THE VATICAN
*This picture of the late Pope John Paul II, now Blessed, was skyscraper size inside the walls of the Vatican City, in the square.
Today we adventured into Vatican City to go on a Scavi Tour, see St. Peters Basilica and some of us went on to the Vatican Museum which includes seeing the Sistine Chapel.
The Scavi Tour, was truly a once in a life time chance to go under the Basilica; which was full of ruins dating back t0 4 B.C. The Scavi "Excavations" is only available by reservations, and is limited to 300 people a day; in groups of 12-15 people at a time. And very few tours are in English.
The Necropolis was found once Christianity was recognized in 313, by the Christian Emperor Constantine. At this time, he had the "Old St. Peter's" built and it lasted 1,200 years (AD 329-1500). St. Peter's Basilica was built over Saint Peter's grave, the very first Pope and Bishop of Rome. It is believed by faith that Saint Peter's remains, mainly bones, are still in the Necropolis. We actually saw from a distance where he is laid to rest. Tradition has it that in about 65 A.D. when Saint Peter came to Rome, to spread the message of love, he was crucified. By choice he was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same way of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The remains of Saint Peter have been un touched for over 2,000 years. Their is no proof that it is Saint Peter, however, the bones in the tomb appear to be those of a man of the correct age and physical likeness of peter, that were described in ancient accounts. There is no plan to ever tamper with the remains. There is no way of finding definite scientific proof. But as we know, Christians do not need proof, because we have faith!
The new Basilica as we know it today, began to be built in 1506 and it took more than a century to be completed. It has the largest interior of any Christian Church in the world. It is built directly on top of the "Old St. Peter's", on Vatican hill, which was built by Constantine, in 4 B.C, dedicated to Saint Peter, one of Jesus' closest and original twelve apostles. The scavi (excavations) have been going on and continue to be worked on since World War II.
Unfortunately for you, my readers, I am unable to show you pictures from the Scavi tour. Photography was forbidden. However, this tragedy does not keep me from giving you a visual!
Imagine, walking into the gated and secured Vatican. You are being waved through past the Swiss Guard. Then you are met up by an Italian woman who greets you. She tells you to follow her and so you do. You are lead a little deeper inside the Vatican gates. You take a right turn into a building that has a key pad, password access, and a sliding glass door opens and let you though. The entrance at this point is very clean and white. There are a few ancient tombs next to you, and even a few wooden displays of the "Old St. Peter's". The tour guide announces that once we begin heading down stairs, the air is going to get humid, musty and maybe a little uncomfortable to breathe. But she does assure you that if you have any problems while you are in the Necropolis do not hesitate to speak up.
The tour guide begins walking further. Then you begin to walk down stairs. Once at the bottom of the steps, another glass, sliding door, opens before your eyes and a very narrow and short entry way appears. You are now concerned about fitting through, about getting closter phobic and the air you are breathing is unclean and breathing becomes difficult as though you suffer from Asthma. All you think about was the day before, at the ancient ruins of Ostia Antica, from the old rocks, that made every step make you wince in pain. Like so all you are thinking about how nice it would be to sit down, rather than stand. Your feet are just throbbing and now have a heart beat, if this was not enough, your breathing is impaired and you are hot, as though you were in an ancient Roman Bath. As much as you are wanting to learn about the scavi it is so difficult to concentrate with your impairments. Okay, the Attention Deficit Brain goes back into focus on the tour guide.
Walking though very narrow naves, you see the ancient Roman bricks, to your right and to your left. Your first stop once down into the ruins, is at a small tomb. The tour guide begins explaining about how this particular tomb was constructed with marble, which means he or she came from a wealthy family. Following this, she read the inscription on the tomb, which was something that explained his or her life, or advise, or a message for the parents left behind. After this, a private room was explained. A family owned or bought a particular room so that the remains, either in a tomb or cremated remains may be laid to rest. In these rooms, the floors were either marble, or sometimes mosaic. Both significant because either would be expensive. The mosaic floor in particular was not only expensive but also timely to piece together.
The tour continues on, your feet are better off being chopped away from the rest of your body by now. Not only are you standing, but the floor under you is old and uneven. You cannot even lean up against the walls because it is forbidden. You come to one tomb in particular that at first you believe it is the same as all of the others you have seen. But instead you find out that the tomb is unknown whether to be a Christian or a Pagan do to the inscriptions on the tomb actually have both Christian and Pagan origins. The tour guide tells you that it is possible that it was once one and then the tomb was reused and then made into the other. Creepy thought and a little disturbing as well. How gross that would be to open a tomb, with a decaying body of someone else. Yuck!
Towards the end of the tour you tour guide tells you slowly the air will begin to be easier to breathe. The group is slowly working its way up to higher ground. Up a step or two every once in a while. Going room to room, under the Basilica. All you can think about still, is I cannot wait to get lunch, sit down, and drink. I am so dehydrating right now. Before I know it they will be adding me to the tombs down here.
