Angels and Demons...Off to see the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel...or not!

Sunday Jan 26, 2014

Today is the last Sunday of the month, and on the last Sunday of the month the Vatican Museums are open to the public free of charge, so it seemed like a good time to try and visit.  Maybe not so.  When we arrived shortly after 9AM, it appears several 1000 people had the same idea.  The lineup was from the Museum entrance all the way down and around the \vatican walls as far as the colonnade at St Peter's Square.  It was going to take an hour to an hour and a half just to make it to the doors, then we would have had to contend with the crowds inside and have at best 3 hours to see things, as they close at 2 PM.  In the past we have taken anywhere from 4 to 6 hours to tour the buildings.  Soooo.....we abandoned that plan and headed straight into St Peter's Basilica, which Rheaume and Cheryl had not been in yet.

Here are some pictures from inside the basilica.

Columns at entrance to St Peter's

Main altar St Peter's

Michelangelo's Pieta

The dome of St Peter's

One of the many papal crypts inside St Peter's - they run the gamut from very plain burials beneath the floor of St Peter's to very elaborate with lots of symbolism - this could be described as one of the average ones

this is one of many large pictures in the basilica - it was originally a painting but has been painstakingly recreated in mosaic - this makes them easier to maintain and the colour remains crisp and vibrant - where a painting would become discoloured and faded

this is a closeup of the foot in the lower left corner above, showing all the little pieces of ceramic that make up the picture.  When you are standing in front of it, you do not see this detail - it just looks painted

Then Rheaume and Cheryl made the trek up to the top of the dome where you can get a panoramic view of the city.  The weather was holding, the sun was shinning, so a perfect time to go up.  Bill and I did not go up, too many stairs - you either can walk up 500 plus stairs or take an elevator part way and walk the last 320 stairs.  Rheaume and Cheryl took the latter option.  They said that as you got closer to the top the stairwell got narrower and narrower and the steps got shorter and shorter.  As it is a dome, the stairwell also followed the curvature of the dome so had an inward tilt to it.  It was all enclosed so there was no fear of going over the edge.  They set the trek was worth every step they had to climb.

When they got to the base of the dome they were able to look down into the church.  Here are a couple of pictures.

Looking down from the base of the dome into the church - this was a service going on behind the big main altar - it gives great perspective on how high above the floor you actually are.

On top of the roof - still 320 stairs to climb to get on top of the dome.

Looking down on to St Peter's square, the colonnade and out to Castel Sant'Angelo

In the center of the picture is the fortified wall that connects the Sistine Chapel to Castel Sant'Angelo

Looking down into the Vatican gardens

While they were gone, Bill and I were talking to one of the guards who said the Pope would be appearing at noon to give his blessing.  This was just about the time Rheaume and Cheryl were due down.  While we were waiting, there were large crowds of people gathering in one area of the square, many carrying banners that indicated it was probably a peace rally of some type.  There were speeches going on and lots of music being played, it was pleasant to just sit in a sheltered spot feeling the sun beat down and listen to all the activities.

While we were standing there outside I kept noticing people giving me some strange looks - do you think this might be why?

Footwear worn by others - more winter like

 My choice of footwear - a little too summery maybe?

Rheaume and Cheryl arrived back down just before noon, and we were just heading down from the Basilica, when a cheer went up and we knew the Pope had appeared somewhere.  We finally figured out where he was, but could not see him, unless we looked on the jumbo tron.  There was a young female who spoke with him as well.  We found out later that it was a youth rally for peace and that at some juncture in the address, the Pope and a young girl and boy had released two white doves.

What happened next was fairly disturbing though.  No sooner had the doves been released than a crow and a seagull started attacking them.  They both seem to have survived, but took a beating in the process.  Here are some pictures that were posted on a news feed that show what took place.

After this we headed off to lunch, it rained while we were having lunch, and then the sun broke thru again.  We have been very fortunate with our weather.  It has not been too cool, the rain, for the most part, has happened overnight, or like today while we are taking a break, so we have been able to wandering around outside a lot.

From lunch we headed back across the river to visit Castel Sant'Angelo.  It was initially commissioned by the Roman emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family about 130 AD.  The building was later used by the popes as a home, a fortress, a prison, a castle and now a museum.  The Castel was once the tallest building in Rome.  For devotees of the Dan Brown thriller "Angels and Demons", you will be familiar with this building.  Since the 14th century there has been a covered fortified passage at the top of a wall that connects the castle to the Sistine Chapel.

bridge over the Tiber river heading to Castel Sant'Angelo

the Castel Sant'Angelo

More stairs to climb!!!

We stand on guard for thee

Made it to the top of yet another stairwell

looking out from Castel Sant'Angelo with the Pantheon in the center and the church
in front of our building in the background

this fellow on the top of the Castel Sant'Angelo was attracting as much attention as anything else

Looking down onto the bridge - note all the souvenir sellers lined up on both sides 

The angel on the top of the castel

Visit completed it was now time to head home launch our own attack on some rum and wine.

