Month: January 2019

As an expat, making new friends can be hard. But, friends are essential. They make things easier, they help fill your days, they answer your questions, they empathize, they just make everything so much better. People you have only known for a short time can make such a huge difference in your life. Just when you needed a friend the most.

Two of my very dear friends are leaving, one is off to France and one to Alaska. They say it comes with the territory, people coming and going, but that doesn’t make the goodbyes any easier.

Kirsten is off to Alaska at the end of the year, but she planned one last group activity- a guided tour of the Thorvaldsen Museum. The Museum holds the works of early 19th century Danish born sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen.

Surprise, I loved the gorgeous velvety blue ceilings.

The original plaster of Maximilian 1, the bronze version is in Munch’s Wittelsbacher Platz and his famous rendition of the risen Christ, with his arms outstretched.

Besides the ceilings, my other favorites were these reliefs. They represent Day and Night.

The plaster of the monument to Pope Pius 7. The marble version is displayed in St. Perter’s Cathedral in Rome. Venus with the Apple is on the right.

 

With the leavings come all sorts of celebrating and goodbyes.

Louise’s amazing Birthday celebration. She is off to France.

With karaoke!! I am not good, but I am enthusiastic and I love it.

 

 

Thanksgiving Dinner (the week before) at American Pie Company. The dressing and pumpkin pie were my favorites. So good. I am thankful for them.

 

Goodbye party for Kirsten.

 

Kirsten’s lovely goodbye brunch at Puja’s house.

 

Last bookclub of the year with some of our leaving ladies.

 

 

Our last Ladies night of 2018, celebrating Kirsten. We had dinner at Guru. I have tried Indian food multiple times now, and even when I have an Indian hand-holding me through the ordering process, it just isn’t my thing. The mojito helped though (especially with the heat.) We followed dinner with drinks at Ruby and The Jane.

xoxo-sk

 

 

Back to life. Back to reality. Kids school pics this year.

As I’ve said here before, watching our beloved Georgia Bulldogs from anther country is not always easy. This is our late night family viewing of the Georgia/Florida game. It was hard for Andy not to be there. It’s the first GA/FL game he’s missed in almost twenty years. (I missed last year and when the babies were born.)

Kids were super into it, Andy was tense. Later, around midnight, with the game still going, Andrew came out of his room and puked.

Watching the Kentucky game around midnight.

The seriously late viewing of the Auburn game, that did not start here until 1am. Usually, if the game is really late we (I) try go to bed early and then wakeup for it. Andy does not do this. 

 

It’s Halloween season at Tivoli, and they do such a great job with decorations.

 

Twins at their school’s Halloween Festival. Katherine wanted a picture by herself.

 

After Halloween, Neen came to visit us. We are always so happy to have family here with us. She brought goodies. I try and make the American food last, but it’s gone within the week.

We went to A.C. Perch’s Tea Room. I am a big tea drinker, and we had a lovely pot of Ceylon tea here. I loved lemon curd and scones best.

While Neen stayed home with the kids, Andy and I went out to the Union Kitchen.

It’s always sad when someone has to go, but we had so much fun.

 

It is weird doing Thanksgiving here, as it is (obviously) just a regular day for the Danes. You can find turkeys in Denmark, usually super expensive fresh ones or not so great frozen ones. Since no one in my immediate family really loves turkey or typical thanksgiving food, I cooked my favorites. We also binge watched all the Thanksgiving episodes from Friends.

xoxo-sk

ps.- You do not want to know how much I have to pay for these. The Danes actually expect us to roast our own pumpkins. As if.

Although we already visited Vatican City, we had saved St. Peter’s Basilica for later. Like with the Vatican Museums, we wanted to get there as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

Sorry for all the history, but it is fascinating to me. America is such a baby country compared to Rome, and it is so interesting to see the ebbs and flows over centuries.

