Twelfth Day - Rome

October 1, 2008

Today was another epic day of visiting famous sights in Rome. We split up from Mom and Rose, because they wanted to attend the Papal audience in St Peter's square. We skipped that, and instead got an early start to a memorable day. The first thing we did was head to Piazza del Popolo (Plaza of the People). This square has several fountains, and a large obelisk standing in the center. The Piazza is at the base of the Pincio Hill. We climbed up to the viewpoint on the hill, where another obelisk stands. This is also a good vantage point to look east across the city, the big dome of St Peter's is readily visible.

From Pincio Hill it is just a short walk south to the Spanish Steps. There is another obelisk standing here. Because we arrived so early, the famous landmark was nearly deserted, and we were able to get our picture taken on the steps without a lot of other tourists in view. At the bottom of the steps is a fountain designed by Bernini. There is also a subway station there, and we hopped on board to get to the Vatican Museum at the time it opened.

Our strategy was to visit the Vatican Museum while the Pope was holding his audience in the square - we figured all the tourists would be at the audience and the famous museum would have less of a crowd. Our plan worked perfectly, we walked right up to the entrance without waiting in any line.

Inside the Vatican Museum is an amazing display of treasures. There is an Egypt room. A couple of Roman ruins. A map room. Rooms where Raphael painted on the walls and on the ceilings. And of course the famous Sistine Chapel. You can take pictures everywhere except in the Sistine Chapel. But of course many tourists take photos any way, so the Sistine Chapel constantly rings out with cries of the guards saying "No photo!". Then the guards shout "Quiet please!". We spent about twenty minutes in the Sistine chapel, it is hard to look straight up at the ceiling. Melanie had her small binoculars, so we used those. I am glad that they did the controversial cleaning of the ceiling a few years ago - the colors are so bright and marvelous! I didn't mind not being allowed to take pictures since I own a book that shows the newly cleaned paintings. Very nice!

After lunch, we walked over to St Peters to tour the epic cathedral. (The papal audience was over now, the tourists had dispersed). Saint Peter's is so big that it is hard to grasp the scale of the gigantic building. Inside, on the marble floor, are letters that boast that if St Paul's cathedral were placed inside St. Peter's, it would only reach this point. They have similar markings for other cathedrals; so much for humility! We saw Michelangelo's Pieta, and the famous altar. Like the Vatican museum, there is so much to see that it is overwhelming.

After our St. Peter's visit, we still had daylight on a beautiful day, so we took the subway over to see the ruins of the Baths of Caracalla. These immense ruins were built on the southern side of the city by the emperor Caracalla around 216 A.D. They were an immense public bath, freely open to all citizens, and filled with artwork and mosaics. In addition to the baths, there were libraries and gymnasiums. Citizens were meant to admire the luxury, while remembering that the emperor had provided this service. Today you can see impressively big ruined walls, which lets you appreciate the scale of the baths, but there isn't too much else there.

From the same subway stop as the Baths of Caracalla, we could walk up the Aventine Hill, which was one of the famous seven hills of Rome. Walking down from the hill, we passed by the Circus Maximus. Today it is just a grass field, but once this was a huge stadium where up to 150,000 people could watch epic chariot races. We took the subway home and had a late dinner. What a great day!

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Piazza del Popolo

Entrance portal to Piazza del Popolo Wall Carving at Piazza del Popolo Lion fountain in Piazza del Popolo Neptune Fountain in Piazza del Popolo Obelisk in Piazza del Popolo Obelisk on Pincian Hill, Rome Pincio Fountain in Piazza del Popolo Fountain in Piazza del Popolo Piazza del Popolo Park on top of Pincian Hill, Rome Obelisk on Pincian Hill, Rome Piazza del Popolo View Pincian Hill

The Spanish Steps

Purple Flowers The Spanish Steps Obelisk on the Spanish Steps Top of Obelisk on Spanish Steps The Spanish Steps On the Spanish Steps in Rome Spanish Steps Bad Boat Fountain at the base of the Spanish Steps Column of the Immaculate Conception Column of the Immaculate Conception Moses and David

The Vatican Museum

Entrance to the Vatican Museum Laocoonin the Vatican Museum Peacocks and pinecone in the courtyard of the Vatican Museum Spheres in courtyard of Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum: Egyptian Rooms

Statue of the Egyptian God Anubis in the Vatican Museum Lion headed goddess in Vatican Museum Egyptian statues in the Vatican Museum Egyptian lion sculpture in the Vatican Museum Egyptian Sarcophagus in the Vatican Museum Cuneiform inscription by Assyrians

