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Sponsors

The companies listed below are sponsors of our projects. In all cases, prior to us allowing them to be sponsors, we will use their services or products as normal customers. We can then objectively state the quality of their products or services.
Sleep In Italy
Sleep in Italy is an apartment rental management firm. We have used them for years, long before they became sponsors. Their properties are always well represented, their prices are very good and their customer service is excellent.
Rome Shuttle Limousine
Rome Shuttle Limousine is a private car service in Rome that primarily provides transportation between the airports and the city. They also provide car tours and other services. Their prices are usually less than a taxi. They are always on time and provide great service. We have used them for years without a single problem.
Canon
We use Canon cameras in all of our high definition video footage.

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Art, Architecture, History
Welcome PDF Print E-mail

 

Welcome to our companion website for our soon to be released video series "The Art, Architecture and History of the Churches of Rome." We hope you spend time exploring our site and want you to know that it is and will be constantly growing.

Be certain to check out our online photo gallery.

 
 
The Video Series PDF Print E-mail

This multi-part video series has been a work in progress for us for over five years. While the majority of our videos are travel documentaries, this one is very different. All of our videos are designed to educate, but "The Art, Architecture and History of the Churches of Rome" is being developed from the ground up to be a truly educational experience for the viewer.

While it is not actually a "religious" series, the religious components cannot be denied nor should they be. The focus of the series is on how a handful of Catholic churches and basilicas in Rome created a profound effect on western civilization for hundreds, if not thousands of years through the amazing works of art and sculpture they hold and in many cases their architectural brilliance.

Without these churches and the support of the Catholic church, we probably would have never heard of the likes of Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, Borromini, Fontana and hundreds of others. We would not be able to view beautiful mosaics that go back to the time of the Roman Empire. We would never know the brilliant designs of Borromini. We would not be able to see how Gian Lorenzo Bernini could take stone and create such realism that he seemingly stopped time.

Beyond the art and architecture, many of these churches had a profound affect on western civilization, and thus civilization across the globe. In some of these churches, which were built on ancient Roman ruins, we can go back in time by visiting the underground areas. In others we can see how historical events, such as the rise of Islam, changed the manner in how things were done across much of Europe.

This series, all shot in high definition video, takes you into 40 churches around Rome. Some of these are world famous and huge. The majority are not well known or completely forgotten. With each location we go into detail as to the history of the church itself, the events that led to its formation, the contents of the church and mainly to those behind the chisel and brush who brought them to life.

While we stated that our part in the development of the series has taken over 5 years, it could have never come to fruition had it not been for the decades long work of Father Joseph Tylenda, S.J., Doctorate of Sacred Theology and the author of the monumental work "A Pilgrim's Guide to Rome's Principal Churches."

This long out of print book was the road map to our series and without it, we could have never created this work. While we said it was out of print, through the open-minded understanding of a small publishing house in Kansas City - Angelus Press - this amazing work is now being reprinted and re-released. You'll find more on Father Tylenda and Angelus in a later article.

 
 
Father Tylenda and Angelus Press PDF Print E-mail

In 1964 a Jesuit priest, named Joseph Tylenda, earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorium University in Rome. He also had an amazing background in art history and architecture. He spent the better part of 15 years, in the 1970s and 1980s teaching at the university. During his time in Rome he made it his mission to document the Catholic churches in the Eternal City.

Why was this important? Because other than the major basilicas and the handful of churches that some tourists might visit, little can be found detailing these other churches. There are over 225 Catholic churches in Rome, Reverend Tylenda documented 175 of them. And when we say documented we mean in the most minute, factual and verifiable detail.

He drew floor plans of each church, depicting each chapel, nave, and edifice. He then noted every work of art, every architectural creation, who did it, when it was done and in some cases, how it was done. When he was finished with this monumental task he published his pick of 50 churches for his book "The Pilgrim's Guide to Rome's Principal Churches.".

This book became THE guide for people visiting Rome with an interest in art and architecture. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s the book went out of print. How important did people think this masterpiece was? By 2009, second hand, used editions were constantly selling for $200 or more.

During the years that we were trying to develop our video series we put together a list of about 40 churches and basilicas we felt we needed to shoot. When we were able to acquire his book, he had about 35 of them detailed in the book. We were able to locate Father Tylenda and when we told him what we wanted to do, he informed us of the scores of other churches that were not in the book. He provided us with all of the information we needed to complete our shoot.

At the same time, he informed us that Angelus Press, a Catholic book publisher in Kansas City had decided this book was so important that it needed to be re-published. Angelus has spent over a year updating the book and it is now ready for release in the very near future.

Our video series and their book have come together to a point where they work almost seamlessly together. The book provides the floor plans and details we simply cannot include in our video. Our video allows people to view the locations and to see in detail these wonderful works by some of the greatest masters of mosaics, frescoes, paintings, sculptures, and architecture.

This book is a must have for any lover of culture or history. If one is planning a visit to Rome, this book should be at the top of your list. With it in hand, you can walk into any of the listed churches, easily find your way around the church with the floor plans and know exactly what you are looking at.