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Published: July 14th 2008
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St Peter's Basilica & The Square
Carlo & Hannah hanging in Vatican City Today was the big day when I finally got to go to Vatican City! Not only because its another country to add to my list, but even this small place has so many ‘must see’ things on the To Do List.
And besides any place called the Holy See must be worth a look, right?
My first sight was two Swiss Guards standing at one of the entrances.. and I just burst out laughing!
I knew they had their own special uniform - but to me they looked like jesters!
However, after walking into the magnificent Saint Peter’s Square, and the atmosphere that comes with it, everything seemed to fit, including the Swiss Guards.
Saint Peter’s Basilica is amazing in its own right, even with out the grand Piazza entrance. The Basilica is simply huge inside and full of paintings and sculptures, not least of which is Michelangelo’s Pietá from when he was just 24 years old and said to be the only piece of work to carry his signature.
Carlo and I decided to climb the many steps up to the top of the large dome - and WOW what a view! I could have sat for
ages starring down on to the Piazza di Saint Peter and across all the red roofs to central Rome while the River Tevere cuts them in two like a silky ribbon….. so pretty.
But be warned - this is not for the unfit or the claustrophobic (like me), the staircase up actually spirals around the inside of the dome shell, getting narrower and narrower and the walls more and more on a lean until you pop out at the top - but totally worth it!
Unfortunately, we ran out of time to see the beautiful Sistine Chapel, but I know I’ll be back again to see the rest of Rome, so I’ll add it to my list.
Next stop was down past the Castle of Saint Angelo to see the statued bridge ‘Ponte Saint Angelo’ and then into the bustling Piazza Navona. Where, most importantly, we had the yummiest gelato! But the piazza was quite nice too. Most famous for its fountains, the Piazza was full of people in the local markets: buying, selling, drawing, watching, sitting... and me: enjoying my gelato.
Carlo took me to see Camp de Fiori, which is now a fruit and
The Swiss Guards
Guarding one of the entrances to the Vatican vegetable market, but once had a more sinister past where executions took place - which explains the death statue in the middle!
We got one last look at the beautiful Trevi Fountain. If I ever own a house big enough, I want one of those in my back yard. But in the mean time, we had a proper look at the Spanish Steps and the square that surrounds it plus time for me to do some shopping!
We wandered down to see the Piazza del Popolo, The Square of the People, which is at the opposite end of Via del Corso to the Vittorio Emanuele Monument. We had just enough time to climb up to the lookout in the gardens above the Piazza, which was just another vantage point for seeing right across Rome, and to the Vatican City. But for this trip, that’s all we had time for… Our beautiful weekend chauffer Francesca dropped us back at the airport, and then it was back to London for Carlo and I. So until next time, Ciao.
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