In 1st century AD Christianity spread to Rome. At the time, the Emperors had no laws about it or against it. The local authorities did however persecute Christians and continued to do so through the years. In 250 Imperial laws against Christianity started to be passed, and many Christians were punished and killed. Never the less, Christianity continued to grow. In 313 a policy of tolerance was officially made, with Constantine becoming the first Christian Emperor in 324. Christianity was made the official religion in 380, with many of the Pagan temples being turned into churches. Emperor Constantine began building the Old St. Peter’s Basilica in 326. The Roman Empire continued to decline, and Rome lost its importance in the Middle Ages. The population dropping to below 20,000 people. During the Renaissance, the Catholic Church wanted to make Rome prominent again. They begin employing artists like Michelangelo, Raphael, Boticelli and revitalizing the city. The Popes began constructing grand monuments, beautiful public squares, grandiose churches, and a new St. Peter’s Basilica. The Old Basilica had fallen into disrepair in the 15th century, and rather than renovate the Old Basilica, Pope Julius II decided to level it and begin anew. The are Basilica was finished 1626.

The kids in front of the massive bronze Filarete doors. They were from the Old Basilica. 

As you walk in the Basilica, Michelangelo’s Pietà is in the first chapel on your right. We couldn’t go into the chapel, and with the glass wall and lighting it was hard to see and photograph.

As you walk into the nave (central hallway), you can immediately see the enormity of the building.  The Papal alter is straight ahead and to the side are various chapels and alters. When we visited some areas were open, some were closed, and some had mass going on.

Katherine getting some of that holy water.

Touching St. Peter’s toe for blessings.

Some of the chapels.

The Alter of the Chair of Saint Peter by Bernini.

Air vents for the crypts below the Basilica.

The tomb of the Apostle Peter. The Basilica was built on the burial site of Peter, the first Bishop of Rome.

I really can’t stress how magnificent and massive this Basilica is. To put it into perspective, the square footage inside the Basilica is 163,000 sq ft. The floor area of the White House is only 55,000 sq ft.

AK still going strong, and KRK is done.

Andrew liked looking at the intricate tile work on the floors, and as always, I was mesmerized by the ceilings. Looking out into the Square from the Basilica.

The kids enjoyed the colorful Pope’s Swiss guard uniforms.

 

In the afternoon, we took one last walk around Rome. We truly had a great (and exhausting) time here.

The realities of the Trevi Fountain. The kids got really good at maneuvering their way through all the people.

One last Italian margarita pizza for the kids, and one last cacio e pepe for me at Taverna del Seminario.

One last stroll through Piazza Navona.Also, I haven’t mentioned the police presence in Rome. It is everywhere, and they don’t play. 

And one last lemon gelato for K, and cannoli for me. (Don’t worry, Andrew got his version of treats too- bread, all the time.)

Grazie Rome. Arrivederci.

xoxo-sk

ps. We loved our Airbnb. It was right beside St. Peter’s (and an amazing bakery), so we walked through the Square often.

Today we explored Ancient Rome. In the 8th century BC, Rome was ruled by Etruscans. What followed was the rise of the Roman Republic, in 509 BC. Kings were replaced by elected Senators, and Rome became powerful, taking over vast amount of the surrounding areas. A period of civil war and unrest came over Rome, with the ascent of the Republic’s last leader, Julius Caesar. With Caesar’s death, Octavius became the first Emperor in 27 BC. At this point, Rome was the largest city in the world and still growing. Rome’s population peaked in the 2nd century, and Imperial Rome began to take a downward turn. Barbarian invasions began, and in 330 Constantinople was made a second capital. The majority of Romans soon moved to the safer new capital, leaving Rome to its past glories.

One of the Roman’s grandest architectural achievements is the Colosseum. Emperor Vespasian began building the amphitheater in 72 on the site of Nero’s decadent Golden Palace as a gift to the Roman people. It could hold over 50,000 people. It was used for gladiatorial contests, executions, reenactments, flooded for mock sea battles, and for basically any public spectacle. 

The original floor was made of wood and covered with sand. The hypogeum (hidden passageways) were underneath and connected to points outside the arena. The hypogeum had two levels and was full of corridors, cages, pulleys, and elevators to give the animals and gladiators access to the stage above.

The kids were (thankfully) really into the Colosseum. We had prepped them with some edited scenes from the movie Gladiator and some youtube videos so they could imagine what it was like back then.As you can see, there were defiantly a lot of people there (your tickets come with a certain time slot), but it wasn’t bad. We saw everything we wanted to see. Sometimes you may have to wait a minute or so to get a prime viewing spot.

