As our first "unofficial (non-school)" day in Rome, today was our Vatican exploration day. We got up about the same time we had been, but it was nice not to have to rush out and meet people. After breakfast, we walked across the center of Rome again (about 45 minutes) to the Vatican, getting there around 10:30. It was very un-crowded, much different than many of the pictures we have seen of it. Again, it's nice to be in Rome in January! We started by going to the Vatican Museums (in which is located, among other things, the Sistine Chapel). This required us to walk around the outer part of the Vatican City, to a 'back' entrance. The walk took us along a very large and defensive-looking wall which clearly illustrated the very non-peaceful past that the Vatican and Popes have experienced. The Museums themselves were quite phenomenal, housing a large collection of Roman, Etruscan, and Egyptian material, in addition to much beautiful art. The museum path took you through a series of beautifully-decorated rooms, one of which was filled with maps painted on the walls.
Just being in the Vatican was a very powerful experience, seeing so much beauty and history. Eventually, our path landed us in the Sistine Chapel (unfortunately the one place in the whole of the museum that you weren't allowed to take pictures) and it was really just as marvelous and stunning as you imagine it to be. So much detail! It is an incredible artistic feat, to be sure. After leaving the Sistine Chapel, we found our way to an Early Christian art area of the museum, which is something I'm very interested in and I enjoyed it quite a lot. Also, we saw a room that was just filled with statue heads on stands, solving the mystery of where all the statues' heads in Rome have ended up! We also saw the Vatican Picture Gallery (housing centuries of famous and beautiful religious art), before heading over towards St. Peter's Basilica.
We waited in line for 20 minutes or so, but the wait was well worth it. Perhaps not as spectacular from the outside as Der Dom in Cologne, the inside of the Basilica was far more beautiful than any church we've yet seen in Europe. It was immense, elaborate, beautiful, and very special to experience, though it was actually somewhat crowded. There is just so much to look at inside and so many years of important history packed into one (albeit large) building. We also took a jaunt around the treasury museum (which housed special objects from the history of the Church). It was an interesting juxtaposition to see the vast amount of gold and precious objects inside the Vatican treasury while being reminded of the number of beggars on the sidewalks outside of the Vatican City. You can certainly relate to those who initiated the Reformation...From there, we took a walk through the tombs of the Popes (including the tomb of Pope John Paul II) beneath the Basilica. It was a very moving experience to progress past the tombs of so many important Church figures and it was especially moving to see people praying and leaving objects at the tomb of John Paul II. The tombs also contained the alleged Sepulchre of St. Peter, which was quite neat. After seeing the tombs of the Popes, we made our way back to our hotel, stopping for a circuit of the Tiber Island along the way. Then we recharged before dinner back at the Gallo Matto (the place we ate at the first night. Gallo Matto means "Chicken House" in Italian, so it was perfect for me). Very very good food!
Luke and a friend he met on the way to the Vatican
St. Peter's Square (above) and the walls around the Vatican (below)
Inside the Vatican Museums
The statues' missing heads! (above) and other museum sights (and sights from the museum)
St. Peter's Square (above) and St. Peter's Basilica (below)
This (above) looks to be a painting, but instead is a mosaic (a very, very intricate and impressive one!). The light coming through the window (below) was just magical.
The Tiber
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