Visiting the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica was simply eye dropping. The grounds showcase the influence and power that the church had over the state and its people. To me, this comes in as the #2 historical landmark I’ve ever visited, behind the breathtaking Great Wall of China.
We started our day walking from our Airbnb near Piazza Navona to Castle St. Angelo, just outside the main road leading up to the Vatican, otherwise known as Via della Conciliazione. We realized we had too little time to fully explore Castle St. Angelo, so we left early to walk to St. Peter’s Square.
From far away, it’s obvious the beauty and size of these buildings.
First we went to visit the Vatican museum and saw one of the most iconic art pieces in the world in the Sistene Chapel. We strolled through history, seeing pieces of the church from hundreds of years prior. Some of the pieces that I enjoyed seeing were these large tapestries with depictions of moments in history. The level of detail and story shares in each piece was extraordinary. I also found myself fascinated by the rich set of displays pertaining to Roman/Greek mythology. While it’s 10 years later, it is great to finally make the connection to my world history classes in high school.
After walking through this truly breathtaking hallway, we arrived at the iconic ceiling painting in the Sistene Chapel painter by Michelangelo between 1508 – 1512. We weren’t allowed to take photos in this room, but it was truly amazing. If I had the time, I would have stayed for a few hours just in that room to re-learn the history and meaning of each fresco.
Afterwards we strolled around the garden before seeing the St. Peter’s Basilica.
We waited approximately 20 mins to get into St. Peter’s Basilica, and it was well worth the wait. We first climbed 551 steps to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica and likely one of the best views in all of Rome. From here you can see the expansiveness of this property and get a glimpse of the massive church inside. This was one of the most claustrophobic hikes of my life, as we squeezed through narrow hallway after narrow hallway. But as you can see the view was worth it!
We then walked inside the church and it reminded me a lot of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. You can help but appreciate the detail, intricacy, and tradition of this place.
Around 6 PM, we got a message from Colin and Heather that they had arrived from Paris. So we walked back home so we could let them into our Airbnb. For their first meal, we took them to a restaurant recommended by the chefs in our cooking class called Nonna Betta, located in the iconic Jewish Ghetto. We were told to get the fried artichoke and it did not disappoint. I would recommend this restaurant to all visitors.
After dinner we showed Colin and Heather around Trastevere and the Trevi Fountain. Then made our way home to wake up early to visit Pompeii and hike Mt. Vesuvius.
Until next time…
Italy + Croatia '19 