View from the Colosseum of the Temple of Venus and Roma.

Parco del Celio.Arch of Constantine erected in 312. It lies between the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. (Picture is from the top of the Colosseum.)

Quick break for lunch at Café Café. So good. We didn’t have a bad meal here. A and K once again had cheese pizza and were happy.

Then we ventured to the most famous of Rome’s seven hills, Palatine Hill. Palatine Hill is one of the oldest parts on the city and overlooks the Forum on one side and Circus Maximus on the other. It was home to the great palaces of the Roman Emperors and the rich Roman Senators before them. (People have actually inhabited this area since the 10th century BC per excavations.) While day to day life took place in the Forum below, this is where the affluent and powerful lived.

At the foot of Palatine Hill is the is 1st century Arch of Titus. Arches were built to commemorate great military victories, with this one celebrating a victory in the Roman-Jewish War in Judaea. Near the Arch is the ruins of the Temple of Venus and Roma, built by Emperor Hadrian in 135 AD. About to go up the hill. Legend has it that the hill was home to Romulus (the founder of Rome) and Remus. The ruins of the Emperor’s great houses. Kids were unimpressed, but Andy and I loved it.Palace of Domitian garden/stadium.Water garden courtyard of the Domus Augustana.Overlooking Circus Maximus.I think the Forum was Andy’s favorite place we visited here. He took Latin in high school and came here on a school trip.The Nymphaeum of the Mirrors, a niche built into the ancient walls as you make your way down the hill.Halfway up the hill, overlooking the Forum below. As early as the 7th century BC, the Forum was where all the action happened in Rome. It was the political, commercial, and religious center of Rome. It has been added onto and rebuilt over time; most of what we see now is from around the 1st century BC.The Forum’s largest building was the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine, built in 312 AD.

The Domus Tiberiana, another Emperor’s Palace built into Palatine Hill, seen from the Forum.

The Temple of Romulus, built in 307 AD. It was later turned into a vestibule for the Catholic church, Santi Cosma e Damiano, in 527. The green door and lock are original to the building.

The Temple of Antoninus and Faustina was built in 140. Emperor Antoninus built it for his wife when she died. His name was added upon his death. So romantic.

At this time, the kids were beginning to be over it, the Colosseum had been cool, but a bunch of rocks didn’t quite have the same entertainment value. They powered through.

The Temple of Castor and Pollux from the end of the 1st century BC. Castor and Pollux were the sons of Leda and Jupiter and in 499 BC led the Romans to victory over the Latins. Upon their celebratory return to Rome, they went to Juturna Springs with their horses and then were never seen again.Juturna Springs. It was said these waters had healing properties.

The Temple of Vesta was originally a circular temple, with the Sacred Fire of Vesta at its center. It was first built in the 7th century BC and has been rebuilt many times. The fire was tended round the clock by Priestesses who began their service before the age of ten. The eternal fire was extinguished and the Vestal Virgins disbanded around 380, when Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion.The House of the Vestal Virgins was where the women lived to serve out their thirty year term of service. After they left their position of honor they were free to marry.

The Temple of Caesar. After his assassination in 44 BC, Augustus built a temple to honor his adoptive father in 29 BC. It was built on the site of his cremation, and it is also where Marc Anthony read his last will and testament and gave his famous eulogy. 1600 years later Shakespeare would immortalize Anthony and his (fictionalized) speech in his play Julius Caesar. I actually had to memorize Shakespeare’s version of Anthony’s speech in High School, and I still remember it, at least the first 10 lines or so. “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me you’re ears.”

The very surprisingly unimpressive looking Curia. Then Curia was were the Senate met. The one today had been restored, but was originally was built by Julius Caesar in 44 BC. It was turned into a church in the 7th century.

At the edge of the Forum, is the Arch of Septimus. This Arch was built in 203 and commemorated the Roman defeat of the Parthians.

At one time, the Umbilicus Urbis marked the center of the city, from which everything was measured. The original was from 2nd century BC, and the existing one is from 203 AD.

