Day 7 - Thur, Apr 25 - Vatican Visit

It is another clear, warm and sunny day. I'm going to get a tan!! The high actually got to 28C - that's 82F. April 25th is a national holiday in Italy - it commemorates the end of Nazi occupation of the country during World War II and the victory of the Resistance.

Simone delivered us safely into Monica's hands at the Vatican. Using her magic tickets and smiles, we skipped the long lines (even longer than usual apparently because of the holiday).

For all you people who went on the trip to Italy for the canonization of Mother Teresa: guess who I saw? Our guide, Antonella!!! She knows Monica and they spoke briefly at the ticket desk. The world truly is small.

The crowds were fierce - made us thankful that we only needed to 8 of us together. We got a fabulous view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica from the outside patio of the museum area. Monica coached us on what we would see in the Sistine Chapel - there is supposed to be no talking in there.

We toured several of the incredible galleries of the Vatican Museums. The buildings are architectural wonders and beautiful art pieces unto themselves. They display works from the immense collection amassed by popes throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The grounds are beautiful - we stopped in the interior courtyard to admire the huge pinecone statue and the Sphere within a Sphere bronze sculpture by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. Monica, she of the small stature but mighty strength, showed us that it rotates!!!

The Vatican Museums trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased in the 16th century: Laocoön and His Sons was discovered on 14 January 1506, in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti, who were working at the Vatican, to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner. The pope put the sculpture, which depicts the Trojan priest Laocoön and his two sons being attacked by giant serpents, on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery.

We saw sculptures, paintings, frescoes, vases, tapestries, fabulous mosaic floors, sarcophagi and so much more. Our eyes drank in the beauty while our ears tried to assimilate all the information in Monica's animated commentary. One of my favourites was the Sala Rotonda. It is shaped like a miniature Pantheon with impressive ancient mosaics on the floors, and ancient statues lining the perimeter, including a gilded bronze statue of Hercules.

From there, we entered the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope, in Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480. Since that time, the chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today, it is the site of the papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo. Between 1508 and 1512, under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the chapel's ceiling, a project which changed the course of Western art and is regarded as one of the major artistic accomplishments of human civilization. In a different climate, after the Sack of Rome, he returned and, between 1535 and 1541, painted The Last Judgment for Popes Clement VII and Paul III.

From there, it was just a short walk to St. Peter's Basilica. This was on my "must see" list because I had not been able to go inside on my previous visit because of the tight security around the canonization ceremony.

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture[2] and the largest church in the world. While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

The basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, chief among Jesus's apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome. Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the high altar of the basilica. For this reason, many popes have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period, and there has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica, which would replace Old St. Peter's Basilica from the 4th century AD, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.

"Overwhelming" is the only way to describe St. Peter's. Every square inch is a glorious bit of art. The entire interior of St. Peter's is lavishly decorated with marble, reliefs, architectural sculpture and gilding. The basilica contains a large number of tombs of popes and other notable people, many of which are considered outstanding artworks. There are also a number of sculptures in niches and chapels, including Michelangelo's Pietà. The central feature is a baldachin, or canopy over the Papal Altar, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The apse culminates in a sculptural ensemble, also by Bernini, and containing the symbolic Chair of Saint Peter.

One observer wrote: "St Peter's Basilica is the reason why Rome is still the center of the civilized world. For religious, historical, and architectural reasons it by itself justifies a journey to Rome, and its interior offers a palimpsest of artistic styles at their best ..."

Monica deftly led us out to the meeting place with Simone. Since it was a holiday and many cafés were closed, we opted for a quick visit to the local grocery store to get fixings for eating at Chez Hotel Room, something this hotel frowns upon sternly. We dodged the food police.

Dinner tonight is at the Tivoli Gardens.Read more