The Vatican

First, let me say that it is quite simply too much. There is no way to communicate what we saw. Neither Amy's pictures nor my words will do.

You just have to go. And by go, I mean more than one trip, more than one day... There is art, history, pain and peace. Wars, betrayal, corruption and Christianity and restoration.

We booked a semi-private (small group) guided tour. Donata told us, and showed us so many things, one piece of history folding into another and then depicted in art that is absolutely amazing.

We will share 3 or 4 of the most fascinating things. Seriously, the list could go on and on. These are the things that slayed us.

St. Peters Basilica......
La Pietà by Michelangelo
The sculpture is emotional. I was taken. Mary holding holding her dead son in her arms. Michelangelo was 25 years old when he sculpted this piece. Honestly, describing this would be wrong. Telling you I felt it in my chest... that comes closer.

The Paintings
Well, the paintings are the most remarkable works of art. Consider that, in my knowledge - extremely limited - what makes 'great', great is not simply the depiction but the blending of the color. Here, as you would guess, both are incredible.

But most incredible, the paintings in the Basilica are not paintings! They are mosaics. These great works of art would be impressive if they were paintings but they are small pieces of ceramic and glass. All through the Basilica, all the paintings are actually mosiacs. Even in the ceiling domes.

And just to be clear, when I speak of the mosiacs, I mean only in the Basilica.

First, let me say that it is quite simply too much. There is no way to communicate what we saw. Neither Amy's pictures nor my words will do.

You just have to go. And by go, I mean more than one trip, more than one day... There is art, history, pain and peace. Wars, betrayal, corruption and Christianity and restoration.

We booked a semi-private (small group) guided tour. Donata told us, and showed us so many things, one piece of history folding into another and then depicted in art that is absolutely amazing.

We will share 3 or 4 of the most fascinating things. Seriously, the list could go on and on. These are the things that slayed us.

St. Peters Basilica......
La Pietà by Michelangelo
The sculpture is emotional. I was taken. Mary holding holding her dead son in her arms. Michelangelo was 25 years old when he sculpted this piece. Honestly, describing this would be wrong. Telling you I felt it in my chest... that comes closer.

The Paintings
Well, the paintings are the most remarkable works of art. Consider that, in my knowledge - extremely limited - what makes 'great', great is not simply the depiction but the blending of the color. Here, as you would guess, both are incredible.

But most incredible, the paintings in the Basilica are not paintings! They are mosaics. These great works of art would be impressive if they were paintings but they are small pieces of ceramic and glass. All through the Basilica, all the paintings are actually mosiacs. Even in the ceiling domes.

And just to be clear, when I speak of the mosiacs, I mean only in the Basilica.

Sistine Chapel
Obviously, no surprise here. And most people know the paintings aren't paintings, they are Frescos - paintings on fresh plaster. A redo means chiseling plaster and then replacing it.
The Frescos are depictions of stories from the Bible. Creation, the life of Moses. The life of Jesus. Final judgment. Breathtaking.

Vatican Museum
Amy would have to say the map room was the most impressive. And it was incredible. And it was soooooo much. Longer than a football field, painting after painting. There are 40 maps, but the ceiling is the thing here. Fresco after fresco depicting significant figures of history and Christianity. And all very 3 dimensional.

My favorite was Raphel's School of Athens. It is an awesome painting. But it has humor and reverence. Raphael uses techniques he learned from Da Vinci to create this fresco dedicated to philosophers. Raphael paints Da Vinci's face on Plato. And front and center of the fresco is Michelangelo. At the time when Raphael was painting this piece, Michelangelo was painting the the Sistine Chapel. Raphael was so impressed by Michelangelo's work that he added him very prominently in the painting.

Ok, it will sound weird, but I was impressed by the tapestries. Art in fabric. I imagine they would be even more impressive with more light. The tapestries were woven out of wool, gold and silver thread.

It was all so much, you can't write about it all. I was going to stop here and then Amy reminded me of the floors. You could cover up the walls and the ceilings and do an entire tour just on the floors. More mosiacs, more marble. More history.

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