Day 5: September 9

It’s Monday, and we’re off to see the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Holy Money, Popeman! The tickets to see the Musei Vaticani cost 20 Euros each. Not too much when you consider all the fabulous works of art within its walls. 

Our first three hours were spent inside the main Vatican Museum, containing dozens of galleries with works extending from the ancient Etruscans through the 19th century.

Ross was having a field day – sort of.  He was anxious to photograph many of the works on exhibit. We would walk into a small living-room-sized gallery featuring three or four paintings by one particular artist. Ross would prep and aim his camera, only to have a tour group of 30 to 40 people barge in. They would totally block our view of the art, and some would actually push us aside! This happened several times, but Ross was still able to photograph a number of the great works.

As we ended our walk through the galleries' exhibits, we – and about a hundred others – headed to the Sistine Chapel. Who wouldn’t want to view all the wonderful murals and frescoes of Michelangelo and other artists? The security guards did not want anyone to view them up close. We had no actual entry into the Chapel proper; only the walkway at the rear upper level. Photography was not allowed. The frescoes had gone through a period of restoration from 1980 through 1994. The original colors were revealed and restored, making the works much more alive. So yes, I can understand wanting to keep them protected. But no photographs? Flashes supposedly would damage them. Apparently, so would a bunch of people breathing. “Move on. Move it along. Nothing to really see here.”  Drat.

A brief lunch in the Museum cafeteria (some rude servers!), then on to St. Peter’s Basilica. The outdoor line went all the way around the north half of the Colonnade; but it moved fairly rapidly, and we gained entrance within 20 minutes. Talk about huge! St. Peter’s is the largest church in the world. How does it compare to other famous cathedrals? A walk down the center aisle reveals the comparative sizes. There are mosaic markers on the floor indicating the lengths of those cathedrals, measuring from the western end of the Basilica.

Ross could take pictures! We could breathe inside the Basilica! But please don’t talk loudly. Such admonitions were broadcast about every ten minutes. And you had to cover your shoulders and legs. We did see some young girls wearing light blue covers, provided to them at the entrance doors.

Including the main altar and its over-the-top Baldacchino, there are 22 altars in the Basilica. Scores of statues surround the interior, along the walls and against some of the columns at the apse.  The most famous work of art is on the north side, inside the main entrance to the Basilica. It is Michelangelo’s early Pieta. It is protected by thick bulletproof plexiglass, having been vandalized in 1972 by a nutcase claiming to be Jesus Christ. 

If you look closely, you can see that the tip of Mary’s nose is a little lighter in color than the rest of the statue. 

Ross clicked, moved a little, clicked again, moved, clicked again, and again, and again, and... 

After a break back at our B&B, we ventured out in search of a good place to eat. The main drag from St. Peter's is Via Della Conciliazione. We turned left at Via Pupazzi, and noticed a few canopied dining sites down the block. We checked the menus provided on the sidewalks by each ristorante, and chose Tre Pupazzi Ristorante Pizzeria. Ross ordered Fettucini Tartufo, and I ordered Nordic Salad. For dessert Ross picked Creme Caramel, and I picked Mousse Cioccolato. Bottom line? Molto delizioso all around! A perfect ending to the day.