On Saturday, after all work-related stuff was over, I got up early (being the crazy tourist that I am) and once again set out to explore Rome, and once again it was raining (Amsterdam, anyone?). Even though I got to the Vatican Museums quite early, there was a line already, but moving quickly. Once I got in, I opted to get a tour, but had an hour to spare so I left the Vatican premises to get a delicious cappuccino before my tour.
The tour guide turned out to be this old Italian lady that actually gave us a great 2.5 hour overview of the highlights. Of course, the amazing art collection gathered in the Vatican walls cannot possibly be explored in such a short time, but getting even a glimpse of the collection was enough to see its richness. The first few halls that we visited had a lot of white marble statues, with various missing body parts---the reason being their antiquity and a number of "civilizations" that passed over the city, with new fads and plunders. More statues are being excavated as the archaeological digs continue. Some of these statues were quite impressive, but, to be honest, after seeing a number of them, they all sort of blended in.
One thing about the Vatican, which reminded me of some palaces in St Petersburg, were the lavishly decorated walls and ceilings---at one point, I kept walking with my head up because the frescoes and paintings on the ceilings were absolutely breathtaking. I also saw some interesting tapestries from 17th-18th centuries, an art form that I have not seen previously. Another interesting thing was to see so much of art from Greek and Roman mythology (sculpture, paintings, etc) in a Catholic stronghold.
Snapshot of Vatican Museum ceilings
Of course, some of the biggest attractions in the museum are the rooms done by Raphael and Michelangelo. Their styles are definitely different, but both interestingly chose between the Christian and non-Christian themes (mythology, philosophy) to paint their masterpieces. I learned that both worked at the Vatican at the same time (Michelangelo mostly on the Sistine Chapel and Raphael on other rooms in the Vatican).
One of Raphael's ceiling paintings
A wall-wide painting by Michelangelo
However, the most amazing site that left me almost in tears came at the end of the tour. I have heard of the beauty of the Sistine Chapel, but to see it in person was absolutely breathtaking. I stood awestruck for a long time just absorbing the wall-to-wall paintings that were centered around the theme of the Christian Gospel. The central picture in the ceiling depicted man being separated from God, with the rest of the paintings and frescoes focusing on various Biblical stories and characters. Besides the Taj Mahal, this was definitely the most amazing sight that I had ever laid my eyes on. The Chapel is still used, most notably during the election of a new pope.
Still under the impression from the Chapel, I walked into the bright sunlight and open area of St. Peter's Square, the heart of Vatican City (which is, by the way, a separate state within Italy, with its own postal service). It is quite spacious and beautiful in its simplicity. Before rushing of to other sights in Rome, I walked around the grand St. Peter's Basilica, which is by far the most lavish Catholic church I had ever been to. However, its lavishness is actually quite simple, which makes it appear even more grandiose. Near the altar there is a small structure that is supposed to be around the tomb of Apostle Peter---I'm not sure if his remains are actually there, but it did make me think of Jesus' words in Matthew 16 that He would build His church on Peter, the Rock.
Outside of St. Peter's Basilica
Inside St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Square
The next stop on my agenda was the Pantheon, but on my way there I left the state of Vatican (passing by several Embassies:), walked by Castel Sant'Angelo (a nice-looking castle that is also a museum, which I didn't have time to visit), and snapped some pictures of various fountains of the famous Piazza Navona. The Pantheon was another massive structure with a perfectly round hole in its perfectly-constructed rotunda dome (how did the Romans built it?) It was commissioned by one of the Roman emperors as a temple for all ancient Roman gods. The Christian popes later converted it to a Christian church, which is still active today. Interestingly, Raphael's sarcophagus is also found in this eclectic structure.
The Pantheon
Inside the Pantheon
After a quick break of gelato, I rushed off to something that had miraculously fit into my agenda---the famous Capitoline Museums, founded by Michelangelo, who was also a great patron of arts. It is located on the Capitoline Hill and is a home to a lot of marble statues:), some of which are pretty old. The highlights include the bronze statue of the She-Wolf (the adopted mother of the twin founders), a very old statue of Marcus Aurelius, and many other artifacts of ancient Rome.
She-Wolf
The Capitoline Hill is located near the Palatine Hill and overlooks the Forum and the Coliseum. My new camera gave me one of the biggest thrill of my life by taking amazing night pictures of these priceless ruins.
Roman Forum at night
Coliseum at night
Before finishing off the day's adventure with a delicious Italian dinner of homemade pasta, I walked once again by one of my most favorite buildings in Rome, the monument of Victor Emanuel II (Il Vittoriano), the first emperor of unified Italy, the Spanish steps, and another Roman must-see, the Trevi Fountain (I didn't throw in a coin though:). Ahh, so much to see...Rome was indeed one of the most picturesque places that I had been to! Can't wait to go back one day.
Il Vittoriano
Trevi Fountain
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