 

The view from Aventine Hill (another one of Rome’s seven famous hills) of the Emperor’s Palaces and Circus Maximus. Circus Maximus lied in the valley between the two, the Romans used it for chariot racing and their Roman games. It was in use from 6th century BC to 6the century AD.  At its largest in 1st century AD, it held 250,000 people. Currently, it is a public space used for festivals and concerts. Ok, at this point, the kids are tired and my feet hurt. 

 

The Arch of Janus from early 4th century AD. The Rhino statue is pretty recent I think. 

The Mouth of Truth/Bocca della Verità has been located at the Santa Maria de Cosmedin Church since 1632. It is a marble mask of the sea God Oceanus. Legend has it that if you put your hand in the mouth and tell a lie, he will bite your hand off. There was a long line to put your hand in so we just grabbed a picture and moved on. Kids were done, I don’t blame them. A lot was seen today.

Across from the Mouth is the Temple of Hercules Victor in the Forum Boarium. The circular marble temple dates back to 2nd century BC.

 

Ending the day with a gelato stop. Nutella Chocolate/Lemon for K and Strawberry Cheesecake and Caramel for Andy and me. Weird combo I know.

xoxo-sk

ps. We love a walkable city. Besides getting to and from the airport, the only time we took public transport was to the Colosseum/Forum. The kids were grateful.

 

When you are in Rome there are so many beautiful scenic piazzas (squares) and historic churches. There are over 900 churches in Rome. You cannot walk far without coming across a church. 

San Giovanni dei Fiorentini. After almost 200 years of building, this Church was completed in 1734. It is dedicated to John the Baptist and is the national church for Florence in Rome.

 

 

Our early afternoon gelato stop. Chocolate covered Lemon for K and Cinnamon and Black Cherry for the adults.

 

One of Rome’s most picturesque Piazzas- Piazza Navona. It is a lovely square, with beautiful fountains, cafes, and shops. It was built on the site of the 1st century Stadium of Domitian, where chariot races were held. It has served as jousting arena in Medieval times, a home to festivals and marketplaces, and it continues to be a hub of activities to the Romans.The Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone.Porta’s The Fountain of the Moor from 1576.

The Fountain of the Four Rivers was sculpted by Bernini in 1651. It represents the four great River’s of the World, circa mid 1600s, the Danube, the Ganges, the Plate, and the Nile.

The Fountain of Neptune by Bitta and Zappala, built in 1878.

They had some kids activities going on.

 

Nugget snack stop for A on the steps of the Basilica of Sant’Agostino (15th century.) Heaven forbid we go to a country and not visit the local Mickie D’s. 

The Baroque Santa Maria Maddalena.

 

The Pantheon is quite the engineering feat. Centuries old, it is the only intact ancient Roman temple. Emperor Hadrian built the Pantheon in the early 100s. The dome is 142 feet vertically and horozonally. It is the largest unsupported concrete dome in the world, with 25 feet thick walls. The dome is a perfect half-sphere.

 

The Pantheon’s 27 foot wide oculus. Since there is a massive hole in the ceiling, when it rains, water falls inside. The floor is slightly slanted and designed with small holes to allow water to drain.

Like most Roman symbols, the temple has been tuned into a church, the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs. It was probably one of the reasons it has been so well preserved. There are 16 Egyptian granite Corinthian columns at the front, each standing 40 feet tall and weighing 60 tons.

In front of the Pantheon is the marble Fontana del Pantheon, built in 1578. The obelisk atop it was built by Ramses II and brought from Egypt. It has been redesigned and reconfigured over the years.

 

Church of Sant’Ignazio. One of my favorites. The frescoed ceiling is amazing.

 

 

The baroque Oratory of San Francesco Saverio del Caravita (17th-century.)

 

The Trevi Fountain was designed by Nicola Salvi, finished in 1762 and is the largest fountain in Italy.  It is 86 feet high and 161 feet wide. In 19 BC, Marcus Agrippa built an aqueduct to bring water from (8 miles) outside Rome into the city. It ended at the Trevi Fountain. Interestingly, the water from the Trevi Fountain continues on to Fountain of the Old Boat by the Spanish Steps and Fountain of the Four Rivers at Piazza Navona.It is super crowded at the Trevi Fountain, so good pictures are hard to come by. In the center of the Fountain is Neptune, God of the Sea, being pulled in a chariot by tritons and horses. 

