Vatican Visit

                                                               
                                                            Inside these walls is . . .

    . . . St. Peter's Basilica. 

It gets to be a 'basilica' because of it's historical importance and impressive building. And it certainly has both in abundance. According to Church History, this is the spot where the apostle Peter was buried after his crucifixion in Rome. 

Impressiveness of the building? See those short little black blurs with a dot of red here and there in front of the building? Those are people. 

If you're ever 'in town' it's worth a visit. But I can't stress how much I suggest making your whole trip to Rome in the 'off season'. We didn't have to wait in any lines in the beating sun because there was none of either. And there were enough tourists as it was. Rome is not for those who hate crowds (even in the off season). 

Want to see inside of the basilica? 

I can show you a couple of pictures, but there's a reason that people book flights to Rome, there are somethings that photos just can't do. They can't usher you into the hushed, marble halls lined with pillars. They can't give you minutes to just take in the streams of light or to stare up at the painted dome. And gilding doesn't glint in pictures the same way it does in real life, nor does even a panoramic give you a vision of all the views surrounding you as you stand under a large arch. 

So here are a couple of photographs, but don't judge the place by them, they're barely a shadowy reflection of the real experience. 

Regal and elegant was our summary of the inside of the basilica. 

Few, if any, churches rival it in those departments. 

Of course The Vatican also holds the great Sistine Chapel, but the walk through this hall of maps and ceiling paintings was a good warm up. In fact, through out Italy and the Vatican Museum we started to realize that Michelangelo was just one of a great many artists who were painting ceilings because Italians love to have their ceilings turned into art. We saw it in palaces, and churches all over Rome and Florence. 

And what better way to exit a grand museum than by a grand spiral staircase?