Rome, Italy

The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of every month (and the only Sunday of each month to be open). We got up at six am to guarantee we’d spend as much time as possible there. We were fortunate that our two buses and train connected and we were within 15 meters of the front of the queue at 7.20 am. This is our first serious line up. We had to wait an hour and a half before the doors opened, but at least we weren’t behind the five buses that arrived just after us, or around the corner (where Nelly & Luke were – who arrived half an hour after us), or back to St Peter’s Square (800 meters) where the queue was when the doors opened.

When we got in, we went straight to the Sistine Chapel before going back through the Museums. There were only 15 other people in the Chapel when we arrived, which was a blessing considering the crowd later on. This chapel was built in 1473 for the use of the Popes for private prayer. It was here where Michelangelo’s famous ceiling painting “Creation” was done. His four-year work covers nine scenes in line with the creation of man, including the famous painting where he and Adam are reaching out to each other. Three of the surrounding walls show 14 other Biblical scenes as painted by the likes of Botticelli (amongst others). The wall above the alter is covered by Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement” which he did 24 years after the frescos of the ceiling.

After about half an hour in here we went back to the entrance and paid 6000 lire for an audio tour of the museums. This was well worth it, as we walked through so many rooms of art collected by Popes over the years. Four of the most important being the Raphael Rooms. All paintings in these rooms were either painted, drawn or overseen by Raphael. There were also countless statues, Egyptian relics, maps of Italy’s regions, and religious artworks which would have been left unexplained had we not had the audio guide.

The tour ended in the Sistine Chapel, which, by 12 pm, had become packed. We were here for another half an hour listening to the explanations behind the Chapel, its art and the restoration done to it.

When we eventually got out, we went to a restaurant, Garden Lino, for lunch.

We went back to Ottaviano Station and caught to train to San Giovanni to go and see Basilica di St Croce in Gerusalemme, which is said to house the nails that were used in the crucifixion of Christ. Unfortunately, this scaffolded building was closed.

Down the road, however, was the open Basilica di St. Giovanni in Laterano. This is the church of Rome, originally built in the fourth century, but destroyed over time, before being rebuilt in the 17th century. This was a beautiful church inside with large statues to be found of the 12 apostles. Outside was, once again, under restoration, and none of the front could be seen.

By catching the train back to Colesseo we completed the trifecta of “under restoration” churches by going to San Pietro in Vincoli, which was open for our visit today. Its two famous artifacts are Michelangelo’s statue of Moses and the chains used to hold St. Peter before his crucifixion. Besides that, the church was non-descript.

This bought an end to five solid days of Roman history and culture as we headed back to the campsite for our last Roman cook tent supper. Rome has been amazing for its sights, how cheap it has been for us (thank God for the Taj Mahal), not to mention the fun / unease of watching Roman drivers. I don’t know how they survive.