 

Legend has it that if you throw a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder into the Fountain, you are destined to return to Rome someday. (The kids did not  “technically” throw it in the right way.) Over $4000 are thrown into the Fountain a day.

 

We did a little souvenir shopping for the kids. Katherine decided on a handmade wire necklace with her name, and Andrew got some cool street art.

A quick lunch and water bottle fill up.

There are 2,500 “Nasoni” water fountains throughout the city. It is piped in from the mountains with ancient Roman aqueducts and is routinely tested for purity. So, it is safe, pure, cold, and best of all- free.

 

Column of Immaculate Conception, dedicated in 1857. The ancient Roman column itself was found in 1777.

 

Sant’Ambrogio e Carlo al Corso. Another favorite. Not much on the outside, but beautiful adornments and ceilings on the inside.

 

The Piazza di Spagna is home to the Spanish Embassy to the Vatican and the infamous Spanish Steps. At the top of the 135 Spanish Steps is Trinità Dei Monti. Ironically, it is a French Roman Catholic Church, and the steps were originally built in 1723-25 by the French as a grand entrance to their church.At the base of the Steps is Bernini’s The Fountain of the Old Boat. In 1598 the Tiber River flooded, and people had to use boats to get around the city. When the waters finally recided, one lone boat was left in this plaza, and Bernini and his son memorialized it with this fountain.

 

The Villa Borghese GardenAndrew at the Pincio’s Water Clock. The hydrochromometer was placed in the Gardens in 1873.

 

Looking down on the Piazza del Popolo from Pincian Hill. It recently was turned into a pedestrian only piazza.The Piazza del Popolo’s Fontana del Nettuno. At the center of the Piazza is an Egyptian obelisk from Ramesses II. It was brought to Rome in 10 BC by Emperor Augustus. It was originally erected in Circus Maximus, but moved to Piazza del Popolo in 1589.

 

Ending the day with an amazing dinner (yes, dinner- it’s vacation) of lemon gelato, some kind of cream filled pastry, and a freshly made cannoli in Piazza Cavour, beside the Supreme Court Building.

xoxo-sk

ps. They were selling these at some of the souvenir stands. They cracked me up.

After leaving Vatican City and St. Peter’s Square, we made our way down the road to Castel Sant’Angelo, Castle of the Holy Angel, named after the angel Michael. Legend has it the plague killed hundreds of thousands of people in the 500s, and in 590, Michael landed on top of the Castle, and the plague ended. Originally built in early 100s by Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and family, it has been used as a fortress, castle, prison, and now museum.

The Passetto di Borgo connects the Castel Sant’Angelo to St. Peter’s Basilica. It was built in 1277 and is 800m long. It was built, and has been used, as an escape route for the popes in danger.

 

A few minutes away, and right around the corner from our Airbnb was the amazing Pizza Zizza. While we waited a few minutes for our table, the fabulous owner brought us out some fried rice balls. We obviously liked them.Andy and I enjoyed their specialty, the pizza platter. It was a sampling of six of their pizzas, each one amazing. The mushroom and fresh basil and mozzarella were my favorites, Andy loved the pesto and ham.The kids loved their margarita pizza.  If you didn’t know, the toppings on a margarita (margherita) pizza represent the colors of the Italian flag- red/tomatoes, white/mozzarella, green/basil. It was created in 1880 to honor Margherita, the Italian Queen. When Andrew finished his, they just brought him more. I cannot tell you how wonderful the hospitality is at this restaurant.And like a true Italian, Andy finished his meal with another expresso.

 

We started the evening walking up the Gianicolo (Janiculum), making our way to Trastevere. The Gianicolo is a large hill west of the Tiber, south of Vatican City, with beautiful panoramic views of the city. At the start of the climb.

Atop the hill is the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola, a marble fountain built in the 17th century by Pope Paul V. It was later used as inspiration for the famous Trevi Fountain.

The bronze Garibaldi Monument. It honors Garibaldi, the hero who overcame the French attack on Rome in 1849. 

