Regardless of your personal religious beliefs, Vatican City is well worth the time, energy, and sore feet. This was easily one of the most amazing places I have ever visited! One tip however: we chose the skip-the-line-guided-tour route and that was the best money we spent. We arrived bright an early, skipped the long lines and had a great tour guide. She kept saying how she had never been in the Vatican with so few people in it.
Vatican City is a walled enclave within Rome. It has an area of about 110 acres and a population of just over 800, making Vatican City the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population.
The Belvedere courtyard, designed by Donato Bramante from 1506 onwards.
The Belvedere courtyard was a major architectural work of the High Renaissance which influenced courtyard design throughout Western Europe for centuries.
The Colossal Head of Augustus inside the courtyard.
And in case you really didn't think it was colossal...
Today the lowest terrace is still called the Cortile del Belvedere but the separated upper terrace is called the Cortile della Pigna because of the large Roman bronze pinecone, once a fountain, positioned in front of the niche.
Egyptian Lion statue beside the pinecone thingie.
Huge metal sphere thingie by contemporary artist A. Pomodoro
Sarcophagus of Saint Helen, the mother of Emperor Constantine I
Pope Julius II founded the Vatican Museums in the early 16th century and can trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased 500 years ago:
The Laocoon sculpture which we did not actually see but now know is one of the most famous sculptures in the museum. D'oh!
The sculpture of Laocoön, the priest who, according to Greek mythology, tried to convince the people of ancient Troy not to accept the Greeks' "gift" of a hollow horse, was discovered in 1506, in a local vineyard. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo to examine the discovery and upon their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner and placed it on public display at the Vatican.
Artemis statue (we actually did see this one!) in the Gallery of the Candelabra
The Gallery of the Candelabra housed many, many cool sculptures, some dating from 3rd century BC.
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana.
So in the midst of all these amazing sculptures, the artwork on the walls and ceilings can be overshadowed. The Gallery was restored by Pope Leo XIII in 1883-7 and he commissioned the German artist Ludwig Seitz (1844-1908) to do some of the frescoes on the ceiling and walls.
“With the grace of God and the effort of will we obtain the excellence of virtue”.
Seitz, a German artist born in Rome, is responsible for the longest and most important series on the ceiling.The paintings are all derived from the ideas of Pope Leo XIII and his affinity for philosopher and theologian St Thomas Aquina.
In the middle of the ceiling, St Thomas is shown kneeling and offering his works to the Roman Catholic Church. Aristotle (representing Human Reason) is shown strengthened by the works of Aquinas.
Est rosarium præcipue implorando matris dei patrocinio adversus hostes catholici nominis institutum
Faith and Reason United, with St Thomas Aquinas teaching in the background.
Pope Leo III himself
The Gallery of Maps was commissioned in 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII and contains a series of painted topographical maps of Italy based on drawings by friar and geographer Ignazio Danti.
Notice how few people are inside with us. This is what is usually looks like:
photo credit
The gallery takes its name from the 40 maps frescoed on the walls, which represent the Italian regions and the papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585).
I think this was in the Gallery of Maps...
Raphael's rooms form a suite of four reception rooms, the public part of the papal apartments. They were originally intended as a suite of apartments for Pope Julius II. It was possibly Julius' intent to outshine the apartments of his predecessor (and rival) Pope Alexander VI, as the rooms are directly above Alexander's Borgia Apartment.
1.) Room of the Segnatura
Room of the Segnatura, this photo from wikipedia
The Room of the Segnatura contains Raphael’s most famous frescoes. Besides being the first work executed by the great artist in the Vatican they mark the beginning of the high Renaissance. Originally the room was used by Julius II as a library and private office and then later by Leo X as a small study and music room.
Within the Room of the Segnatura is Raphael’s the School of Athens, one of his most famous works of art. Gathered are all the great thinkers and scientists of ancient Greece. Socrates is far left, in olive green. Leonardo Da Vinci is portrayed as Plato (pointing up) and Aristotle, next to him, is pointing down.
Michelangelo is Heraclitus:
And Raphael painted himself as Apelles in on the far right with a black beret:
2.) Room of Heliodorus
Room of Heliodorus, photo from wikipedia
Room of Heliodorus: The Deliverance of Saint Peter
Room of Heliodorus, ceiling
3.) Room of the Fire in the Borgo
Room of Fire in the Borgo, photo from wikipedia
At the time of Pope Leo X (1513 to1521) the Fire in the Borgo room was used as a dining room and the task of frescoing the walls was assigned to Raphael who entrusted a large part of the work to his students.
The Fire in the Borgo
The fire in the borgo, ceiling
4.) Room of Constantine
The Room of Constantine, which takes its name from Constantine (306-337 AD), the first Christian emperor to officially recognize the Christian faith.
The Battle of the Milvian Bridge
Room of Constantine, ceiling
Room of Constantine
Detail from the ceiling of the Room of Constantine
Well, we weren't allowed to take photos of the Sistine Chapel, so you'll just have to trust me when I tell you it was breathtaking.
The Borgia Apartment was adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI and the paintings and frescoes (1492 and 1494) inside celebrated the supposedly divine origins of the Borgias.
Original blue Spanish tiles from the Borgia period.
Saint Gregory the Illuminator
In the Middle Ages pilgrims who reached Rome, touched and kissed the foot of this statue of St. Peter and asked that he be merciful and open the gates of heaven for them if they died during their pilgrimage. Some scholars have attributed it to Arnolfo di Cambio (1245-1302). (You can see these feet has seen some action- they're worn thin!)
"Santa Veronica Ierosolymitana" which means "Saint Veronica of Jerusalem".
As the story goes, St. Veronica was in the crowds that lined the streets as Jesus, carrying his cross, made his way to Calvary. Veronica broke through the soldiers and managed to wipe his face with her veil and when she looked at it afterwards, the face of Christ was miraculously imprinted on the veil.
Saint Peter's Basilica (1506-1626) is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter. He was, of course, one of the twelve apostles but also, according to tradition, the first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession.
Saint Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. Bert keeps telling people that you could fly a Cessna inside there and it's true. The thing is huge! And let me tell you if you want to get a view like this one it'll almost kill you.
To get to the top of the dome you can take the stairs (all 491 of them) or an elevator part way and then only take 320 steps. We opted for the latter thinking, sure, we're fit...
Not.
In some spots, the spiral staircase is so narrow and slanted that there’s only room for one person at a time to climb. There are people in front of you and a 75 year old lady right behind you breathing down your neck and there's no place to step aside and rest if you're having heart palpitations like me. AND it was the perfect time to polish all the brass in the building creating some scary fumes...
But at least I lived to see the view!
The Vatican Gardens account for more than half of the Vatican's territory. Established during the Renaissance and Baroque era, they are decorated with fountains and sculptures. The gardens date back to medieval times when orchards and vineyards extended to the north of the palace.
Swiss Guards in their traditional uniform
And as we left we had to get the obligatory shot of the Swiss Guard! They must get sick of goofy tourists taking their picture.
Popes recruited Swiss mercenaries as part of an army, the Pontifical Swiss Guard , which was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506. As the personal bodyguards of the Pope, all recruits must be Catholic, unmarried males between the ages of 19 and 30 with Swiss citizenship who have completed their training with the Swiss Army with certificates of good conduct, and be at least 5' 9" in height. I just wonder about those outfits...
Well, you have weathered the longest post evah. You stuck it out. You saw it through. And we're not even through my Rome photos yet!
