Taking a tour turned out to be a good decision. Without a guide we would have been lost in the crowds. Elbow to elbow we were. They issued us these small radio receivers with earbuds. We could hear Gabriella but we could not respond. There was a large group of us tourists and we were divided among the tour guides. We had signed up for a specific time also. At the appointed time we were led by our guide across the street from Italy into the sovereign nation of the Vatican City of which the Pope is the absolute monarch. The 110 acres with 840 inhabitants is the smallest country in the world by area and population. Although actually formed in 1377, it became an official sovereign state in 1929. It's major source of income is tourism and 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide. The walled city is quite interesting from an architectural standpoint and houses art treasures galore. And we were going elbow our way through the crowds led by a diminutive Italian.
Our first stop was a large room in which there was a three-dimension model of the city. The scale was probably a fraction of an inch per foot. Our tour guide pointed out our route on the model. Soon we entered the Vatican art galleries. It was like one lengthy ornately decorated tunnel. The vaulted ceiling seemed to have gold dripping from it. The walls are covered with paintings and sculptures. These are the longest art galleries in the world. As I looked at the great wealth I couldn't help but speculate on how many of the poor and sick could have been helped by such treasure. Millions, perhaps. We continued to the attraction which we had longed to see, the Sistine Chapel. Our tour guide was not allowed to lead us through the chapel and would meet us on our exit. Although the major art work was done by the sculptor Michelangelo many other painters are represented as well. According to our tour guide many of the poses of the figures in Michelangelo's work can be seen in his sculptures of figures. I thought it interesting that characters from Greek and Roman mythology are also included. The artist also continued the practice of painting the faces of his enemies on the villains in the paintings. Actually they were frescoes, paintings created by the addition of pigment to wet plaster. It is an incredible work of art. The area was crowded with noisy tourists. The security personnel constantly requested silence in authoritative tones. But people talked. Photographs were strictly forbidden but electronic flashes lit up the dim interior. And teenagers do what comes natural when hormones go awry. I looked at those who offer no sense of reverence in a place of worship with disgust. I am respectful of their mosques and temples. Why should they not respect my churches? By the way, there are two exits from the Sistine Chapel. Don't take the one on the left. It does not lead directly to Saint Peter's Basilica. After a bit of discovery by wandering around we rejoined the tour group much to the delight of Gabriella.
I suppose Saint Peter's could be considered the church of churches. The apostle Peter was told by Jesus that his church would be built upon him. The bones of Peter are buried beneath the church. Are they the bones of the first century Christian? Archaeologists say that the bones are from the first century. The basilica is an incredible structure. The building is measured in acres not square feet. I think it's the only five acre church I've ever been in. The opulence is overwhelming. The inlaid marble floor seems very smoothe. Normally, you can detect an unevenness where the stone has worn down. Since different colors of marble wear at different rates and normal wear introduces unevenness.
It was starting to rain. A slow drizzle. As we entered Italy we decided to duck under the canopy of a cafe for a cappuccino and to get out of the rain. We were of course accosted by a Pakistani selling ponchos. (I think they hid in the shadows waiting for rain and pounce on tourists when raindrops appeared!) I got into some serious negotiations about the price. We purchased two for five euros and began to enjoy our coffee. There were two guys at the table next to us under the canopy. One asked it we were Americans and we responded that we were. A conversation ensued and we found that the larger man was creating some of the music for a Broadway show. It was based on a Disney film and produced by Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker. He said he came to Europe occasionally to get inspiration. We meet a lot of interesting people when traveling. The rain stopped while we were at the cafe and our walk back to the hotel was sans ponchos. But I had made a great deal with the street vendor. Actually, I'm sure he had made a substantial profit..
The next day we would be leaving Rome for Milan and our flight home. Italy had been interesting. But I feel it is highly overrated as a travel destination. Or, perhaps, if we had rented a car or taken a guided tour things would have been different. Paris is still my favorite city.
