All Things Vatican!

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02 May 2007: Spent the entire day in and around the Vatican. Wednesday is the Pope's mid-week audience, so the entire square in front of St. Peter's ringed by the Bernini colonnade was setting up for Benedict XVI's 1000 audience. We decided to visit the Vatican Museum first. Lines everywhere make Disneyland on a holiday seem totally rationale and doable. 1 hour 50 minutes of standing in line in the drizzle later, we got in. Of course the drizzle turned to complete downpour the minute we got inside, so good fortune at a minimum was on our side. The downpour lasted only 15 minutes but left some great contrasts in the sky, Highlights of the immense collection were of course Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel), which I'd never seen but Mom had seen pre-cleaning, as well as Raphael's The School of Athens (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_School_of_Athens), Caravvagio's Deposition from the Cross (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Entombment_of_Christ_or_Deposition_from_the_Cross_%28Caravaggio%29), and the Laocoon sculpture (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laocoon). 2 hours of waiting and 3 hours of viewing deserves a good lunch which we had nearby before visiting St. Peters. I don't know how many times I've seen the interior space of the Basilica in art history books or on TV, but it is so much larger than I imagined. Bernini's Dove Window shone brightly (in real life but not the pictures). The dome is just immense. After another seemingly endless line to get to go up the Cuppola, the views up top paid off.

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Comments

[Natasha]

colonade spot
Gorgeous photos...even with the contrast from the rain. Befitting of caravaggio's chiarroscurro, actually. I am thoroughly enjoying these blogs...though it is greatly increasing the number of times I take someone's name in vain. Do apologize to the pope for me. Speaking of the smallest nation...did you stand in another line, albeit an important one...namely at the Vatican post office? I vividly remember doing that with mom and dad so I could have stamps from yet another country! Ciao.

[Dad and Stephanie]

Roma
Yes, well, can't wait to go back to Rome, and Stephanie has never been there! You are right. It is impossible to get any idea of the scale of things until you have been to St. Peters.

[Sally]

claustrophobia climbing up the Vatican dome
Nice to see pictures again and be reminded that the view on top of the Vatican really is worth it. I remember curving around (to fit the dome curve) on my way up. Yes, we did make it, Marty!! and on a nice day.