Date with the Vatican

A couple of months ago I remember being sucked into the hype surrounding the inauguration of the newest Catholic Pope, Francis I. Personally, I have no strong connection to the Church so at the time it was a bit humorous for me to sit down in front of the TV and await the live-feed of the Pope's first appearance on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica. Little did I know at that time, by the end of May I myself would be standing in St Peter's Square looking up at that same balcony. Perhaps some things do not happen as coincidence because I even had the opportunity to see the Pope in person.

Accessing the Vatican during high tourist season is a nightmare. To enter the popular Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel you can face an average wait of three hours in a queue. I HIGHLY recommend buying tickets online first so that you can skip this hassle. Laura and I had the foresight to do just this, so our "date with the Vatican" was on May 23rd at 2pm. To ensure that our morning was productive, we walked across the city towards the Vatican and hit up a few highlights on the way.

Not a far distance from the main street Via Corso sits the ancient Roman temple, the Pantheon. This structure is the best preserved example of ancient Roman architecture, dating back to 118-125AD. The temple was built by Emperor Hadrian, but the still-visible inscription on the front is dedicated to his friend Marcus Agrippa. The massive entrance pillars guard great bronze doors which open on to an arched interior dome and central open skylight. If it rains the water runs into drains in the floor. The simple pattern of the dome makes a breathtaking and memorable impression. Until the 20th century is was the largest concrete dome in the world.

Of course, the Pantheon is yet another popular tourist spot in Rome. On my visit, the one thing I could think about was how amazing it would be to return to the Pantheon after hours, sit alone in the middle of the floor and look up at the sky through the oculus. Needless to say I did not get to do this; I did not make the right Italian friends.

Another street over from the Pantheon is the Piazza Navona which is a great place to go in search of street merchants selling art. I'm surprised I could drag Laura away. In the center of the Piazza is Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers (with yet another obelisk), and the baroque masterpiece Sant' Agnese of Agone Church, which was as beautiful on the inside as outside.

If you know me well enough, you know that Farmers' Markets are my "thing." They are also my sister's "thing." In fact, it is hard to be a member of my family without developing a strong attachment to markets. So what would a stop in Rome be without a market?? I'm sure there are several in the city, but we went to the highly recommended Campo de Fiori. The translation is "Flora's Courtyard," which is a bit strange considering the piazza used to be the site of public executions. The ominous hooded statue in the center depicts a monk who was burned at the stake. Nowadays, the market is cheery enough and bustling with chatting vendors and eager customers. A great place to pick up lunch!

Pasta above, olive oil below!

Such a tourist picture, map in hand.

 

After doing all this, we had to rush to the Vatican to make our 2pm "date." The Vatican Museums are a fabulous chronology of art throughout the ages, and an impressive display of the Church's wealth. We could have spent much of a day there, but despite its beauty I honestly could not get out fast enough because of the masses of people. Everyone is on a bee-line for the Sistine Chapel so it feels like you are being shuffled along surrounded by swarms of flies, and you can't swat them off because there are too many (plus it would be awfully rude). We trudged on regardless to see the statue gallery, Egyptian exhibit and Raphael rooms. These last rooms were used as the Papal apartment and elaborately decorated by Raphael and his pupils from 1508 to 1524.

 Two examples from the statue galleries.

 One of the marvellously decorated ceilings.

 A real, and very dead, mummy!

 Yet another gorgeous ceiling (you could get a sore neck looking up).

 An example of the art in the Raphael rooms (my apologies for the poor quality).

Look down to rest your neck and you also find gorgeous floors!

 

As if all of these treasures were not enough, you end your tour of the Vatican with the Sistine Chapel. What an incredible monument of art history. The entire room is painted in biblically-inspired frescoes designed by the great master Michelangelo in the 16th century. Incredibly, the artist felt subconscious in this project for he believed himself a better sculptor than painter. Awfully modest of him ... I can't even imagine envisioning an image of that large scale. The creation of the Chapel was challenging also because the frescoes were painted directly into the wet plaster on the wall to ensure their longevity. This technique meant that the paintings could only be created in small blocks at a time. Again, it would have been nice to revisit this place devoid of tourists to just sit and absorb its magnificence. And alas, pictures were not allowed.

No visit to the Vatican is complete without a walk through St Peter's Basilica, and for us this marked a memorable highlight of our trip. After waiting in another queue and passing through airport-like security, we were finally at the step of the greatest Cathedral in the world ... only to be escorted passed the entrance and out a side door. I mentioned to Laura, "Something is not right here," but we continued along with our assembled group outside the Church. Eventually we were led inside the church via a back door. We were standing awe-stuck at its beauty, snapping photos, when again we were herded towards a set of seats; an Italian attendant saying, "Sit, Sit!" Obediently Laura and I sat... Eventually another person in our tourist group had the mindset to ask what was going on. The Italian gentleman matter-of-factly stated, "In 45 minutes there will be a ceremony with the Pope and all the Bishops in Italy." Oh, alright then, I guess we'll stay for that.

We had somehow managed to accidentally stumble upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! I do not think I will have many chances to pray with the Pope (even if it was all in Italian and I could not understand). In the ceremony I enjoyed the music most of all. There was a boy/male choir accompanied by organ, and as you might expect they were of top-notch quality. Here are some pictures, again I apologize for the lacklustre quality but at least they prove I was there.

 The central dome.

 All the Italian Bishops.

 We sat very near the choir.

 Pope Francis I! 

 Looking towards the altar from the far end of the Church.

 At the far end of the Church.

 Where the Pope sat!

The magnificence of St Peter's from the entrance.

 

Of course I would not finish this blog post without pictures from outside the Cathedral as well.

 

 St Peter's Square, with yet another Obelisk.



Overlooking the Tiber River and Ponte Vittorio Emmanuele, with the Dome of St Peter's in the background.

 

I suppose you will not be surprised to find that by the time we returned to our hostel we had put in a 13 hour day. I'd say that is some exceptional tourist activity!

 

Ciao!

Shannon