Rome Day Three- Saturday, February 20th, 2010
Today I woke up and had breakfast (same thing again) and headed out with the group to visit the Vatican and San Pietro. Wow, today was a big day just thinking about everything I did. I really crammed a lot in.
San Pietro and St. Peters Cathedral
The basilica originally was built in 324 at the request of Constantine on the site of the tomb of the Apostle. For more than a thousand years it was the center of Christiandom, until in 1452 Nicholas V decided to have it rebuilt. This rebuilding, however, was was not begun until 1506, under Julius II. He gave the task to Bramante, who made a plan in the form of a Greek-cross with a large central vault and four small domes. In 1514, the year of Bramante's death, the four large central pillars and the large arches supporting the vault were finished. The work continued under the direction of Antonio da Sangallo, until in 1546 Michelangelo took over and created a basilica in the shape of the Greek cross, with a grandiose and imposing appearance, conceptualizing a new dome that would constitute the dominant element of the entire structure. At the death of Michelangelo in 1564, Giacomo della Porta followed the plans of the master. In 1605 Paul V wanted to transform the plan of the Greek cross to a Latin cross. He assigned the task to Carlo Maderno, who prolonged the nave so that it reached what is now Saint Peter's Square, adding three chapels per side and finally erecting the façade.
The piazza is enormous. The Vatican is its own country, with its own institutions as well. Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence in 1929. It is distinct from the Holy See which dates back to early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.147 billion Latin and Eastern Catholic adherents around the globe.
Walking into St. Peters was an experience I will never forget. The massive Cathedral is the biggest ive ever been in, and I don’t think ill ever be in a Cathedral bigger than St. Peters. Like Notre Dame, the Cathedral is decorated with frescoes and mosaics, sculptures and relics, tombs, paintings, and artwork to the extreme. It is so stunning and it took me a couple minutes to walk from the front to the back of the church. Words cant describe this experience. It was breathtaking.
St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is the symbolic "Mother church" of the Catholic Church and is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom." In catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake St. Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession.
Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's Tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began in 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.
After we went to St. Peters I headed over to the Vatican museum with Jen, Jackie, Ashleigh, and Lucas. The Vatican Museum is enormous as well, to no surprise, and it includes the Sistine Chapel, which we were most excited about.
The Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. It is famous for its architecture and its decoration which has been frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. He resented the commission, and believed his work only served the Pope's need for grandeur. However, today the ceiling, and especially The Last Judgment, are widely believed to be Michelangelo's crowning achievements in painting.
We then got dinner at a pizzeria: I got spaghetti, garlic bread, coke, french fries, and ice-cream all for 10 euros. After dinner we stopped by the apartment and headed out to the Coliseum shortly after.
The Coliseum
I have a video of me walking up to the Coliseum to the inside, but it really doesn’t show my feelings I had. The Coliseum was everything you thought it would be and more. You really gain a sense of depth when you are actually there. Im surprised at how much of it was actually preserved. Besides the many tourists on site, it really has been my favorite structure thus far.
The Colosseum or Roman Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre is an elliptical amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is considered one of the greatest works of Roman Architecture and Engineering.
Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespacian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
Capable of seating 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. As well as the gladiatorial games, other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry, and a Christian shrine. It has been estimated that about 500,000 people and over a million wild animals died in the Colosseum games.
Although in the 21st century it stays partially ruined because of damage caused by devastating earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum is an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome and its breakthrough achievements in earthquake engineering. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession that starts in the area around the Colosseum.
After the Coliseum we went back to the hotel finally and ate dinner. A group of us went on a walk around Rome and explored for a little while- we visited the Trevi Founain and the Spanish steps, where you can see the Vatican, as well as Piazza Venezia. Rome was alive at night, every single street corner and piazza was filled with people- something much different than Green, Ohio. Haha
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