Date of Visit: 7 September 2011
The smallest country in the world, and yet it is the holiest place for any Roman Catholics. We've seen so much of it on TV, read about it in books, especially Dan Brown's, and we are here. They don't exactly have immigration, so we can just walk into St Peter's Square.
It happened that the day we went to the Vatican is the day the pope is going to see his followers. So there were tents and chairs set up in the square. We didn't stay to see him, because we had a museum tour at that time. Which is a good thing as most people will be at the square seeing the pope instead of at the museums, thus less crowded inside.
The Vatican museums are amazing, full of painting, sculptures and other masterpieces of art. I overhead one guide saying, if you spend a minute at every item in the museum, it will take 15 years to complete everything. That's how big it is!
As we followed the guide, we explained some of the more important pieces of masterpieces. And here are some photos for you to see. I'm really amazed by how some of them manage to paint the ceilings so vividly. They have an idea of how to paint 3D objects. Some of the ceiling paintings looked so 3D that I thought they are really sculptures and not paintings. Stunning!
And the supposed climax of the tour: the Sistine Chapel. No photos inside, so as a law abiding Singaporean, I didn't take any :) Well, it's a sacred place, so we are supposed to keep silence. But with so many people inside, the whispers of everyone added up is still very loud. The guards there have to 'shhh' at the crowd futilely. Lol.
Looking at all the paintings and wall frescoes, I really have to give it to the painters for they patience and vision. They drew and painted the huge walls and ceilings, and usually take years to complete. I cannot imagine how someone could spend a few years just painting a single project. That's what Michelangelo did when he painted the Sistine Chapel. But I guess they do not have the Internet back then, otherwise he might just be stalking Rafael or other famous artists on Facebook.
The exit for the Vatican is the famous spiral stairs. It is very steep, mind you. I think a lousy architect designed it.
So here's me sending back a postcard. It's rather expensive to send a card back, EUR1.60 for the stamps alone. I initially wanted to send a card back from every city, but I reckon I will be broke if I do that. So I'll do so selectively I guess.
St. Peter's Basilica is free for all to enter, and it is one of the biggest domes in the world! Inside the Basilica lies the tomb of St. Peter's. which is right under the tomb and has a large structure over it. It's the one in the movie Angels and Demon where the priest burnt himself to death. There are also all the bodies of the previous popes, many statues and gold studded ceilings.
The smallest country in the world, and yet it is the holiest place for any Roman Catholics. We've seen so much of it on TV, read about it in books, especially Dan Brown's, and we are here. They don't exactly have immigration, so we can just walk into St Peter's Square.
It happened that the day we went to the Vatican is the day the pope is going to see his followers. So there were tents and chairs set up in the square. We didn't stay to see him, because we had a museum tour at that time. Which is a good thing as most people will be at the square seeing the pope instead of at the museums, thus less crowded inside.
The Vatican museums are amazing, full of painting, sculptures and other masterpieces of art. I overhead one guide saying, if you spend a minute at every item in the museum, it will take 15 years to complete everything. That's how big it is!
As we followed the guide, we explained some of the more important pieces of masterpieces. And here are some photos for you to see. I'm really amazed by how some of them manage to paint the ceilings so vividly. They have an idea of how to paint 3D objects. Some of the ceiling paintings looked so 3D that I thought they are really sculptures and not paintings. Stunning!
And the supposed climax of the tour: the Sistine Chapel. No photos inside, so as a law abiding Singaporean, I didn't take any :) Well, it's a sacred place, so we are supposed to keep silence. But with so many people inside, the whispers of everyone added up is still very loud. The guards there have to 'shhh' at the crowd futilely. Lol.
Looking at all the paintings and wall frescoes, I really have to give it to the painters for they patience and vision. They drew and painted the huge walls and ceilings, and usually take years to complete. I cannot imagine how someone could spend a few years just painting a single project. That's what Michelangelo did when he painted the Sistine Chapel. But I guess they do not have the Internet back then, otherwise he might just be stalking Rafael or other famous artists on Facebook.
The exit for the Vatican is the famous spiral stairs. It is very steep, mind you. I think a lousy architect designed it.
So here's me sending back a postcard. It's rather expensive to send a card back, EUR1.60 for the stamps alone. I initially wanted to send a card back from every city, but I reckon I will be broke if I do that. So I'll do so selectively I guess.
St. Peter's Basilica is free for all to enter, and it is one of the biggest domes in the world! Inside the Basilica lies the tomb of St. Peter's. which is right under the tomb and has a large structure over it. It's the one in the movie Angels and Demon where the priest burnt himself to death. There are also all the bodies of the previous popes, many statues and gold studded ceilings.
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