The Vatican Museum: Roman Rooms

Statue of Roman God Apollo in the Vatican Museum Statue of Apoxyomenos in the Vatican Museum Augustus Caesar, Vatican Museum Statue of Laocoon in Vatican Museum Porphyry coffin in the Vatican Museum Statue of Hercules in the Round Room Sarcophagus in the Vatican Museum Perseus sculpture in the Vatican Museum Ceiling of the Hall of Muses Heads in the Vatican Museum Tigris in the Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum: Animal Room

Statues of Animals in the Vatican Museum Statue of a Bull in the Vatican Museum Sculpture of a buck in the Vatican Museum Sculpture of a dog in the Vatican Museum Lion Sculpture in the Vatican museum

The Vatican Museum: Ceilings & Maps

Sphinx inside Vatican Museum Hallway inside Vatican Museum The Ephesian Artemis in the Vatican Museum Statue in the Vatican Museum Statue of child killing a goose in the Vatican Museum Statue in Vatican Museum Painted Dome Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Painted Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Painted Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Art painted on the ceiling of the Vatican Museum Decorated ceiling in the Vatican Museum Decorated ceiling in the Vatican Museum Seven Angels slaying Seven Demons Map of Italy in the Vatican Map Room Map of Sicily in the Vatican Map Room Ceiling of the Map Room in the Vatican Museum Map Room Ceiling, Vatican Museum Map Room in Vatican Museum Map room in the Vatican Museum Ornate ceiling decoration on Vatican Museum Ceiling of the Vatican Museum Painted Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Painted Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Ceiling in the Vatican Museum Painted room in the Vatican Museum Painted room in the Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum: Raphael Rooms

The School of Athens painting by Raphael Plato and Aristotle in the School of Athens Raphael painting of Pope Leo Raphael painting of Constantine in the Vatican Museum Raphael painting of Maxentius in Vatican Museum Raphael Painting of Battle of Ostia Raphael painting the Fire in the Borgo Ceiling of a Raphael Room Raphaels Heliodorus Room in the Vatican Museum Raphael painting of Mt Parnassus Vatican Museum Raphael painting of Jacobs Ladder in the Vatican Museum Raphael Painting Peter in Chains, Vatican Museum Rafaels Painting of the Transfiguration Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museum: Pinacoteca

Ornate clothing on a painting in the Vatican Museum Last Communion of Saint Jerome, Vatican Museum Crowning of the Virgin Mary in the Vatican Museum Caravaggios Deposition Painting of Saint Michael slaying Lucifer Painting of Magi in Vatican Museum Adam and Eve in Earthly Paradise Disputation of the Holy Sacrament Tiger Painting Zebra and leopard painting in the Vatican Museum Spiral staircase in Vatican Museum

Saint Peters Cathedral

Front Facade of Saint Peters Charlemagne outside of Saint Peters Bronze doors of Saint Peters Altar of Saint Peters, the Vatican Interior of Saint Peters The Organ in Saint Peters, Rome Inside of Saint Peters Basilica Side dome in Saint Peters Saint Peters foot in the Vatican Canopy by Bernini over the Main Altar of Saint Peters Dome and Main altar of Saint Peters Altar of the Lie in Saint Peters Tomb of Pope Gregory XVI Tomb of Pope Pius VIII Coat of Arms inside Saint Peters Beneath the Dome in Saint Peters Inside Saint Peters Basilica Florence Duomo size compared to Saint Peters Size of St Pauls vs St Peters Saint Teresa in Saint Peters Saint Veronica in St Peters Marble Altar in the Vatican Mosaic inside Saint Peters Michelangelos Pieta Colonnade in Saint Peters Square Colonnade in Saint Peters Square Drinking Fountain in Saint Peters Square

The Baths of Caracalla

The Baths of Caracalla, Rome The Walls of the Baths of Caracalla The Baths of Caracalla, Rome Ruins of the Baths of Caracalla The Baths of Caracalla in Rome Detail carving at Baths of Caracalla Baths of Caracalla Mosaic Floor at the Baths of Caracalla Baths of Caracalla in Rome Pool at the Baths of Caracalla, Rome Bathing Pool in Caracalla in Rome Mosaic Floor at Baths of Caracalla Porta San Paolo

Aventine Hill

Via Melania on Aventine Hill in Rome Pyramid of Cestius, Rome Ponte Palatino View from Aventine Hill Sunset on Palatine Hill Mazzini statue in Piazzale Ugo la Malfa