What a day (… and note there’s a bigger point coming; it will take a few minutes to get there…)
This day in Rome began with a long planned trip to Vatican City, the city-state embedded in Rome, which serves as the global headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. There were swarms of people there; in fact, there were no more tickets said to be sold for the day. Soon the summer heat would be swarming as well.
Our semi-private tour started with the grounds and museums of the Vatican, visiting many of the 54 galleries. In addition to the people, there is amazing art seemingly everywhere… Bellini, da Vinci, Michelangelo and Raphael… Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse and so many more… Some 70,000 works of art exist in the Vatican museums, although only 20,000 are visible to the public. Regardless, to call it “stunning” still doesn’t seem strong enough.
We walked through both tapered halls and expansive display rooms… lined by columns, marble, Roman travertine and more, as the museums house some of the most prominent Roman sculptures and Renaissance paintings. The works are both old and new… and yes, far more than stunning. For example…
We strolled through the Chiaramonti Museum — named after Pope Pius VII Chiaramonti (1800-1823) — where sculpture after sculpture lines the domed hall. (Note: I may have chuckled at least once with evidence of the political correctness police, which some years ago mandated sculpted fig leafs be added to each male model… alas…).
Soon came both the Gallery of Tapestries and Gallery of Maps. The unique collection in each is eye-dropping, with the tapestries depicting specific moments in the life of Jesus, such as the Last Supper. The room of maps, on the other hand, feature painted works depicting the entire Italian peninsula.
Arguably most in need of words other than stunning or striking, is the last of the museums, the Sistine Chapel. Interestingly, there are stern instructions given prior to entrance insisting upon silence and the removal of hats; the goal no doubt is reverence; it’s a good question: can reverence be commanded? Interesting, too, once inside, voices were immediately raised and talking commenced. I would not conclude, however, that the increased sound was synonymous with an absence of reverence.
The chapel was spectacular, highlighted by Michelangelo’s nothing short of profound The Creation of Adam, the fresco which the artist said was inspired by the scripture in Genesis saying “God created man in his own image.” The touch of their fingers gives life and breath to humankind.
Before exiting the chapel, we came face-to-face with The Last Judgment, painted on the 42 foot high, 39 foot wide wall, the massive masterpiece depicting the juxtaposition of entering or not the Kingdom of Heaven.
The oohs and aahs continued as we exited the museums and entered St. Peter’s Basilica. Let me simply say this: for us, the reverence only increased. The artwork, altars and architecture are spectacular and at times spectacularly ornate (… another note here… I had hoped to share what it was like to stand in front of La Pietà, Michelangelo’s first great work, the magnificent sculpture where a devastated Mary holds a lifeless Jesus… due to preparation for Rome’s Jubilee of 2025, it’s not open to the public; this public shall return…).
No doubt this post is laced with tangent details. There was simply so much to see, so much to experience…
But as alluded to, noting the point of the post of the first half of this day would be slightly delayed… as I walked through all of the above, overcome with authentic wonder, one question kept coming to mind…
Thinking of The Creation of Adam, even La Pietà, all that artwork… what inspired the artist?
What real thing inside of them drove and enabled them to craft such a masterful, meaningful work of art?
It had to be big. It had to be real. And it had to be something amazing.
I wonder.
Respectfully…
AR