• Diana OItalyTraveler
    The Basilica and piazza at night.
    One arm in another country.Basilica dome in the background.This is a Roman era pine cone which was apparently a big deal back then and had its own neighborhoodView from one of the Vatican halls.Roman mosaic work.This was a special type of stone from Egypt that was very hard to work with. It is now "extinct."Mosaic from a Roman home. Note the asparagus which doesn't grow natively and is a symbol of wealth.Hall with maps of Italy before Italy existed. Not all of them match today's maps.Coat of arms of one of the old popes.Most of the paintings in this room were done after the artist's death by assistants, but not these.Inside the basilica.

    Vatican City

    June 27, 2023 in Vatican City ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    The main focus of our visit to Rome wasn’t Rome itself, but Vatican City, the smallest country in the world. We couldn’t find unattended tickets on the day we had available to see the Vatican, so we ended up with a private tour, which was honestly great. The Sistine Chapel was beautiful (no pictures allowed) but disappointing because all everyone had to do was stop talking for two minutes and almost nobody could manage it. St. Peter’s Basilica was definitely the star of the show, though.Read more