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Published: July 17th 2008
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The Vatican City, known as the Holy See is a sovereign city-state that came into existence in 1929. It is ruled by the Pope and is the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church. The city itself is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. Approximately 110 acres and with a population of around 800, it is the smallest independent state in the world. The Pope has absolute monarchy over the Vatican; meaning, he has total legislative, executive and judicial power.
Every Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI gives his weekly service in Saint Peter’s Square around 9.30 am. I knew this and wanted to go, as it was a Wednesday. But again, I want to do “everything”, while Rajesh doesn’t. He didn’t want to be mobbed just for a glimpse of the Pope from far away seats and hence, we didn’t.
The Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums) displays works from the extensive collection of the Roman Catholic Church. The museums were founded in the 16th century by Pope Julius II. The museum is world famous for housing five hundred year-old art and sculpture collections, commissioned, collected and preserved during the ages by Roman Pontiffs. The lines outside the museum were
very, very, VERY long; it started from way beyond the Vatican City’s walls, and people spilled on the streets. Upon enquiring, we learnt that the wait to get in was 1.5 hours and the museum tour was for 5 hours. My sole interest in the museums was Michelangelo’s Sistine chapel, but even for that we didn’t want to wait that long.
We walked along the city walls; past the Swiss guards clothed in traditional costumes designed by Michelangelo into St. Peter’s square. There was a line to get into the St. Peter’s Basilica. But the wait wasn't at all tiresome and the line kept moving very fast. We seemed to be on a musical journey while waiting in line. Numerous little street kids gave their renditions of Italian oldies on worn guitars with no more than 2 strings left, begging for "donations" to supplement their gum-spending money. They were more than happy to fill in any customer requests belting songs out from the top of their lungs, a little comical, some serious talent, and a whole lot of fun.
Entrance into the basilica was free, but there was a strict and elaborate dress code. In short, no skimpy
clothes! A tour guide told his tour group that the building ahead of us was the Pope’s residence, known as the Apostolic Palace. The popes lived a luxurious and wealthy life. Their chambers are decorated and furnished like an emperor’s. Aren’t they supposed to lead a simple and Spartan life dedicating themselves to God and service for the people?
The very same Indian tour group we had seen at the Piazza Navona went past us, gaping around as usual, cutting through the line to a special entrance for tour groups. I realized that I hadn’t bumped into a lot of Indians during our trip, so far. While every tourist place in the US is filled with Indians - Niagara Falls, New York city, Boston and even Lake George in summer, there were hardly any in Europe. But again, Europe was filled with American tourists of all ages - students backpacking after graduation, honeymooning couples, nuclear families, middle-aged retirees and even odd ones like us.
St.Peter’s Basilica is the largest Catholic Church in the world. It occupies a unique position as one of the holiest sites and as the greatest of all churches of Christendom. Over one hundred years
of design and building went into the structure, along with thousands of works of art. Michelangelo redesigned the dome, the largest dome in the world, taking into account all that had gone before. The interior, which includes 45 altars, is decorated by many famous artists. We saw some of the beautiful and famous works in the church - the Pietà by Michelangelo, the papal altar by Bernini, the Throne of St. Peter also by Bernini and the Monument to the Stuarts by Canova.
It is traditionally the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. We walked around another passageway that led us to the Tombs of the Popes. Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter's tomb is below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes, starting with the first ones, have been buried there. The former deceased Pope John Paul II held prime spot decorated in gold and glitz. No photographs inside!
We walked out of the Vatican and strolled on the street beyond St. Peter’s square that sold all possible religious souvenirs. A guy with flyers invited us to dine at a pizzeria in an alley
adjoining the Vatican. We decided to check it out and walked into a totally unwelcoming and indifferent atmosphere. Zero diners, waiters who looked like mafia and the woman behind the bar with a sour “why did you come here?” expression! We walked out as soon as we walked in and grasped the ambience. We sat in a sidewalk café facing the Vatican and ordered our last pizza in Italy, followed by the ever-delicious Tiramisu and the ever-aromatic cappuccino. Our cheerful waitress was American, a young girl, probably a student and the service was QUICK!
Wine is the cheapest drink in Europe. Water and soda cost almost the same. People smoked and drank in ALL public places freely. There were no non-smoking seats in restaurants. In London, Rajesh asked for non-smoking seats because the restaurant was smoke-filled and suffocating and the waiter looked at us as though we had descended from Mars. Having learnt an early lesson, we refrained from asking such “stupid” questions. Each prime area had sex-shops selling weird stuff and nude mannequins in their glass show cases. And the irony that the European people think of US as a loose country with no boundaries and lack of
moral values made no sense to me!
I sipped my cappuccino and watched nuns walk past; many Indian nuns too. They looked like cute little penguins waddling in their grey costumes. I loved the numerous scooters in the Roman roads and the heavy, unruly discipline-free traffic, reminded me of India. We even saw a Srilankan restaurant selling “kothu porotta” in a gali, near the Vatican!
The Vatican City was no doubt glorious and impressive; and I was sad to have skipped the Sistine Chapel. We went to our hotel to claim our baggage before proceeding to the train station to board our night train to Vienna. An American boy, Mark, sat in the lobby eating fast-food from Mc Donald’s and drawing the Sistine Chapel as he had seen it. He told me that his mom had let him draw the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling of his bedroom in Miami; on the condition that he practiced it and got it right on paper first. I was really impressed with Mark’s drawing skills and complimented him. He was chatty when he learnt I was from New York and told me that his best friend who went to boarding school
with him was from Albany, NY. I felt glad to have seen the Sistine Chapel through the eyes of a 12 year old boy.
It was time to leave and I promised myself to visit Italy again, not Rome, not Venice. But Florence, Tuscany, Sicily, Naples and the beautiful Amalfi coast…
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Dennis
non-member comment
popes residence
peace and tranquility.