This fall I took a great trip to Rome, Florence, and Venice. This is Part 2 covering more sites in Rome. Future posts include Florence and Venice.

One of the highlights of my time in Rome was the visit to the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. Our group had a private tour after hours and it was amazing! There were just 24 of us, including our terrific guide. The museum was deserted except for a handful of security guards, and eerily quiet. We took a leisurely tour of the museum as our guide discussed the history and pointed out interesting aspects of the artworks. Here are some scenes.

 

Fresco at the Vatican Museum

 

Ceiling at the Vatican Museum Gallery of Maps

 

Vatican Museum

 

Gallery of Maps Vatican Museum – Paintings of topographical maps based on drawings by Ignazio Danti

The highlight of the tour was the 45 minutes we spent in the Sistine Chapel. It was dark outside and we had the Chapel to ourselves. The guard unexpectedly allowed us to take pictures without flash. I just had my iphone, but was able to get some reasonably good shots despite the low lighting. Michelangelo worked on the ceiling from 1508-12.

Creation of Adam – Sistine Chapel

 

Downfall of Adam and Eve and Expulsion from the Garden – Sistine Chapel

 

The Prophet Isaiah – Sistine Chapel

This is the view from the Pope’s entrance. The paintings on the ceiling get progressively larger as they move further from the entrance. Some say the effect was deliberate so that all the pictures would look the same size to the Pope, but others say that Michelangelo was being pressured to finish and the last pictures were larger and with less detail in response to this demand. Your guess is as good as mine, but I’m inclined to go with the second explanation after looking at the incredible detail in the early pictures, and the obvious lack of detail in some of the later ones.

Sistine Chapel Ceiling from Pope’s Entrance

Painted on the altar end of the chapel is Michelangelo’s fresco called The Last Judgment (1534-1541).

The Last Judgment – Sistine Chapel

 

Detail – The Last Judgment – Sistine Chapel

The next day I visited St. Peter’s Basilica with some friends from the group. Right inside St. Peter’s is Michelangelo’s Pietà (1498-99). It’s hard to get a good picture because of the protective glass. It’s a beautiful sculpture. Although quite crowded, we were able to see many parts of the basilica.  Despite the basilica’s grandeur, I found it to be wonderfully serene.

Pieta – Michelangelo – St. Peter’s

 

St. Peter’s Basilica

 

Altar – St. Peter’s

 

Altar of Transfiguration – Raphael (1520) – St. Peter’s

 

St. Peter’s Basilica

 

St. Peter’s Basilica

On the walk back from St. Peter’s to our hotel, we stopped at the Local Outdoor Market.  The market contained a bounty of fresh produce and fruits, meats, cheeses, liquors, spices, clothing, crafts, flowers, and much more.

Local Market – Rome

 

Local Market – Rome

 

Off to Florence and Venice!