Sept. 25, 2018
Wow, just wow! There is way too much to see in the city of Rome. We had two days here and of course wished for more time. I can not remember exactly which photos go with with museum. I did my best to compare photos with a booklet I purchased. Our first stop was The Vatican. For some reason I had not remembered that it is a independent city-state, until the guide had mentioned that fact. The Pope is head of the state. The Vatican Museums are filled with unbelievable art and sculptures.
Raphael’s Room was once the private room of Pope Julius II. The photos simply do not do any justice to the sheer beauty seen in person. There is an entire room dedicated to Raphael. He was working on a piece call the “Transfiguration” in 1520 when he died. It remains unfinished.
The Map Gallery contains 40 maps painted for Pope Gregory XIII between 1580 – 1583. These maps show the regions of Italy and the Church’s possessions. Personally, I only enjoyed the ceiling.
Sistine Chapel
The Chapel was built by Giovannino de’ Dolci per the request of Pope Sixtus IV. The Chapel is still where the cardinals elect the new Pope.
The above painting was completed by Michelangelo between 1536 – 1541 and many believe it to be his greatest masterpiece, the “Last Judgement”.
St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s was built in 324 by the Emperor Constantine, on the exact spot where the Holy Apostle was martyred and his remains are buried there. It has 5 naves, 44 altars, 11 domes, 778 columns, 395 statues and 135 mosaics. The steps that lead to St. Peter’s were built using the travertine marble from the Colosseum.
The Colosseum
The monumental amphitheatre was established in 80 bc. It could hold 50,000 spectators. The design itself has inspired practically all modern stadiums to date. It had 80 entrances allowing for easy access. Spectators were divided by class and gender and had reserved sections. The lower class had, you guessed it, the nosebleed section, wealthy were in the middle and the knights were closer to the arena. The wooden arena is gone and now you can see underground tunnels.
No Ordinary Trip 