On our third and final day in Rome we we decided to visit the country within a country, Vatican City.
We had not planned anything, just really wanted to see Michelangelo's famous fresco in the Sistine Chapel. However as we walked towards the only open border of the City-State, we found out that some old guy was giving an audience, which the Pope does every Wednesday and Sunday.
We were told that he usually gives the audience in front of St Peter's Basilica and as such the Basilica would be closed until after 1pm.
Time was of the essence as we had to catch a train in the afternoon to Florence. We decided to sign up to a tour which would lead us the quickest way through the museum to the Sistine Chapel while stopping at various important works along the way and also gave us tickets to the audience (which we could attend prior to the tour).
We soon found out that because the Pope is old and it was warm that day, that he would be giving the audience in a different place and so the Basilica was actually open. regardless we joined the many others to hear the Pope speak. He talks for 3 hours in 5 languages, we only listened to the first part which we think was in Latin.
We joined our guided tour and headed into the Vatican Museum and headed towards the Sistine Chapel.
Along the way we were shown many pieces of artwork.
Eventually we came to what everyone else had come to see. We headed down the stairs and then under the instruction of our guide and all the guide books, we headed to the other end before looking up. This way we would see the fresco the way that Michelangelo had intended and the way the Pope sees it every morning. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel but Chris did along with many others.
The tour was now over and the time for our next train was fast approaching but we had one more stop. We exited the secret door and entered St Peter's Basilica.
We had not planned anything, just really wanted to see Michelangelo's famous fresco in the Sistine Chapel. However as we walked towards the only open border of the City-State, we found out that some old guy was giving an audience, which the Pope does every Wednesday and Sunday.
We were told that he usually gives the audience in front of St Peter's Basilica and as such the Basilica would be closed until after 1pm.
Time was of the essence as we had to catch a train in the afternoon to Florence. We decided to sign up to a tour which would lead us the quickest way through the museum to the Sistine Chapel while stopping at various important works along the way and also gave us tickets to the audience (which we could attend prior to the tour).
We soon found out that because the Pope is old and it was warm that day, that he would be giving the audience in a different place and so the Basilica was actually open. regardless we joined the many others to hear the Pope speak. He talks for 3 hours in 5 languages, we only listened to the first part which we think was in Latin.
We joined our guided tour and headed into the Vatican Museum and headed towards the Sistine Chapel.
Along the way we were shown many pieces of artwork.
Eventually we came to what everyone else had come to see. We headed down the stairs and then under the instruction of our guide and all the guide books, we headed to the other end before looking up. This way we would see the fresco the way that Michelangelo had intended and the way the Pope sees it every morning. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel but Chris did along with many others.
The tour was now over and the time for our next train was fast approaching but we had one more stop. We exited the secret door and entered St Peter's Basilica.
No comments:
Post a Comment