Menu
Rome and the Vatican
Because we had been to Rome before, we decided to spend the entire day at the Vatican Museums. It wasn't enough... |
|
 |
 |
| Of course, everywhere you look there are incredible works of art. This statue of the River Nile is only one of many in the Greco-Roman statuary hall. | The buildings themselves are works of art, regardless of the contents. This is the 19th-century Braccio Nuovo. |
 |
 |
| The reflective Gazing Ball in the courtyard seemed oddly modern in an otherwise pre-modern complex. | In walking through the galleries it was also important to look up to see the amazing artwork on the ceilings. |
 |
 |
| While the floors are all inlaid in marble and other materials, artworks like this ancient mosaic are also integrated into the pattern. | A detail of a ceiling showing the tremendous complexity of this type of work. |
 |
 |
| Multiple paintings fill the spaces. | The overall effect. The plain walls provide a nice contrast. |
 |
 |
| Raphael's School of Athens, probably the most famous painting in the collection (not counting the frescos in the Sistine Chapel). One of Pat's favorite paintings and she was thrilled to see it in person. | Less well known and more dramatic is the Fire at the Borgo also by Raphael, on another wall. This fire, in 847 AD, was miraculously extinguished by the benediction of Pope Leo IV. |
 |
 |
| In this cafeteria (photographed from the door), you need to go all the way to the far end of the counter to order and pay for your food and then work your way back along the glass to get your food. Only in Italy... | St. Peter's Square. |
 |
 |
| The interior of St. Peter's. | The Pietà --now kept behind glass after a madman tried to destroy it with a sledgehammer. |
? |
|
| No Sistine Chapel? No, photography is not allowed. Both of us were amazed, however, at what a change the restoration had made. | |