 

On Rome’s “Left Bank” is the Trastevere district. It has a medieval vibe with cobblestone streets, lots of bars and restaurants, and an eclectic mix of people. 

Rome’s oldest church, The Basilica de Santa Maria was established before 337 AD. The current church was built in the 12th century. It’s sits in Trastevere’s main square.

 

Dinner outside at Sette Oche. My favorite of the nicer restaurants we went to (we didn’t go to any super nice places due to it being an absolute waste on our kids at this point.) I had cacio e pepe, a new favorite I repeated through the trip, and a caprese salad (no before pics, I was hungry.) Andy had lemon linguine, Katherine meatballs, and Andrew (again) had a margarita pizza.

 

We walked home along the Tiber River. The historic center of Rome is the Ponte Sisto pedestrian bridge, built in the 15th century.Goodnight Rome.

xoxo-sk

ps. SPQR is Rome’s official symbol, coming from the Latin phrase “Senatus Populusque Romanus,” “the Senate and the people of Rome.” It dates back from 80 BC.

 

Ciao Rome! We hit the ground running here. First stop- Vatican City (the Museums and Sistine Chapel specifically.) Vatican City is the smallest country in the world (110 acres), with a population under 1000. Ruled by the Holy Catholic Church, it consists of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Gardens, and various offices and housing for the Pope, clergy, and Swiss Guard.

Pope Julius II founded the Vatican Museum in the early 16th century. It houses countless works of art, including paintings, tapestries, frescos, maps, and sculptures. There is truly so much interesting art to see, more than we could possible see in one morning, especially with kids. The Museum is enormous. It is not super organized and lacks a flow, but I think we saw everything we wanted to see, and in the kid’s case more than they wanted. Here are some (lots) of the pictures, I tried my best to edit them down to my favorites.

The Pinecone Courtyard or Pigna. The 13 foot bronze Pinecone was found in Rome, near the Pantheon and is from 1st century BC. It has been moved a few times, but has been in its current location since 1608. The bronze sphere within a sphere is one of many similar sculptures around the world by Italian Pomodoro. It was added in latter part of the 20th century, with the inner sphere meant to symbolize the world and the outer Christianity.

 

In the New Wing/ Braccio Nuevo. Andrew with the Statue of the Nile God.

Staring down a Roman marble bust of Medusa from 2nd century.

Many (most) of the statue’s penises are covered with a fig leaf. Pope Paul IV began the trend in the late 1500s, and it continued into the 1800’s. Some Popes broke the penises off, while some preferred the addition of the fig leaf.  Sadly, Pope Pius IX destroyed any statues with their penis still visible. Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius from the 2nd Century AD.

 

 

Katherine sitting by the pond in the Octagonal Courtyard, originally called the Belvedere Courtyard. The Courtyard holds some of the Vatican’s most important statues.Laocoön and His Sons was made around 30 BC and found outside Rome in 1506. The sculpture shows the mythological Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons getting attacked by serpents sent by the gods.

One of the Vatican’s most famous sculptures, Apollo Belvedere. It depicts the Greek/Roman god Apollo having just shot his arrow. This marble Greek statue, from 1st century BC, was found in the 15th century and was the first piece of art in the Vatican’s art collection. Interestingly, this was one of the pieces Napoleon brought back to the Louvre in Paris after his Italian invasion. Obviously, it was returned in 1815.

Perseus Triumphant was carved in 1801 by Canova and shows Perseus holding Medusa’s severed head. This piece was inspired by the Apollo Belvedere and took its place when Napoleon took Apollo back to Paris. To the left and right of Andy, Katherine, and Perseus are the boxers, Creugas of Durres and Damoxenos of Syracuse. Canova, inspired by the story Periegesis of Greece, finished sculpting the pair in the very early 1800s.

Venus and Eros from 170.

Sarcophagus with Bacchanalian procession and lion’s heads.The tub was made out of a single piece of red granite.

 

Quick stop in the Egyptian area. Andrew with huge red granite statue of Ptolemy Philadelphus.

 

The Sala Rotonda/Rotunda Room, completed in 1779.

