We had gone to Rome because one, I love the city, and 2 because my program had a mini field-trip there that week. We got up and meet at 9 at different sites and walk around until about 2pm. We started at the Forum (ancient Rome) and ended with the Vatican Museum, with many churches in between. One of my favorites was St. Ignatius cathedral. The cathedral is very baroque meaning that it is highly decorated and has lots of things to look at. The vault is interesting. It's an optical illusion so you look up, and you don't know where the actual ceiling is. If you look closely you can kind of tell where the vault crossings are, but it's very tough. Also there is no dome, but a painted one. It only fool's you from the nave view, but still slightly wonder if there is really a dome there or not.
Besides doing group activities in the morning, we went exploring the city in the afternoon, and at night Francesco showed us night life in Rome. One night we went to the San Lorenzo area and ended up hanging out with these people who were singing on the street. They convinced Lisa to sing with them...I didn't partake in the singing. Another night I met up with someone I knew from high school, who is now a tour guide in Rome. I took one of his tours, and I saw a couple places that I hadn't seen before, and a couple that I wouldn't have been able to visit again. It was also nice catching up with him, as I haven't really talked to anyone, except maybe three or four people, from high school since we graduated. We also met up with one of Lisa's friends and he took us to this amazing restaurant, and that's all I remember really. We ate some pretty amazing food. I even made my own Ceasar dressing. They don't really have it in Italy, and Francesco wanted some one night for dinner with his friends, so Lisa and I thought we would be able to make it. It came out really really well if I do say so myself. I think better than any other that I have had.
The Vatican Museum had changed a lot since the last time I was there. First, there were a lot more people than I remember. Well, that's probably because it was a week before Easter, and last time I went it was the end of October. But besides that, in the map room, there were two places set up as souvenir shops. I thought it was a little interesting to have them in there, and just a tad bit tacky. I mean, there is like a four story gift shop at the end, so why they need one in the middle is beyond me. Since it's not like you can just turn back; you have to go through the entire thing. Also, one of my favorite rooms, was not really available to visitors. It was really just this corridor off the main path, but if the lights had been on you could see down it. Its very gilded, and the walls and ceiling were frescoed, and basically, it is just very pretty to look at. But alas, it was roped off. The other thing was that you entered the Sistine Chapel from the back (where the altar would be) instead of the front, which I thought was rather odd. But maybe that's just cause I did it opposite last time...I think so anyway. At any rate, I was kind of distracted by the mass number of people crammed into the little room, and frustrated with the people talking. You aren't supposed to talk in the Sistine Chapel, cause you know, it's kind of a sacred place, and there is a guard every other person telling people not to talk. So, moral...don't talk in the Sistine Chapel. After the Sistine Chapel, there is a modern art section. Which is cool in a way, that the Vatican is still collecting art, but it was odd. I'm not a huge fan of modern art to begin with, but I think one of the main functions of religious (Christian art) was to move people emotionally to convert or reaffirm their beliefs, and most of the stuff in this sections, to me, was just kind of ugly. And compared to the stuff that you walk through before, and especially after looking at the Sistine Chapel, just didn't live up to the rest. Anyway, if you ever go, you can form you own opinion. Afterward we walked around the area, and walked by the building where we had stayed in 2005. It looked the same. Then we got gelato from one of the best gelato places. It's near the subway, so if you go, I will tell you how to get there. Also, it's a good snack after the Vatican, and half as cheap from the main places around the Vatican.
One of the coolest things we did was we were able to go into the Palazzo Farnese, which is now the French Embassy. It's usually closed to the public, cause you know, it's an embassy and everything, but they were having a special exhibit there so we were able to see it. I could totally live in a place like that, I mean, if someone really forced me to ;) That day we also went to the Villa Farnesina. Raphael designed it, and painted some cool frescoes. The Palazzo and the Villa were supposed to be connected by a bridge, but it never go finished. You can see the beginning of it just near that Palazzo. These people were so fucking rich it's not even funny. I like to think they were the old school Trump, but in my mind they are way cooler, but they were probably just as lame, and liked to show how much money the had. The one place that I didn't get to was the Borghese Gallery. It was culture week in Rome so the museums were free, so the gallery was all booked up. But this is where Bernini's mythological collection is held, and there are some cool Carravaggio's there as well. Plus the building is very impressive to look at, and it's set in the middle of the Pincio Garden, which is lovely. But I've been there before, so although I wish I could have gotten there, it's alright.
I went to St. Peter's the last day I was there. I wanted/needed to see the tomb monuments that I am writing about for my dissertation. Alas, I could only see one, Pope Alexander VII. Pope Urban VIII's is by the Cathedra, so it was unaccessable. Plus I had about 1.5 hours to wait in line, and take pictues before I had go back and start getting ready to go to the airport. I think I got there right in time, for about two minutes went by when I was waiting, and the line had just about doubled. Now, I was about half way around the piazza already, so you can only imagine. St. Peter's is still very impressive, and I wish I had had more time to look around, but I think I had spent about three hours in there the last time, so I went without looking at Michelangelo's Pieta this time. Although it is very cool, and I would recommend joining the hoards of people to look at it.
I could go on and on, but I won't. All in all, I had a great holiday, er...vacation, and saw some amazing art, and met some great people. I love Italy, and there is so much more I would like to see. But there is also so much of Europe I still want to see as well. Oh dear, where to continue. Maybe next time you will join me. I know I said that I would post pictures, and I haven't forgotten really I haven't, but you'll just have to wait a couple more weeks, but I promise they will be there sometime. But first I'm off to my next adventure....
No comments:
Post a Comment