I got one step closer to God last Thursday. Or at least I felt like it. I made a holy pilgrimage to the Vatican City, which ended up being one of the coolest experiences of my life. Pam and I wanted to avoid the crazy long lines that form during the day, so we got there by 8 a.m. and walked right in to St. Peter’s Basilica. Yes, we are hardcore. Check out the absense of people in the piazza at this ridiculously early time of day.
The basilica is an absolutely huge structure, easily twice the size of Notre Dame. And it is one of the most gorgeous buildings I have ever seen, with it’s walls and floors made of over 20 different kinds of marble. Unfortunately, the lighting didn’t make for good photos at all, so it’s definitely something you should try to see in person at least once in your life. One of the highlights for me was Michelangelo’s famous “Pieta” statue in one of the side chapels of the basilica.
There is also stairs in the middle leading downstairs to the point where St. Peter is buried. We did not have access to that, unfortunately, but being that close worked for me. We also explored the crypts of the basilica and stood literally feet away from where John Paul II is buried. It was a little surreal. At the Vatican, I was sure to buy some Holy Water. It ended up leaking a bit, leaving Pam and I with the question of what to do with leaked Holy Water…do you let it go down the sink? Try to get it back in the bottle? I’ll have to call the Pope for an answer, I guess.
Here's a cool picture looking out at the square from the basilica. Very rainy, but a little promise of sun. It never actually came, but it was a cool picture.
The Vatican Museums aren’t ajoined to the basilica, so we did have to wait in a long line to get in. Part of the Museums is the famous Sistine Chapel, the chapel where Michelangeo painted images of the Old Testament on all the walls and ceiling. It is an absolutely huge chapel, so you really understand and come to appreciate all those years Michelangelo spent painting on his back. And the artwork is incredible. We literally spent 15 minutes at least staring up at this ceiling. It was the only room where you couldn’t take photos, so I didn’t, though I probably could have gotten away with it just like hundreds of other tourists. I’ll post a better photo from online for you.
Also inside the museums were some amazing rooms painted by Raphael, including one of his most famous works “School of Athens.” I really enjoyed going through each of those rooms and learning a bit about each work. I think my mom would be proud of all the art history I’ve experienced while abroad.
Raphael's "School of Athens."
Again, here's the link to this Facebook album: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=37878783&l=12c7e&id=15921830.
It's definitely worth taking a look at because I've included a lot more information about each individual photo.
No comments:
Post a Comment