Rome - Vatican City

The last place that we were able to visit in Rome was Vatican City. We took the Rome Subway this time! We got there and noticed that a line had formed for the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel. So we walked to the end of the line: around one corner and you could see the line extending two more blocks. We get to the 2nd corner and notice that the line extended almost all the way to St Peter's Square. We knew that we would be mad later if we didn't stay. 2.5 hours later we finally made it inside.

We made a little of a bee line to the Sistine Chapel but were lead through Raphael's Rooms: a number of rooms that Raphael had painted by commission for Pope Julius II.



Additional rooms included the Hall of Animals, Hall of Maps, a larger Egyptian collection, etc. But as everyone knows perhaps the main reason to wait 2.5 hours in line is to see Michelangelo's masterpieces in the Sistine Chapel. The Last Judgement and the ceiling! There were signs saying that taking pictures was forbidden but the staff that was everyone didn't seem to care.

Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508 to repaint the ceiling. It took him 4 years to paint the ceiling laying on his back the entire time on a tall scaffolding. The length of the ceiling is 40.5 meters!



Michelangelo's other masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel is the Last Judgement. Michelangelo worked on this painting from 1535 - 1541. The painting had been restored recently was the color was amazingly deep and bright.



I know I used the word "amazing" a number of times but it was very awe-inspiring.

We ate a late lunch and decided to head back up to St Peter's Square to see if St. Peter's Basilica was open. Unfortunately it was closed. In fact there were barricades around the entire square and you could only get in with tickets. After asking a few questions we found out that Pope Benedict was going to be saying a mass to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death. If it wasn't our last night in Rome and if we didn't have a morning train to Naples we would've stayed. We went back to our hotel and saw the end of the mass on TV.