed the beautiful Capella, 530 steps to the top and we made it. There were great views from the top. Unfortunately when I was visiting Saint Peter's Basilica 22 years ago I was not able to enter and I was wearing knee length shorts, the Papal have become more relaxed these days and many tourists entered in shorts.

Leaving the Vatican, Peter and I stepped into a Bar to have lunch, we chose to eat our panini standing as it was an extra €2 to sit down.

After lunch we visited Castel Sant' Angelo, (123 -139 AD), This is the Mausoleum of Hadrian, is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano, It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family . The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum.

We walked across the Ponte Sant' Angelo, with its beautiful sculptures, this bridge was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian. 

We visited two other churches in the afternoon, the first was the Santa Maria deli Angeli e degli Martiri, built inside the frigidarium and worked from 1563 to 1564 to adapt a section of the remaining structure of the baths (Baths of Diocletian) to enclose a church. In the Piazza Republica we see the Fountain of the Naiads (1901).
 
The second church was The Basilica of Santa Prassede, commissioned by Pope Hadrian l around the year 780, and built on top of the remains of a 5th-century structure and was designed to house the bones of Santa Prassede. The most famous element of the church are the mosaics. 

Walking back to our accommodation we walk into an area which was part of The Baths of Diocletian and this section is now The National Roman Museum . Founded in 1889 and inaugurated in 1890, the museum's first aim was to collect and exhibit archaeologic materials unearthed during the excavations after the union of Rome to the Italian Kingdom. Unfortunately the museum was closing, so we just got to see the garden area with beheaded sculptures.

Entering our 'Windrose Hotel', we met our friends Netty, Dawn and Catrina, who formed part of our walking group in Tuscany. The ladies joined us for dinner at a local restaurant, followed by coffee and dolce at a patisserie close by.

Finally it was time to say good night to the girls and hit the hay, Peter and I had to prepare for tomorrows departure.