Day 40 Civitavecchia, Italy

June 28

Today we visited the Vatican Museum featuring the Sistine Chapel, followed by St. Peter's, and then lastly the Colosseum.

After a pleasant bus ride to Rome, we arrived at the Vatican City, the worlds smallest independent state. The Vatican Museum was our first stop, and the human traffic nightmare began. Before we set foot in the entrance, the squabbles between some of the people in our tour group began. I had some mans pudding (fat gut) in my back as people were pushing and shoving like there was a fire at our rear. One man was pushing a lady with his hand to her back. The husband of the lady said to the man "Can you please stop pushing my wife", to which the man replied, "I would if your wife would keep from underfoot". Well, that did it. The husband shouted back with his mighty fighting words "you keep your hands off my wife, or I will stick my finger up your nose"! Well, if I hadn't been so annoyed with the pushing and shoving, I would have cracked up laughing.

The 16th century Vatican Museum has a lavish display of wealth and art in one place. The most impressive being the Sistine Chapel. What makes the chapel so interesting to me, is the stories behind the paintings, rather than the art work itself.

Michelangelo was called on by the Pope (can't remember which one) to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo, who was in his early twenties at the time protested, saying that he was a sculptor not a painter. The Pope gave him three weeks to complete the ceiling. For four years, Michelangelo was lying on his back, five hand span away from the ceiling, painting the "Creation of the World". The working conditions would have been very uncomfortable, so much so, that it is believed that this work contributed to his blindness and the loss of use of his hand before he died and old man. When the work was completed, the Pope told Michelangelo that the painting was okay, however he would not get paid because it was not completed in the allocated time of three weeks. Michelangelo left Rome with the intention never to return.  

Years later a new Pope requested that Michelangelo return to paint the feature wall in the Sistine Chapel. Reluctantly, Michelangelo returned as the Pope promised to also pay him for his original work on the ceiling. The painting on the wall is called the "Last Judgement". This painting features Jesus and Mary, Jesus is separating the sinners from those who he chooses to ascend to heaven. Mary is looking down on the people to be judged with a sorrowful expression. Michelangelo did not like to sculpt or paint women. If fact, in this painting, most of the women are on the left side with the sinners, only one is chosen to ascend with the good people on the right, and she is a saint. He said that men have been blessed with the body of a perfect machine. In my opinion, he painted the women ugly, with the thick muscular arms and legs of a man. All the people in this work of art appeared nude. The Arch Bishop or Chancellor of the time (can't remember which. It was whoever was second in charge to the Pope), did not like the people to be naked, so he told Michelangelo that he has three hours to cover all their nakedness. Instead, Michelangelo painted the Arch Bishop or Chancellor in the right hand bottom corner naked, with a snake wrapped around his body, the head of the snake was placed at the position of the genitals. Well, the Arch Bishop or Chancellor was most aggravated and called for the Pope to see and place judgment. Michelangelo argued that in the bible it tells us that we ascend as we are born. The Pope agreed with Michelangelo, and the people in the painting remained naked. Of course, today they are covered. After Michelangelo died, the genitals received painted coverings.

The Colosseum, originally known as the Flavian Amphitheatre was a marvel of engineering at its time. Construction started in 72 AD and was completed in 8 years during the reign of Emperor Titus. The Colosseum was built by many people, mostly slaves and even children were used. The Romans called in Greek architects to help with some of the design, only to kill them after the work was done so that they would not return to Greece and reproduce the work. The idea behind the Colosseum, was to have a place were the Romans could be entertained all day so that they may be distracted from politics. 

On opening day, 9,000 animals were killed. It is estimated that over the years, more than one million animals and a half-million humans were slaughtered in the games and executions. This arena was efficient. It held more than 50,000 people, yet apparently only took three minutes for everyone to exit. 

The Colosseum could be flooded for naval battles and quickly drained for gladiator bouts or even Christian based dramas.

A shot of the countryside. 

Outside the Vatican Museum entrance. I was happy to wait in a two hour line for the Museum when I was 23 years old, however today I was glad that tour groups get to skip the line.

Interesting ramp inside the Museum.

Inside Vatican Museum.

The ceilings in this place are incredible.

This ceiling looks like all the work is carved into marble, however it is just paintings with well placed shadows with perfect effect. There are two corridors like this filled with tapestry work. The tapestry clashes with the ceiling in my opinion. 

The tapestry work was done by young girls between the ages of 6 and 11 because they have small hands. It is so cruel to think the forced young girls to create work with scenes like the one in this tapestry with babies being murdered.

The Pope of the time (sorry, too many to remember) wanted this room to represent all of Italy. Detailed maps of each region are painted on the walls. The ceiling has what looks like over 100 individual paintings, each with their own elaborate frame.

We were not allowed to take photographs in the Sistine Chapel. So here is a posted shot. I didn't get one of the "Creation of the World".

In this close up you can see the only female chosen to ascend (one in the green dress), look at her arms!  Michelangelo put a self portrait into the painting, look at the man on the cloud holding what looks like a 'skin man', the skin man in Michelangelo. Maybe that is how he felt about the work he had done and the treatment he received, but that is just my guess. I think he was in his 50's when he painted the Last Judgement, but don't quote me on that.

Swiss guard. They are all chosen as young men.

St. Peter's square and Basilica.

Outside the entrance to the Basilica.

Inside the Basilica. It was so packed in here. Good chance for the pickpockets. One lady tried to pinch the numbered sticker from a man in our group. She probably wanted to get easy access with a tour group. They had set up chairs for mass the next day, so there was little room. Last time I was here, I went down into the catacombs also.

The dome.

This looks like a painting, however it is a mosaic. Unbelievable workmanship.

Out and about Rome on the bus.

Out and about Rome on the bus.

Colosseum.

Arch of Constantine.

Much of the Colosseums marble and outer walls were "recycled" to build St. Peter's Basilica. The holes you can see in the marble are the result of people pulling out the iron rods inside that help secure the marble, this "recycling" of the iron also contributed to the collapse of the outer walls. 

The lions and other animals were staved for many days underneath the wood flooring. A pulley lift system was used to pull up the animals from down below. In this picture, you can still see what is left of the original marble seating near the wooden stage where the floor would have been. You can imagine the whole area filled with this seating. There was a silk tent roof.

Tomorrow we go to Livorno for Pisa and Florence.