The Sweet Hereafter

Thursday, 24 January 2008

The Roman Forum (Rome, Italy)

The Roman Forum is filled with ruins. Seriously. Its hard to blog about. There is just so much stuff. Columns, basilicas, temples, and statues. Everything you ever wanted to know about history is here. And its beautiful. (This is coming from someone who has a hard time picturing how rocks would have looked thousands of years ago!)

"The Temple of Saturn (Latin: Templum Saturni or Aedes Saturnus) is a monument to the agricultural deity Saturn, that stands at the western end of the Forum Romanum in Rome. It represents the oldest-surviving foundation in that area, having been established between 501 and 498 BC."

Here I am standing underneath the Arch of Septimius Severus.

Oh where to start? Let's just call this the Roman Forum.

This is the side of the House of the Vestal Virgins. "The priestesses who tended the sacred flame in the Temple of Vesta lived here. The house was originally a large rectangular building around a central garden." The grass in this picture is the central garden.

Another one for the cat lovers! Roman cats! (Italy)

This is one of my favourite pictures! I love the ruins and the black cat. They are so striking against each other.

Colosseum -- Just what you have been waiting for! (Rome, Italy)

First things, first. The crowds. Like everything else in Rome, always remember you are never alone!

Once inside, well, the crowds slightly thin. It doesn't really matter though, because the coliseum is so incredible that time (and people) seem to fade away. You are left standing alone, picturing life as a gladiator would. Its really incredible.

The most impressive thing...the flooring structure. In the back of this photo, is a false cover, demonstrating what the colosseum would have looked like. Underneath the floor are all the corridors where the gladiators and the animals were kept prior to the matches.

Trajan's Market

Rome is to ruins as Europe is to churches. I am certain that all the church pictures were getting a bit tiring. But its Europe, its filled with them and they are almost always beautiful. That's how Rome was. Turning every corner, is something else. Surprisingly, so many are so incredibly well preserved, that rather than looking at ruins or rocks, you actually can walk hallways, look in a market stall, etc. You actually can imagine living or working there. Its a really cool and unique feeling.

Here's what the market is:

"The upper levels of the market were used for offices while the lower part, in front of Trajan's Forum, had shops selling oil, wines, seafood, groceries, vegetables and fruit. Medieval houses built on the top floor face the semicircular segment of the Via Biberatica. The lower part of the market today shows two levels: a ground floor level for shops, with an entry made in travertine, surmounted by an arch. The second level was formed by adjoining shops selling wines and oil. A third level, today visible only as some walls, was discovered at the Via Biberatica and was probably used for grocers' shops. On the lower part there are also two large halls, probably used for auditions or concerts. A shop housed in the Market is known as a taberna."

I am standing in Trajan's Market and behind me is the Victor Emmanuel Monument.

This picture is the best for looking at after reading the description of the market layout above. You can really see where all the stalls were and how the day to day business was conducted!

Subway O'Rama! (Rome, Italy)

Its a miracle that Rome can have a subway at all. Seriously, think about it. Digging a subway tunnel in a city as rich as that?? Well, they have managed to do so, and its quite convenient!

As you already know, Jason hates these shots! But I love them. So here we go...the inside of the Colosseum Subway Station!

Here is a train heading in the opposite direction! The graffiti, I thought, was really cool!

Another Jason!

Finally, what you've all been waiting for!

The inside of the Vatican! Ready?

The entrance to Vatican City!!

Once inside, our tour group paused in this courtyard for some history on the Vatican. The courtyard was amazing! And if you are wondering, that's St. Peter's Basilica in the background. (But more on that later!)

Are you recognizing a pattern here? Our headphones worked for the guide all over the place, so I took a few minutes to step away and soak up the sun, the courtyard and of course, the view!

Vatican City a la Wikipedia!

"Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City (Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae; Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. At approximately 44 hectares (108.7 acres), and with a population of around 900, it is the smallest state in the world by both population and area.

The state came into existence by virtue of the Lateran Treaty in 1929, which spoke of it as a new creation (Preamble and Article III), not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756 to 1870) that had previously encompassed central Italy. Most of this territory was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and the final portion, namely the city of Rome with a small area close to it, ten years later, in 1870.

Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected monarchy that is ruled by the Bishop of Rome — the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Catholic Church. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Apostolic Palace - the Pope's official residence - and of much of the Roman Curia.

For almost 1000 years (324-1309), the Popes lived at the Lateran Palace on the Caelian Hill in the east of Rome. On their return from 68 years in Avignon in 1377 the Lateran building was out of repair, and since then they have lived in the Vatican or, for a while, at the Quirinal, now the residence of the president of Italy. The Lateran Treaty by which the Vatican City State was set up is so called because it was signed in the restored Lateran building, which is now the residence of the Pope's Cardinal Vicar General for the City of Rome.

There have been two Vatican Councils, but five Lateran Councils. The Basilica of St. John Lateran, not the St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, remains the Pope's cathedral. Vatican is one of the most visited places of worship in the world with more than 25 million devotees coming every year."