One of the last rooms you are in before entering the crypt, where many of the Popes are laid to rest, is a small room, very confining with 14 people, plus the tour guide, and a little window off to the right. The tour guide tells you that as you leave out of this room, step here, about a foot away from the window and look into the left corner. While you look into this corner you see a small hole, with a light shinning. This small hole, is known to be the burial place of where Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles and the first Pope, Bishop of Rome, is. Directly above that place is where the original altar of the "Old Saint Peter's" was and the altar of only which the Pope, Bishop of Rome, may celebrate Holy Mass. It is at this time, for once after 90 minutes of tortuous air and pain, that you begin to feel overwhelmed and amazed. You are not only in the Vatican. You are in the scavi a place where only 300 people a day can go and very few hear the tour in English, and you see where Saint Peter's bones are.
What an amazing experience. And the day is not even close to be over yet. Heck, there is still five more days to be in Rome, to experience Rome. I haven't even began to cover the "boot" Italy yet!
The Scavi Tour, was truly a once in a life time chance to go under the Basilica; which was full of ruins dating back t0 4 B.C. The Scavi "Excavations" is only available by reservations, and is limited to 300 people a day; in groups of 12-15 people at a time. And very few tours are in English.
The Necropolis was found once Christianity was recognized in 313, by the Christian Emperor Constantine. At this time, he had the "Old St. Peter's" built and it lasted 1,200 years (AD 329-1500). St. Peter's Basilica was built over Saint Peter's grave, the very first Pope and Bishop of Rome. It is believed by faith that Saint Peter's remains, mainly bones, are still in the Necropolis. We actually saw from a distance where he is laid to rest. Tradition has it that in about 65 A.D. when Saint Peter came to Rome, to spread the message of love, he was crucified. By choice he was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same way of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
The remains of Saint Peter have been un touched for over 2,000 years. Their is no proof that it is Saint Peter, however, the bones in the tomb appear to be those of a man of the correct age and physical likeness of peter, that were described in ancient accounts. There is no plan to ever tamper with the remains. There is no way of finding definite scientific proof. But as we know, Christians do not need proof, because we have faith!
The new Basilica as we know it today, began to be built in 1506 and it took more than a century to be completed. It has the largest interior of any Christian Church in the world. It is built directly on top of the "Old St. Peter's", on Vatican hill, which was built by Constantine, in 4 B.C, dedicated to Saint Peter, one of Jesus' closest and original twelve apostles. The scavi (excavations) have been going on and continue to be worked on since World War II.
Unfortunately for you, my readers, I am unable to show you pictures from the Scavi tour. Photography was forbidden. However, this tragedy does not keep me from giving you a visual!
Imagine, walking into the gated and secured Vatican. You are being waved through past the Swiss Guard. Then you are met up by an Italian woman who greets you. She tells you to follow her and so you do. You are lead a little deeper inside the Vatican gates. You take a right turn into a building that has a key pad, password access, and a sliding glass door opens and let you though. The entrance at this point is very clean and white. There are a few ancient tombs next to you, and even a few wooden displays of the "Old St. Peter's". The tour guide announces that once we begin heading down stairs, the air is going to get humid, musty and maybe a little uncomfortable to breathe. But she does assure you that if you have any problems while you are in the Necropolis do not hesitate to speak up.
The tour guide begins walking further. Then you begin to walk down stairs. Once at the bottom of the steps, another glass, sliding door, opens before your eyes and a very narrow and short entry way appears. You are now concerned about fitting through, about getting closter phobic and the air you are breathing is unclean and breathing becomes difficult as though you suffer from Asthma. All you think about was the day before, at the ancient ruins of Ostia Antica, from the old rocks, that made every step make you wince in pain. Like so all you are thinking about how nice it would be to sit down, rather than stand. Your feet are just throbbing and now have a heart beat, if this was not enough, your breathing is impaired and you are hot, as though you were in an ancient Roman Bath. As much as you are wanting to learn about the scavi it is so difficult to concentrate with your impairments. Okay, the Attention Deficit Brain goes back into focus on the tour guide.
Walking though very narrow naves, you see the ancient Roman bricks, to your right and to your left. Your first stop once down into the ruins, is at a small tomb. The tour guide begins explaining about how this particular tomb was constructed with marble, which means he or she came from a wealthy family. Following this, she read the inscription on the tomb, which was something that explained his or her life, or advise, or a message for the parents left behind. After this, a private room was explained. A family owned or bought a particular room so that the remains, either in a tomb or cremated remains may be laid to rest. In these rooms, the floors were either marble, or sometimes mosaic. Both significant because either would be expensive. The mosaic floor in particular was not only expensive but also timely to piece together.
