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Published: March 16th 2011
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Day 8: Rome, Italy Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 The next morning, the majority of the group headed to Vatican City. This was an important day in Vatican City, because Pope Benedict XVI was addressing the crowd. There were groups of people from different countries around the world, waving their flags. The square was crowded with people pushing to get to the front of the crowds. I was starting to feel claustrophobic. It was pretty interesting, seeing the Pope address the crowd, although I didn't understand a word that he was saying.
After seeing the Pope, we went on a tour of the Vatican Museum with our local American tour guide (who held up a pom pom so we would not get lost in the crowd). In the Vatican museum we got these headphones, so that we could listen to our guide speak, but mine was not working and neither was my sister's so I did not get much out of the tour. The highlight of the tour was of course seeing the the Sistine Chapel. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel although I saw numerous people taking them. I was a good tourist and
did not take any pictures ;-). There were guards everywhere yelling no photo, no photo!!!! The highlights of the Sistine Chapel include the large fresco of the Last Battle over the alter of the chapel and the musty smell. Because Michelangelo depicted naked figures, he was accused of immorality and obscenity. The church asked the genitalia in the frescoes to be covered by the artist Daniele da Volterra, whom history remembers by the derogatory nickname "Il Braghettone" ("the breeches-painter").
My favourite fresco was especially the one where the hand of god is reaching out giving life to Adam. Our guide said that she was told that people contemplate as to whether what God is sitting in is a uterus, a brain, or a heart. Whatever it is, it is a symbol of human life ;-)
After exploring the Sistine Chapel, we had lunch at the Vatican Museum cafeteria and then we headed off to St. Peters Basilica. After seeing the enormous lineup going into St. Peter's Basilica, we decided to skip it and head off to see the Church of the Capuchin Monks. The Capuchin Crypt is a small space comprising several tiny chapels located beneath the church
of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. It contains the skeletal remains of the capuchin monks, in unique human displays. Creepy !!!
Our next stop was the Coliseum and the Roman Forum. We were able to explore the Coliseum but we did not have enough time to tour the Roman Forum. Oh well, another trip to Rome will have to be in works ;-). After the Coliseum, we went to The Pantheon, where Raphael Tomb is found. We grabbed a bite to eat and then headed back to camp to prepare for the bus ride to Verona and then Venice the next day.
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