Basilico di San Pietro/St. Peter's Basilica

Tour Day 2: Free Time & Exploring!

We had the morning free to explore on our own, sleep in, or whatever else we wished to do. At breakfast, I talked with a few others about going back to take pictures without all of the unseasonably large amounts of tourists (this is the first year many countries have been allowed to travel internationally since 2019/2020, so we had peak season crowds in late October!). It was fun taking them back through various areas and seeing the difference between the previous day and this morning. Vespas were everywhere in this city, which made me wonder about someday having one back home or renting one to explore Italy the next time I am here. Zoom!

To say that Vespas were popular would be an understatement! They could be found throughout Rome.

The Spanish Steps earlier in the day provide a far less crowded experience.

Tour Day 2: St. Peter's Basilica

The only day we were told we would wait in line as there are no tickets to enter Vatican City, though they did move quickly! Entry through the largest doors I've ever seen leads you into St. Peter's Basilica. The scope and size are pretty breathtaking. Michelangelo's Pietà was moving to the point of bringing tears to one tour member. While others were simply taking a quick picture and moving on, this sculpture is worth taking time to absorb between the death of Jesus and the tenderness of Mary holding her son, the Savior of the world, after his death on the cross. You can see she does not know what is to come with the resurrection of Christ and her grief is palatable. Even in the darkest moments when the light of goodness appears extinguished, there is still hope!

Michelangelo's Pietà was moving to the point of bringing tears to one tour member. While others were simply taking a quick picture and moving on, this sculpture is worth taking time to absorb between the death of Jesus and the tenderness of Mary holding her son, the Savior of the world, after his death on the cross. You can see she does not know what is to come with the resurrection of Christ and her grief is palatable. Even in the darkest moments when the light of goodness appears extinguished, there is still hope!

Pay attention to the many different types of entryways in the basilica. Turn right from Michelangelo's masterpiece, La Pieta, and you see the sealed Holy Door that only the pope goes through every 25 years (left). The main doors (middle) are works of art in and of themselves without any duplication of scenes depicted. The vast outer passage (right) has intricately detailed ceilings, marble floors, and queues of pilgrims waiting to enter St. Peter's.

Tour Day 2: Vatican Museums

We then went onto the Vatican Museums where we were met by our energetic and thoroughly delightful local tour guide, Alessandra Mazzoccoli, and a few tour members who had spent the morning elsewhere (yes, you can opt out of various aspects of the tour if you wish for any reason...it's your vacation!). We started with an area where statues were displayed. These are the very statues that significantly informed sculpture throughout the Renaissance as the masters came to study at the Vatican. A good example of this is Laocoön and His Sons. The map rooms (more like very large, long hallways) were impressive in that they are mostly frescoes of the previous understandings of the world.

It is hard to know where to look in the Vatican Museums. Blink and you will miss incredible floor mosaics or masterpiece frescos. Details are profuse throughout like this lapiz mural (left), which was exceedingly expensive due to lapiz's rare nature at that time; the color holds true even today. The fresco (middle) is one of many scenes along a long corridor that would be easy to miss while walking into the next room. The Sala a Croce Greca mosaic floor (right) is so intricately details with tiny pieces, it looks like a painting.

This is where having a background of being well read in the classics and knowledgeable about the Bible as well as mythology is very, very helpful. Without it, you may not have context for what you are seeing and not appreciate it to the same extent. I know this was very true for my group! Those of us who are Christians explained the imagery throughout the trip in various artwork. I also did the same for mythology. So, read up, my friends! Whether or not you agree with the viewpoints, you expand your world and will enhance your understanding of the past as well as the present.

We had to move at a faster clip due to being one of the last tour groups to enter the Vatican for the day as we hoped to have ample time in the penultimate experience: the Sistine Chapel. Not only does it tell the history of the world from the creation of Adam & Eve to the resurrection of Christ, but it also is where the papal conclaves are held to select the next pope. It is quite the amazing history and feat of art. Michelangelo used the fresco technique, which involves painting watercolors onto wet plaster. The paint is absorbed into the plaster, which renders it just as vibrant today as when it was painted. Only small sections to be accomplished each day and he grew disgusted with his own work once halfway through, adjusting his details, sizing, etc. Yet, it looks cohesive to the untrained eye when entering. The room was very crowded and overly warm and there are no pictures allowed, so I embraced the freedom of no technology and stared at the ceiling and walls in awe.

One of many incredible views while entering the Vatican Museums. St. Peter's Basilica is straight ahead along with a stone pine tree (AKA umbrella pine), which are found throughout Rome. Their branches naturally fall off to form this iconic shape.

Friends who had known each other since kindergarten let me join them for dinner tonight. This was yet another instance where basic Italian came handy. Most restaurant staff will speak enough English for you to communicate efficiently with them (and most have English translations for menus these days; it does not mean a restaurant is inauthentic as it did in the past). However, our table's server did not speak any English. I cannot blame him as we were visiting his country, not the other way around! One of my companions repeated her order several times as he appeared to not understand what she was saying, but it was lost in translation as his confusion was around what appeared to be her ordering multiple of the same thing! A quick, but broken use of Italian on my part cleared things up and we happily dined while sharing a bottle of wine!

Andiamo a Antica Roma!