The tour continues on, your feet are better off being chopped away from the rest of your body by now. Not only are you standing, but the floor under you is old and uneven. You cannot even lean up against the walls because it is forbidden. You come to one tomb in particular that at first you believe it is the same as all of the others you have seen. But instead you find out that the tomb is unknown whether to be a Christian or a Pagan do to the inscriptions on the tomb actually have both Christian and Pagan origins. The tour guide tells you that it is possible that it was once one and then the tomb was reused and then made into the other. Creepy thought and a little disturbing as well. How gross that would be to open a tomb, with a decaying body of someone else. Yuck!
Towards the end of the tour you tour guide tells you slowly the air will begin to be easier to breathe. The group is slowly working its way up to higher ground. Up a step or two every once in a while. Going room to room, under the Basilica. All you can think about still, is I cannot wait to get lunch, sit down, and drink. I am so dehydrating right now. Before I know it they will be adding me to the tombs down here.
One of the last rooms you are in before entering the crypt, where many of the Popes are laid to rest, is a small room, very confining with 14 people, plus the tour guide, and a little window off to the right. The tour guide tells you that as you leave out of this room, step here, about a foot away from the window and look into the left corner. While you look into this corner you see a small hole, with a light shinning. This small hole, is known to be the burial place of where Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles and the first Pope, Bishop of Rome, is. Directly above that place is where the original altar of the "Old Saint Peter's" was and the altar of only which the Pope, Bishop of Rome, may celebrate Holy Mass. It is at this time, for once after 90 minutes of tortuous air and pain, that you begin to feel overwhelmed and amazed. You are not only in the Vatican. You are in the scavi a place where only 300 people a day can go and very few hear the tour in English, and you see where Saint Peter's bones are.
What an amazing experience. And the day is not even close to be over yet. Heck, there is still five more days to be in Rome, to experience Rome. I haven't even began to cover the "boot" Italy yet!
Saint Peter's Basilica
*This grand altar is the main altar, found inside the Basilica.
Since we were on the scavi tour we had an automatic entrance into Saint Peter's by passing once again all of the crowds of people awaiting to go through security. The down fall to this was all I had with me was my small pocket camera and my wallet. I will share some of my better pictures with you. But like all things pictures are not good as the real thing. The Basilica was overly crowded with people. It was extremely hard to get the priceless pictures I was hoping for.
Since we were on the scavi tour we had an automatic entrance into Saint Peter's by passing once again all of the crowds of people awaiting to go through security. The down fall to this was all I had with me was my small pocket camera and my wallet. I will share some of my better pictures with you. But like all things pictures are not good as the real thing. The Basilica was overly crowded with people. It was extremely hard to get the priceless pictures I was hoping for.
*All wood confessional found in the Basilica. Still used daily; penitents must kneel are wood, however.
Vatican Museum and the SISTINE CHAPEL
I do not think I really need to say much about the Vatican Museum. The Museum holds many priceless pieces from the ancient world especially from Michelangelo and Raphael. Their work was absolutely beautiful. Of course I am not much for art work but I can always appreciate, more than anything else, except photography, the Renaissance period.
The Sistine Chapel was beyond words to explain how amazing it was. Minus the small things, such as the guards constantly screaming at people, who were rude. There were many regulations in the Sistine Chapel such as, no talking, no cell phones, no photography and no video and once you enter you are not allowed to be on the altar steps, even to sit. Being Catholic I understood the significance of being respectful, because we were in a Holy place, we were in a Chapel, but unfortunately some people are just so disrespectful. As I have said before, this would be something you have to see in person in order to appreciate how amazing it really is. Pictures in books does no justice to the beautiful work of Michelangelo. His paintings in the Sistine Chapel literally pop off the walls, as if they were three dimensional; like a pop up book. The awe and excitement to see such a beautiful well preserved, world renowned Chapel was amazing. There is no other word I can think of the explain what I saw today.
Vatican Museum and the SISTINE CHAPEL
I do not think I really need to say much about the Vatican Museum. The Museum holds many priceless pieces from the ancient world especially from Michelangelo and Raphael. Their work was absolutely beautiful. Of course I am not much for art work but I can always appreciate, more than anything else, except photography, the Renaissance period.
The Sistine Chapel was beyond words to explain how amazing it was. Minus the small things, such as the guards constantly screaming at people, who were rude. There were many regulations in the Sistine Chapel such as, no talking, no cell phones, no photography and no video and once you enter you are not allowed to be on the altar steps, even to sit. Being Catholic I understood the significance of being respectful, because we were in a Holy place, we were in a Chapel, but unfortunately some people are just so disrespectful. As I have said before, this would be something you have to see in person in order to appreciate how amazing it really is. Pictures in books does no justice to the beautiful work of Michelangelo. His paintings in the Sistine Chapel literally pop off the walls, as if they were three dimensional; like a pop up book. The awe and excitement to see such a beautiful well preserved, world renowned Chapel was amazing. There is no other word I can think of the explain what I saw today.
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