On our second day in Rome, we left early to go to the Vatican Museums hoping to avoid a long line-up. However, arriving an hour before they opened, we were far from the first people to arrive. But the line did move quickly once the doors were opened.
The museums were founded between 1775 and 1799. There are thirteen museums in the complex consisting of a huge collection of art amassed by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the years which includes classical sculptures and masterpieces of the Renaissance. It is believed that the sculpture of Laocoon, purchased five hundred years ago, was the beginning of the public opening of the Museums. Laocoon is the priest who, according to history, predicted Ulysses' use of the Trojan Horse. They celebrated their five hundred year anniversary in October, 2006.
Besides paintings, sculptures and antiquities, there is the red marble papal throne, tombstones, inscriptions, the Gallery of Maps and many, many frescoes. There is the Gregorian Egyptian with Egyptian statues and mummies from around 1,000 BC, the Vatican Pinacoteca, a newer museum, which wasn't opened until 1932, featuring paintings from the 12th to 19th centuries, the Chapel of Beato Angelico, the four rooms known as the Stanze of Raphael featuring works by that artist, the Borgia Apartment, the Collection of Modern Religious Art, the Christian, Profane and Missionary-Ethnological Museum, the Chariot Room, the Immaculate Conception and Sobieski Rooms, Etruscan Museum, Gallery of the Candelabra, Apartment of Pius, and other areas having collections of ancient Roman and Greek art with replicas of Greek statues. One museum contains mainly tapestries and mosaics and there are galleries of busts, amazing paintings and carved Roman baths as well as the Vatican Courtyards. Most of the ceilings are covered with paintings and decorated with marble and inlay is often on the floors. There are more than 70,000 pieces of art on exhibit with another 50,000 pieces preserved in vaults and storerooms.
The entire museum is an incredible stroll through history. But the highlight is, without a doubt, the Sistine Chapel with the ceiling painted by Michelangelo. Although he considered himself to be a sculptor and was not happy to paint the Sistine Chapel, it is considered one of his best works. He worked on it between 1508 and 1512. His painting of The Last Judgment on the alter wall was done while he was in his sixties.
It was so crowded when we were in the area of the Sistine Chapel that if someone fainted, they'd never hit the floor. Security people were everywhere ensuring that people were quiet. As you exit this area, you go down one of the world's most famous staircases, the Simonetti Staircase. Made of bronze, it is decorated with the papal coat of arms.
It is impossible to see everything in one day and I'm sure there were many areas we missed entirely. One reviewer said it could take two or even twenty visits to the museums to really see all there is to enjoy.
From the museums you can walk around the outside wall and go to St. Peter's Basilica. The original basilica fell into disrepair and a new one was built and consecrated by the pope in 1626. This church is enormous with 45 alters and is the most well-known work of Renaissance architecture. St. Peter's Basilica is incredibly opulent; its interior decorated with marble, sculptures, artwork and gilding. It holds the tombs of 91 popes, dignitaries and that of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and the first Pope of Rome. St. Peter's tomb, according to legend, is buried beneath the high alter.
After leaving the Vatican City, we continued our stroll around Rome. It is a city that you want to keep exploring to see as much as you can. But eventually it was time to return to our accommodations. It had been another long and very interesting day.
On our third day in Rome, we planned to take an all-day tour to Pompeii so we would be seeing nothing more in this city where there is so much to see and enjoy. Rome has something for every taste with its art, culture and history.
No comments:
Post a Comment