And now the first part o the trip - where the Witte's and the Woodwards manage the Pope, the old bones, the Sistine chapel - among other things like pizza, fresh pasta, cappuchino, and paninis - made with many baby panini.


We went to our little hotel, the Vatican View, not expecting much and certainly not expecting our rooms to be ready.  Alessandra and Danielle assured us our rooms were prepared and we dropped off our luggage and sprinted to St. Peter's square, where the Pope was giving his Wed. audience.  We admired the Obelisk and fountains and the square and facade of St. Peter's.  There were pilgrims from all over the world.  The Pope was quite a distance from us.  Fortunately, Bill has a zoom on his camera! 

Patty and Jerry enjoy Lunch

Night time at thee vatican

 We did a five hour private tour of Rome with Roberto of Miles and Miles which included a visit to the Cappuccin crypts (not a usual stop on tours). There are four crypts decorated with the bones of more than 4,000 monks who died between the 1500s and late 1800s. Even the chandeliers are made of bones.

Patty and Jerry posing by the Teatro de Maracello, a building like the old colosseum that fell into disuse, but was recycled when two wealthy families build big apartments on the top two floors and still  live there.

 A stop for a cappuccino!

The last sculpture that Bernini did before he died at 79.  "Savior of the World," which is in the church at the St. Sebastien's crypt.

 Patty, Jerry and Kathy in front of the altar at the Pantheon, saved all these years because it was a pagan temple in the beginning, but was donated to the church.

The front of the Patheon.

TT

 Had lunch at a great Osteria near the Vatican and back to our hotel for a well-deserved rest!

 The old entrance to the Vatican museum, where we met our guide, Sara Magister, for a tour that included the Pinoteca, map room, tapestry room, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica.  Michelangelo is the face on the right here and Raphael (who died younger, but apparently happier) is on the right.

 A view of the dome of the Basilica, taken from an open window as we toured.

 One of the altar pieces from the Original St Peter's church, built in 329 A.D.  The new church was begun by Bramante in 1506 and continued by several others, including Michelangelo who designed the dome.  It was finished in 1626.

We could not actually get into the room in the Pinoteca to see this Caravaggio, "the Transfiguration of Christ,"but Bill and Jerry both got great shots through the glass door.

This seems a long time ago now (Friday and it's Monday) but I believe it's Furio's rendition of the Holy Family fleeing to Egypt to avoid the killing of all boys under two. The cherries they are eating represent the future sacrifice of Christ.  Amazing art everywhere, not just churches and museums.  Italy is really just one big museum and there are delights around every corner.

A  mosaic taken from the floor of a wealthy Roman and recycled to the Vatican ((they really believed in recycling because a  lot of the marble here was taken from the colosseum!).  Very beautiful and still the colors are bright.

This is one of the tapestries in the Hall of Tapestries.  Typically it took a year to make one of these, approximately 30' by 20'.  The drawings for these were done in the workshop of Raphael and the tapestry was woven by the Flemish who were the artists in the field.  Amazing, painstaking work.  These used to hang in the Sistine Chapel and kept the room warmer in the Winter. Now they hang in  along hallway and there are only pictures of hangings in the chapel.

The ceiling of the Map Room in the Vatican Museum.  So much beauty it is hard to take it all in...

No pictures of the Sistine Chapel, none are allowed these days since the ceiling was cleaned.
Sara took us down the shortcut to St. Peters.  These days only the licensed guides are allowed to use this way.  As you walk through the huge bronze doors, the Pieta is the first thing you see on the right. Such beauty and Michelangelo was only 22 when he sculpted this. It is behind glass now, since someone with a hammer tried to destroy it many years ago.

The tomb of Queen Christine of Sweden, who is one of only three women buried in St. Peter's. She and her husband were exiled because they converted to Catholicism.  They lived in Rome and are buried here, as is James Stuart, who would have been King of England, if he hadn't been Catholic.

This is the bronze canopy over the altar of St. Peter over what is believed to be his tomb.designed  by Bernini.

The only piece of stained glass in St. Peter's, the Dove of Peace, over the main altar, also designed by Bernini as are 11 other items in and around St. Peter's.

 And finally for the day, the Swiss Guard, who all look like they are 10!  But only guard the Pope.   Vatican polizi do everything else.