I’m sitting at Fiumicino airport waiting for my Aegean Air flight to Athens and then Heraklion. Anna was very helpful online telling me what bus to take from her apartment, where to get off, what street to follow to get to the train to the airport. She even had a bus ticket for me. I, again!, couldn’t find a Tabac shop to buy a train ticket. When I got to the station, there was nowhere to buy one, as an English girl told me, but it was the right train. So I just got on and hoped! No conductor came by asking for a ticket. Made up for last night’s fiasco, transportation-wise. More on that later!
I went in Anna’s car with her to work – a small motorcycle shop that her family owned and now she runs. She had arranged for me to take a ride, around the garage, of a motorcycle as I’d never ridden one myself. She, and her work force I think, thought it was funny! But I had a great time! She printed out my boarding pass for me and then we went down to the garage where I rode in a big circle around the garage. It was really simple. Until I stopped and then tried to turn and start up at the same time – not what you do! – and tipped over, but slowly and wasn’t hurt and didn’t damage anything. There was an American who works there for her and said everyone falls at first and now I’ve gotten it overwith!
I left Anna to take a bus downtown to head to the Vatican. I realized on the bus that I’d left my 2-day on-off bus ticket back at the apartment. I talked my way onto the bus getting off at the first stop after Piazza Venezia where I got on, at the Vatican.
I had seen the crowds and lines the day before but just lined up at the end of a snaking line. I heard an American voice talking to the couple behind me saying did they really want to wait in long lines, or would they like a tour that skips the lines to Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum and the Basilica. Turns out he was from Michigan, Grand Rapids, went to Michigan State and we bonded. It was only E30 (E15 of which was for the museum ticket itself) for a 3 hour tour. He assigned me to Roberto (robertonotarmasi@hotmail.com 0039 333 8763410 – that is for my friend Joyce who will visit Rome in October. In case you wanted to contact him to arrange a tour.) The other couple opted out so it was just the two of us. We spent a good ½ hour in the shade of Bernini’s columns looking at the vast courtyard while he gave me background info on Vatican city, et. al. One of the more interesting stories was the erection of the 4000 year old Egyptian obelisk in the center. It stood here in Roman times when the emperor made a circus here – which meant racecourse. He told the slaves they had a certain period of time to get it up or else! As they almost got it erect, the ropes started breaking/burning. The director ordered water thrown on the ropes, even though the emperor wouldn’t like it! But it worked! Legend has it, (Roberto looked doubtful – no proof that St. Peter EVER even came near Rome!) that St. Peter was crucified, upside down so as not to outdo Jesus, here by the obelisk.
When Constantine became emperor and converted to Christianity (I think around 300+ AD), he had 3 churches around Rome as sort of headquarters. One was St. John the Latern and two others. There was some kind of a building where St. Peter’s is now but was crumbling. The whole area on the left bank of the Tiber was basically the cemetery for Rome plus the circus. So in 1500 I think it was Julius II began plans for St. Peter’s hiring many of the local architects, including Michelangelo, to help design. Arguments ensured as to whether it should be a Greek cross (all 4 sides of equal length) or the Roman cross where main aisle is longer, side aisles shorter and not in the middle). Roman won out. Michelangelo designed the amazing two-layered dome where you climb in between them to reach an amazing view of Rome at your feet.
Another tidbit, Rome was political as well as religious capital and so the ecclesiastics ruled the governmental aspects of Rome as well. The nearby Castel Sant’Angelo, right on the river bank, that was already there, became a place to escape to if the Vatican was threatened, as there is a long tunnel connecting the two. It was used in a couple of cases for the Pope to flee.
Bernini’s 4 rows of enumerable columns was added later, to tie the whole complex together. He pointed out the smokestack where either white or black smoke comes out from the Sistine Chapel where the conclave to elect a new pope is held. He pointed out the balcony off the Papal apartments where the Pope gives holiday blessings (I was here in 1966 and we determined it was Pope Paul VI – at Easter)
Then we headed back to the office (to actually pay for the tour) and they shifted me to a group led by Sara, whose English wasn’t as good as Roberto’s but she was very knowledgeable – an archeologist. There were 7 in the group which wasn’t too bad. We proceeded to the Vatican Museum which has an overwhelming display. She was able to point out some highlights to keep us from getting bogged down. Several hallways we walked down had these beautifully decorated enclosed bookcases (empty) where the Vatican Library used to be house. We passed it but no admittance.
This museum is the wealthiest and largest in the world. Many artists would give paintings as gifts to the Church. Beautiful tapestries adorned one long hallway. Sara pointed out several sculptures from Greek and Roman times that Michelangelo used as inspiration for figures in his ceiling and Last Judgment mural in the Sistine. Then we entered the SC. Signs said we should be respectful and silent but apparently most Italians disregard signs! A couple of guards kept saying something loudly which I’m assuming was be quiet! They were pretty much ignored! Too bad, this is a place that calls for silence.
The first time through it wasn’t too bad. First of all, I had been here in 1966, and the colors were very dark! I had to look in my guidebook to know what I was even looking at. Then in 1992 when I was here with Kerry, Doug and Geoffrey, the scaffolding was up and they were working on the restoration. Roberto told me the Japanese Nippon company agreed to pay for the restoration. They thought a few million! But it ended up costing about $18 million! So Nippon said, to pay them back, no photographs could be taken in the Chapel (so that people are forced to buy postcards, printed pictures, etc. ) which I assume Nippon publishes! R. said you can’t damage frescoes with photographing them! Interesting!
Anyway, whatever money they spent, it is magnificent!! The colors look as if they were done yesterday!! I believe I remember it took Michelangelo 14 years to do this! I think he did this later in his life – R. said he lived to 94 I believe! And he sculpted the Pieta at 24!! R. said he was a true genius! I was actually able to sit down on the sides at one point, to be able to look up more easily!
Next she wanted to show us the 4 Raphael rooms – when one of the Pope’s wanted to move his apartments to this area. Raphael (again about 25) painted huge murals that Sara explained to us. We had to do a lot of roundabout walking, passing again through the SC (which now was PACKED and you could barely get through!) to get in the back way, as one of the usual hallways to get there was closed for construction. They must ALWAYS be doing construction somewhere in this huge complex.
Oh, I forgot! Roberto also told me Vatican City only became a separate state/Country in 1927. It has its own currency, stamps, everything! Smallest country in the world, area wise. I/2 the size of Monaco. He was a font of information.
I was so tired at this point I barely glanced at Raphael’s work! Then Sara left us and we wandered down to the Basilica. R. told me 3 Popes have been slated for sainthood – John xxiii, Paul the x, I think it is, and Pope John Paul II. JP II is being fast-tracked because miracles have already been attributed to him, his body has been moved upstairs and I think it was him I was looking at behind the glass in a side altar, with a big crowd.
I had remembered in 1992, I think, going below the alter where St. Peter and other Popes are buried, thought I remembered seeing John XXIII through a glass display/coffin. But didn’t see him this time.
And, of course, the Pieta is a highlight for me. Sara had shown us a replica in the museum, because a few years ago someone tried to blow the original up! So now it’s enclosed in a bulletproof plexiglass. It’s hard to get the warm feel of the marble. It’s amazing! He sculpted a young Mary, she said, who couldn’t possibly be old enough to have mothered an adult Christ. It was Mary’s idea of what would happen that he was depicting. It’s just one of my favorites!!
More for another entry!
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