Found in Emperor Hadrian’s old villa and restored in 1774, these Roman marble sculptures represent Zeus’s daughters, the Muses. The Muse of Tragedy, Melpomene, with a tragic mask. Clio, the Muse of History and Memory. Urania, Muse of astronomy, with her staff and globe. The Muse of Comedy, Thalia, with her comic mask. The statues are 2nd century Roman copies of Greek originals from the 4th century BC.

Hercules is on the on the far right and is gilded bronze from the 2nd century. He was found buried under a courtyard in the Roman district of Parione in 1864. It was found that the statue had been struck by lightening, and then, according to Roman customs, given a ritual burial.The beautiful ceilings and floors. The stunning mosaics are from the early 3rd century and were reassembled in the hall in the 18th century.

At the center of the Rotunda Room is Nero’s spherical stone bath. He ordered it for his Domus Aura (Golden House) in the early 1st century. With a forty foot diameter, the basin is made of porphyry, volcanic rock. It is hard and heavy, and it must have been quite a feat to get the rock from Egypt to Rome and carve into shape. A red porphyry scarophagus from the 4th century that belonged to Constantine’s mother, Saint Helen.

 

The Gallery of Tapestries is full of Flemish tapestries made in Brussels by Pieter Van Aelst’s school. These tapestries took years to make. They used Raphael’s students drawings as inspiration. The hangings were originally displayed in the Sistine Chapel in 1531. There are also some 17th century Roman made ones of Pope Urban VIII’s life on display. Tapestries aren’t a favorite of mine, but they were beautifully detailed. The Resurrection of the Christ. The Gallery’s ceiling. My favorite thing about the Museum were the amazingly beautiful ceilings, each one more gorgeous then the next. Yep, all that art and I am in obsessed with the ceilings.

The Maps Gallery. Between 1580 and 1585 the famous geographer, Ignazio Danti, frescoed forty maps on the walls representing Italian and Papal regions. I loved the rich bright blues on the maps and the ceilings were stunning.

 

The Raphael Rooms were used as Papal apartments from 1507 to 1585. They were painted by Raphael and his school between 1508 and 1524.

The Room of the Segnatura ceiling. The School of Athens. In this painting, Raphael has imagined a meeting of the greatest minds in history. You can find Michelangelo, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, and Bramante in the piece, along with Raphael in the bottom right corner.

Disputation of the Holy Sacrament.

The Room of Heliodorus ceiling.

The Mass at Bolsena. Raphael painted himself into this painting.

The Room of the Fire in the Borgo ceiling.

 

You are not allowed to take pictures inside the Vatican’s most famous site, The Sistine Chapel. It was built in the 15th century. Most people are pretty familiar with it and a quick google search will show you pictures of the interior. Michelangelo’s famous ceiling truly is magnificent. It contains nine scenes from the book of Genesis, with the most famous being the Creation of Adam. It took him (mostly alone, he did not play well with others) four years to paint (1508-1512.) Although the ceiling is lovely, I found myself drawn more towards Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, painted between 1535 and 1541. It’s a chaotic painting of the second coming of Jesus for the final judgement of man.

 

Collection of Contemporary Art.

El Precursor by Sartorio finsihsned in 1928. Foujita’s Madonna and Child (1920.)

Tano Festa’s piece from 1979 was inspired by Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel

 

 

A few more amazing ceilings and yes Katherine, we are almost done.

 

 

Andrew and the amazing spiral staircase. You are unable to see the original Bramante spiral staircase, but this one is very similar and was constructed in 1932. It a double helix design, made up of two staircases.

Goodbye Vatican, you were everything everyone said you would be- gorgeously breathtaking and crazy crowded.

But wait, one last stop at the Vatican Post Office to send a postcard to our cousins.

Making our way out of St. Peter’s Square. The square was designed by the famous architect Bernini. 140 columns surround the square, with 140 statues atop each one. The colonnades are to represent the Catholic Church embracing the people of the world. It is beautiful.

 

Promised snack break. Gelato flavors today are Strawberries and Cream/White Melon (white melon was the best flavor the whole trip) for me and Cookies/ Nutella for Katherine. Andy doing the espresso thing after a packed morning.

xoxo-sk