The Vatican
The first thing you need to know if you are ever going to go to Rome is to book a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter's Basilica. The line to buy tickets was excruciating. The line to pick up your guided tour headset was nothing. Like, none. We just walked in.
Go to the bathroom before the tour starts. This tour is heavily into moving people along and you get mere seconds to look at things. There is one brief moment when you get to choose whether to see Chagall, Michelangelo, or go pee. Choose wisely.
I wanted a bunch more time in the Vatican Museums. I hadn't understood before what it was: essentially the riches collected by past popes. Some of them are ancient sculptures and etruscan pottery, but some of them were modern greats. The tour guide was rushing us through the modern galleries when I spotted a Chagall. Since he is one of my favorite artists I doubled back against the crush of people to go back and catch it. I actually found four of them, as well as a great South American sculptor that I will have to look up later.
The crowd control is quite seriously the most professional I have ever seen. A vast number of people were herded through the Sistine Chapel so that it was hard to find a good place to stand. I ended up spending little time there (see above) but bought a really detailed guide book in the bookstore and listened to a podcast by Rick Steves later while the book was in front of me. Score.
From there we were herded into the Basilica.
Wow.
I have been in great Cathedrals before and I recommend it as a thing to do in your life. But this... Oh. Words fail.
The Pope was in residence. The Swiss Guard were out in force. The tour guide was handing out vouchers for his regular weekly meet and greet. (The tour guide expressed that John Paul II was " her " Pope indicating with a wrinkle that Francis is not all that a Pope should be. Not like those Borgias with their lovely Raphael murals. This guy (sniff ) collects South American works.)
The grandeur of Saint Peter's Basilica must be overwhelming to ordinary people. It makes extraordinary things seem possible. Selfie with the Pope? Why not.
Michaelangelo's Pieta was all that. I have to admit, though, that Bernini outshines. The sculptures near the altar were stunning. Saint Helen, Saint Andrew, they were marvelous.
This is a working church. There was a wedding going on in one chapel. Another was just for quiet prayer with a curtain hiding it from tourists and a guard keeping us out. But... one of the weird things about my spiritual life is that my earliest upbringing was Catholic. (This is particularly strange when you realize that my Dad was an uninterested Lutheran, and my Mom was Jewish who married a Buddhist and became a Jehovah's Witness. But I was baptized Catholic, had my first communion, and know how to use a rosary.)
So I wore it to Saint Peter's and when the guard told me "no admittance", I held out my rosary and he let me through. I meant to just get off my feet for a moment, but ended up praying just as devoutly as anyone there.
I started out with some intercessionary prayer - keep my children safe, that sort of thing - but it morphed into prayers of gratitude. I was acutely aware of the blessings that have been bestowed on me. As I kneeled in this place where millions have kneeled before me, I realized I had every blessing they ever asked for in their own intercessory prayer. I definitely was better off for these moments of quiet communion with God. Plus, I got off my feet. I wore fancy clothes and my feet were killing me.
Fancy clothes are required at least at some level. They have actual Fashion Police checking your decorum. Men must wear long trousers and remove their hats. Women must cover their shoulders, and nearly all I saw were wearing skirts. (Not all.) I was raised that you covered your head with a scarf in church - my Grandmother's version of Catholicism was pre-Vatican II - so I had brought a scarf.
When the tour ended we had as much time in the Basilica as we wished, but no more access to the Vatican Museums. Honestly, I wish I had had an extra hour to go back through there the way I had in the Basilica. It is my only regret. But I bought a great guide in the bookstore and I am going to go study the Map Room and the Raphael room that way.
Go to the bathroom before the tour starts. This tour is heavily into moving people along and you get mere seconds to look at things. There is one brief moment when you get to choose whether to see Chagall, Michelangelo, or go pee. Choose wisely.
I wanted a bunch more time in the Vatican Museums. I hadn't understood before what it was: essentially the riches collected by past popes. Some of them are ancient sculptures and etruscan pottery, but some of them were modern greats. The tour guide was rushing us through the modern galleries when I spotted a Chagall. Since he is one of my favorite artists I doubled back against the crush of people to go back and catch it. I actually found four of them, as well as a great South American sculptor that I will have to look up later.
The crowd control is quite seriously the most professional I have ever seen. A vast number of people were herded through the Sistine Chapel so that it was hard to find a good place to stand. I ended up spending little time there (see above) but bought a really detailed guide book in the bookstore and listened to a podcast by Rick Steves later while the book was in front of me. Score.
From there we were herded into the Basilica.
Wow.
I have been in great Cathedrals before and I recommend it as a thing to do in your life. But this... Oh. Words fail.
The Pope was in residence. The Swiss Guard were out in force. The tour guide was handing out vouchers for his regular weekly meet and greet. (The tour guide expressed that John Paul II was " her " Pope indicating with a wrinkle that Francis is not all that a Pope should be. Not like those Borgias with their lovely Raphael murals. This guy (sniff ) collects South American works.)
The grandeur of Saint Peter's Basilica must be overwhelming to ordinary people. It makes extraordinary things seem possible. Selfie with the Pope? Why not.
Michaelangelo's Pieta was all that. I have to admit, though, that Bernini outshines. The sculptures near the altar were stunning. Saint Helen, Saint Andrew, they were marvelous.
This is a working church. There was a wedding going on in one chapel. Another was just for quiet prayer with a curtain hiding it from tourists and a guard keeping us out. But... one of the weird things about my spiritual life is that my earliest upbringing was Catholic. (This is particularly strange when you realize that my Dad was an uninterested Lutheran, and my Mom was Jewish who married a Buddhist and became a Jehovah's Witness. But I was baptized Catholic, had my first communion, and know how to use a rosary.)
So I wore it to Saint Peter's and when the guard told me "no admittance", I held out my rosary and he let me through. I meant to just get off my feet for a moment, but ended up praying just as devoutly as anyone there.
I started out with some intercessionary prayer - keep my children safe, that sort of thing - but it morphed into prayers of gratitude. I was acutely aware of the blessings that have been bestowed on me. As I kneeled in this place where millions have kneeled before me, I realized I had every blessing they ever asked for in their own intercessory prayer. I definitely was better off for these moments of quiet communion with God. Plus, I got off my feet. I wore fancy clothes and my feet were killing me.
Fancy clothes are required at least at some level. They have actual Fashion Police checking your decorum. Men must wear long trousers and remove their hats. Women must cover their shoulders, and nearly all I saw were wearing skirts. (Not all.) I was raised that you covered your head with a scarf in church - my Grandmother's version of Catholicism was pre-Vatican II - so I had brought a scarf.
When the tour ended we had as much time in the Basilica as we wished, but no more access to the Vatican Museums. Honestly, I wish I had had an extra hour to go back through there the way I had in the Basilica. It is my only regret. But I bought a great guide in the bookstore and I am going to go study the Map Room and the Raphael room that way.