A few notes:

I sort of settled on an apartment, then changed my mind. Then changed back. We have definitely decided to stay on the Vatican side of the river. We have to do the Scavi tour twice, separately (if we get it), and various meetings are shaping up for both of us with various personages and institutions over there. (no, not The Man, unfortunately.) So, it seems like the best place to settle ourselves. But I keep going around and around between four apartments…tomorrow’s the day I decide.

Have had some helpful pointers. Some interesting liturgy notes from Fr. Jim Tucker:

4) Something else you will be able to experience, since you’ll be there for the beginning of Lent. Every Lenten weekday, NACers walk from the College to the day’s Station Church for a 7 am English Mass. It’s a great way to start the day, and it’s also a neat coming-together of the City’s English-speaking faithful.

5) I’m not sure how traditionalist your family is, but the FSSP has daily Mass at a tiny little church near Piazza Navona and (at least back when I was helping out there) Solemn High Mass on Sundays. The Institute of Christ the King has a nice Sunday Mass, too, in the beautiful church of Gesu e Maria up near the Piazza del Popolo. Another church to check out is S Maria in Trastevere, seat of the Sant’Egidio Community. Their Sunday evening Mass is thronged with young people and is very beautiful (… part of that beauty comes from mixing in bits of the Byzantine Rite…), and their evening prayer services are very popular, as well. The NAC’s Sunday Mass also has a fair number of outsiders in attendance, and the English College has turned itself into a quasi-parish for the City’s English-speakers.

From The Cranky Professor:

*Best early Christian-layering:*
1. San Clemente
2. Sant’Agnese fuori le Mura (and Sta. Costanza).   Read The Geometry of Love, Margaret Visser
3. the combo of Sta. Maria Maggiore/Sta. Pudenziana/Sta. Prassede (both
within a block of Sta. M.M.).  If the weather’s good, you can sit
outside at the Irish beer place between S. Maria Maggiore and Sta. Prassede and stare at S. Maria Maggiore and enjoy the weather.
4. Sta. Sabina, which is transcendentally beautiful and calm

*Best Big Baroque Sequence:*
S. Andrea della Valle (Insalata Ricca next door)
Il Gesu S. Ignazio — all within about 3 blocks of each other.  This is in the neighborhood of the Pantheon.

*Best LITTLE Baroque Sequence, and MUCH better:*
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane — within a few blocks of each other up
on the Quirinale, nice little park beside Sant’Andrea (and directly
opposite the Presidential Palace, formerly Papal) where Joseph can run around.

Like Caravaggio?  Within a block or three of the Pantheon you can see
the S. Matthew paintings at San Luigi dei Francese and the Virgin of the Pilgrim’s at San Agostino — and then keep walking to Piazza Navona for:

*A Great Baroque moment:*
Sant’Agnese in Agone – Piazza Navona – great church, great safe running
around possibilities.  Don’t eat anywhere within a block without
explicit advice!!

And, if you’re interested…Go back and check out this thread, which has grown by a bit – the last comment from Woody has more intriguing liturgical notes.