The Vatican

I'm not entirely sure why the Vatican gets its own post, but here goes.  A first time trip to Rome, cannot go without a tour of the Vatican.  We did an early morning tour to try and beat the massive crowds, but so did hundreds of others, so even with the early morning tour we still encountered pretty significant crowds that get bottlenecked in some of the narrow corridors. We did drive by massive waiting lines outside the Vatican though who were waiting for the general admission to open. Can't imagine how long those lines took. 

Our tour guide had an archeology background and was very informative, providing us with a good understanding of its history and the world renowned artists that created their masterpiece frescos on the walls and ceilings. The Vatican is an independent city-state within Rome situated on about 44-hectares and with a population of about 1,000. While we were touring around, I wondered if Pope Francis was "home" because he would have just conducted Christmas mass a few days prior, but alas we did not see him. 

Within Vatican City are the well known religious sites of St. Peter's Basilica approached from St. Peter's Square, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican museums. Our tour took us through many of the museums which are filled with world famous paintings, artwork and sculptures. I can't even fathom the monetary value of all the collections. The brilliance Raphael and Michelangelo is prominently on display. While as silently as possible (because talking is not allowed, but that didn't really stop anyone) walking through and standing in the Sistine Chapel, I was awestruck by the magnitude of Michelangelo's work, and his depiction of the Last Judgement behind the main alter; this work took him six years to complete. His sheer talent and vision of these masterpieces is beyond my comprehension. Interestingly, Michelangelo originally tried to turn down the commission because he felt he was more of a sculpture rather than a painter, but the Pope of the day would not allow that and gave him free reign on which Biblical scenes he would paint. It took him four years to complete the paintings on the ceiling. The frescoes on the southern wall depict stories of Moses, while the northern wall depict stories of Jesus.  



St. Peter's Basilica was equally impressive. Known as the largest church in the world, it is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. Named after Saint Peter, it is believed his remains are buried where the basilica now stands. There are also numerous popes buried beneath the basilica.

The church's dome is most impressive and is the tallest dome in the world. The interior of the church is beautifully decorated with intricate architectural detail, many masterpieces of artwork, prominent statues, and Latin inscriptions. There are numerous wings leading to different chapels where parishioners can worship. The main alter is covered by Bernini's magnificent four poster, solid bronze canopy standing 96 feet tall. 

While I truly enjoyed touring the Vatican, walking through the Vatican provided me with a better appreciation of humbleness. The public display of pomp and pageantry was a little much. It made me wonder if the Catholic church was still a little out of touch with ordinary people and if it couldn't have a better chance of connecting with people if it were a little less pretentious and more ordinary.