Happy with her cappuccino

Sitting back, relaxing, reading about what has been seen

Continuing on to the Palantine Hill

Saturday Jan 25. 2014

The weather continues to hold today, sunny, 0% chance of rain.  So we are off to finish the Colosseum /Forum complex by visiting the Palatine Hill.  The Palatine Hill is the center most of the seven hills of Rome and is one of the most ancient parts of the city. Evidence of settlements dating back to 1000 BC have been found.  It  stands 40 meters above the Roman Forum, looking down on it on one side and on to Circus Maximus on the other. It is purported to be the place where Romulus and Remus were found in a cave being suckled by a she wolf.  Rome is named after Romulus.  Because of this connection, it was deemed to be an important place and this is where the Emperor Augustus built his large complex.  

Some pictures from the ruins on the Palatine hill, where there were at least two large houses, those of Augustus and his wife Livia, several apartments, a large pool, a stadium, at least 3 temples, an auditorium, and several smaller buildings.

Service rooms, possibly barracks - purportedly Emperor Caligula was murder in one of the rooms

Looking down onto the Roman Forum from the Palatine Hill

Orange trees on the Palatine Hill, try as they may , the fellows could not reach them to get a sample.

A palm tree and a prairie girl

View down onto the Roman Forum

View down onto the Roman Forum

A bell tower in the Roman Forum - little dots of colour all
up the tower are actually pieces of plate like colored ceramics

 After our visit to the Palatine Hill we went to a little restaurant that I had read about that was supposed to have good food at a reasonable price and inexpensive wine, and it was just down the street from our apartment.  It is called Chattanooga, a very American name for an Italian restaurant.  Imagine our surprise when we got in there and found that the lady who owned it had been running a little sandwich shop right next to our apartment when we were here.  She did not at first recognize us, but when we explained that we had spent 3 months here 2 years ago, you could see the light go on and she remembered us.  She used to sell these great porchetta sandwiches.  She must be doing reasonably well because this is a much bigger establishment.  She had a rather extensive menu, but unfortunately many of the items were not available the day we were there.  What we did have was good and at 4 Euros a bottle the wine was inexpensive and good.  We will return.

After this late lunch, we went for a stroll around the neighbourhood and to a street market that is set up everyday except Sunday, about a 3 blocks from the apartment.  We bought a few small things and became skilled at deflecting all the items offered for sale, even though the prices were being continually lowered in order to encourage us to buy something, anything.  The fellows were closing up shop for the day, a cold wind had started to blow, and the just wanted to make one more sale.

We continued our stroll and returned home for the evening.  Cheryl and I prepared a pasta supper, from left over meats we had.  It turned out not too bad.  We enjoyed some wine and some rum and were off to bed to rest for our trip to the Vatican Museums in the morning.

On strike?, or not on strike?, that is the question

Friday Jan 24, 2014

Well, according to everything I have read, there is to be a bus strike today.   So we saved going to the Colosseum until today as it is only about a 15 minute walk away.  An the walk is all downhill.  Cheryl and Rheaume are quickly learning that Rome is built on a series of hills, and like the old adage that we used to hear as kids from our parents about going to school and it being uphill both ways, so seems any walking that you do in Rome, It is always uphill no matter whether you are coming or going!

So off to the coliseum we head this morning.  Our weather has been sporadic so far,  with mixed sun and rain and lots of periods of grey.  The temperature has stayed steady between 10 and 12 degrees.  Today is starting out bright and sunny so that is a good start to a day that will be spent outside exploring ruins.

First stop of the day is San Clemente Church.  This is an 11th Century basilica built over top a 4th century basilica built over top of a 1st century pagan temple and street with  houses and a spring fed well that runs still today.  Various excavations over the years since the mid 19th century have lead to the discovery of the two older structures.  I find it interesting when reading the history of many of the churches in Rome, how many of the were built over top of places of pagan worship.  Was it because they were already felt to be a spiritual place or was it almost as an insult to the pagan believers to not only outlaw their beliefs (in the 3rd century Constantine decreed that Christianity would be the spiritual beliefs to be followed and pagan beliefs were outlawed) but to completely take over place of worship as well.  Even St Peter's Basilica is built on a site of pagan worship.  History is fascinating, isn't it!

I am sorry we have no pictures as they are not allowed, but I have gone on line and gleaned a few good ones to represent what we saw.

Inside 11th Century Basilica

the remains of a 4th Century fresco 

some of the floor of the 4th century basilica

    

1st century pagan temple or Mythrium

    

Next we finally made the Colosseum.

schematic showing how the coliseum was structured

? explaining the finer details of ???

inside the coliseum at last

partially reconstructed floor of the coliseum showing the
 underground cages etc. in the background

comparing head sizes

Rider Nation is alive and well in Rome 

Inside tiers 

underground areas where animals would be caged

Now on to the Roman Forum

Roadway typical of the time of Julius Cesar

impressed by the grandeur of it all

On the Via sacra into the Roman Forum

Roman Forum

Roman Forum

Church at the top of a hill, after we had all ready just
 climbed  another hill to get here.  We did not make the
trek up to this one

Our final sight of the day was a stop in front of the Italian Parliament building, some times referred to as the "Wedding Cake" or the "Typewriter" because of it's resemblense to those two objects.

The weather held all day, about 10 degrees with a light breeze, so really nice for wandering around outside.