The Inner Courtyard! (Vatican City)

The first inner courtyard. Our (actually everyone's) first official stop before proceeding into the museums. There are many people and many different tour groups, so I will take a moment to tell you about ours and what our guide told us. From our guide: The Vatican museums were never intended to be museums. At least, that's not how they were originally designed. Instead, its actually the priest's house (a massive, beautiful, ornate house) -- more or less. Consequently, the museum is very narrow and full of tight spaces. So, the Vatican placed big signs and photographs around the courtyard, so that the visitors and tour guides could orient themselves prior to entering the cramped spaces.

Hence, why the first official stop. I didn't really get it at first, but once inside you certain appreciate the time outside focusing on what you really want to see, in order to maximise your time inside!

Here is Jason facing the gorgeous wall in the picture above, and the globe is the most modern sculpture in the Vatican.

More views from the courtyard!

The Sistine Chapel. (Vatican City)

Since the chapel has been renovated, people are no longer allowed to take photographs or videos inside. So I copied this photograph from the internet. What was different about the day we were there was the people. I mean, the chapel was filled wall to wall with people. It was still really incredible to see the ceiling. But it was hardly the the quiet moving experience I thought it might be. Along the walls are benches, so after awhile, Jason and I moved to the benches, had a seat and admired the view.

Here is a picture of the ceiling. These next two pictures are the ones that are in the courtyard at the Vatican. If you look closely you can see the entire ceiling and all the details. One thing that is very interesting, but I am not sure if you will be able to see the detail. Historically, martyrs are painted with their manner of death somewhere on their body. So if you look at the martyrs in the photo, Michelangelo painted their manner of death in them, like if they were skinned or burned, they might be holding their skin or ashes. I'm not describing this very well, but its really cool.

More of the ceiling!

Garden of Statues (Vatican City)

Before entering the museums, there is a garden of statues. Jason was in love with the statues so here are some of his prize photos.

A Bathtub fit for a Pope. (Vatican City)

Yes, this is a bath tub. Solid marble, and seriously, you could fit maybe 6 or 7 of me in it. It was enormous. Anyway, Jason got a kick out of it, so I thought I would include the picture here!

Room of Maps (Vatican City)

If you were a Pope and wanted to look at maps of, say world empires, your home land, the Roman Empire, would you just put up cloth or "store" bought? I think not. In this beautiful room are gorgeous maps of Italy and the world. They are easily floor to ceiling and have impressive details.

I have no idea what I am doing with my head/shoulder here. But you get the picture on how large the maps are! :)

Again, size and detail!

And well, of course, you would never put the maps in a bare room. No, no. Instead the ceiling would have to be frescoed to the highest standard, and well, of course, it is.

(By the way, this room is really indicative of the entire museum layout. Long, narrow rooms that really feel more like hallways, but are all ornate and stunning!)

Views and Entrances (Vatican City)

Ever wondered what the Pope sees when he is giving mass in front of St. Peter's Basilica? Look no further as this is the exact view!

Everything about St. Peter's is impressive and grand! Especially the front door!

First glance inside! (Vatican City)

Jason is standing right in the front door of St. Peter's Basilica. As you would imagine, it is gorgeous. On the right side of picture, is a mini wall. See it? Well, that wall marks off a section of the floor where there are stones laid to distinguish St. Peter's Basilica from all the other major cathedrals and churches in the world.

Indeed, the stones aren't really necessary, because from your first entrance to the Basilica, it is so so so easy to see that it is the largest in the world.

This is a Michelangelo statue of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus. Its called the Pieta. It shows Mary holding the body of Jesus after the crucifixion. An interesting story about the Pieta, is that currently it sits behind bullet proof glass. This wasn't always the case. It used to sit in the middle of the Basilica until 1972 when a disturbed geologist took attacked it with a hammer whilst shouting "I am Jesus Christ".

Here I am touching the "Holy Door" that the Pope opens only in Jubilee years with an elaborate ceremony and a bronze hammer! Where I am touching is a spot worn in the brass, and Jason I have been sitting here for 15 minutes trying to figure out why. We can't remember, other than it was very holy to do so.

Final Resting Place (Vatican City)

Throughout St. Peter's Basilica is the final resting for a number of Popes. It is a very stunning sight to see as many are on display (as here) throughout the Basilica.

Others are under statues and other memorials.

And finally -- St. Peter Himself! (Vatican City)

"St. Peter's baldacchino is a large sculpted bronze artwork designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and located over the high altar of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. The large canopy was intended to mark in a monumental way the place of Saint Peter's tomb. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII. Works began in July 1623 and ended in 1633."

Here's the text from the tomb.

On December 23, 1950, in his pre-Christmas radio broadcast to the world, Pope Pius XII announced the discovery of Saint Peter's tomb. It was in the crypt. Which now, is below the altar, and the baldacchino and remains an excavation site!

Swiss Guards! In Rome? (Vatican City)

"Swiss Guards are Swiss mercenary soldiers who have served as bodyguards, ceremonial guards, and palace guards at foreign European courts from the late 15th century until the present day (in the form of the Papal Swiss Guard). They have generally had a high reputation for discipline and loyalty to their employers. Some of these units have also served as fighting troops in the field. There were also regular Swiss mercenary regiments serving as line troops in various armies, notably those of France, Spain and Naples until the 19th century who were not household or guard units." (From my favourite site -- Wikipedia) Oh and from me, the guards are really impressive! They protect (and have always protected) the Pope, Vatican staff and of course, the tourists! :)