The Vatican City

Our cruise left from Civitavecchia (a port about an hour outside Rome) at 5:00pm, so we decided to tour the Vatican City in the morning before we boarded. We woke up early and started out so that we could enter St. Peter's Basilica as soon as it opened. They also have a free luggage drop there, so we checked our bags and then started our tour. Worked out pretty well, and saved us quite a few Euros and headaches from lugging around our bags.   It took us long enough to figure out how to enter the basilica. It was seriously a maze of barricades, complete with security checks as we got closer. A nice clue we were on the right path. I don't know if it is always like that, or if it was due to the fact that the Pope visits on Wednesday.

To say it was massive inside would be the understatement of the century.


The Pietà by Michelangelo. Dusty could have looked at this statue all day. We were able to get really close to it, and then got kicked out because that area was only for those having Mass. Whoops.


These are the people who were allowed back there.


That's one impressive dome. To put it into perspective, all the letters around the bottom of the dome and throughout the church are seven feet tall.


This "baldacchino" was Bernini's first work at St. Peter's. The structure is 98 feet tall (maaasive), and is claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world. It stands as a covering to the altar, creating a holy space above and around it.




Another of Bernini's works of art..."The throne of St. Peter."



   Peter's crucifixion site is over in this area.










Statue of St. Peter, with his lucky "kissable toe."


Traitor's Gate


After touring the inside of the basilica, we decided to climb the dome. There is the option to take the elevator to the roof, but we decided to get a little exercise (and save a little money), and walk. This is the view from the rooftop.
   We entered the dome to climb to the top. These are the murals at the base of the dome. Pretty detailed stuff.




As we were climbing the dome (320 steps to the top), the walls started to lean just a bit. Makes sense, but it was unexpected nonetheless.





When we got to the top of the dome, we were to only people there. Talk about another incredible "it feels like we're the only people in Rome" moment. The view was beautiful. A bit hazy, but beautiful.


    It was a little chilly and windy, too.


That large rectangular building is the Vatican Musuem, with the Sistine Chapel on the end closest to me.


It was so romantic, I made Dusty smooch me.


The basilica guards' uniforms were pretty impressive.


Egyptian Obelisk


These next several pictures are inside the Vatican Museum.








Laocoön and His Sons


The Belvedere Torso. Michelangelo used this statue for the inspiration of many figures he painted in the Sistine Chapel.


Statue of Hercules. During the Protestant Reformation, one Pope ordered fig leaves be placed on nude statues in an effort to appear more modest..





Artemis, goddess of fertility. She was worshiped by the citizens of Ephesus, which caused Paul to come there to preach. He was kicked out of the city before he could give his message, so he had to write a letter (known as Ephesians in the Bible) instead.





Awesome painting on one of the ceilings.


The Liberation of St. Peter


School of Athens


Outside the basilica. Being in focus is sometimes too much to ask, but we were there!


After touring the Vatican City, we grabbed some lunch before catching our train to Civitavecchia.
Now that our bellies are full, let's go board that ship!