lo Stato della Città del Vaticano

Vatican City State lies in the northwest corner of Rome. Although it is entirely within the city limits of Rome, the Vatican is legally it's own country! While it uses the euro and cooperates with Rome in many ways, it has its own police force, post office, and thousands of employees.


Just at the foot of the Vatican is the Castel Sant'Angelo, originally constructed as a monument and tomb for Emperor Hadrian, it was eventually made into a Catholic building by the Vatican. Nearby is the Piazza di San Pietro, or St. Peter's. It is easily recognizable at the heart of the Vatican's image...if not from the movie Angels and Demons. The main courtyard is dominated by the columns topped with hundreds of saints, as you saw in my first Rome post.


St. Peter's Basilica is immense and stand at the center of the Plaza. I waited for about 30 minutes to get in, and there were security guards waiting to kick out men and women who were too scantily clad to enter (EVEN IN THE INTENSE ROMAN HEAT). Upon entering, you can see the massiveness of the church. Michelangelo's Pieta stands at the door, now behind glass after a crazy man attacked it with an axe in the 1970s. The church is FULL of sculptures on every wall dedicated to the many popes who have lived in the Vatican and/or celebrated in St. Peter's.


After walking through the church itself, i made my way up the 300+ steps to the top of the dome for the views of the Vatican and Rome (and that's AFTER paying extra for the elevator up the additional first 200+ steps). The views are the best in Rome, as it is by far the tallest structure in this ancient city.


The following day, I returned to the Vatican bright and early to see the Vatican Museums. After waiting an hour outside in line, I finally made my way in to the 20+ museums. Some house the largest collection of ancient Greek sculptures in the world, others have maps of the world as it was known covering the walls, and still others have Egyptian artifacts and mummies. Besides these treasures, there is TONS of artwork, including the famous School of Athens by Raphael. It is painted on the wall of one of the chambers. The museum and grounds themselves are even a work of art.


Finally, after walking through thousands of works of art, you reach the Cappella Sistina, the Sistine Chapel. It is not as big or bright as you would think, but it is certainly spectacular. It is hard to see all the detail because the ceiling is so high, not to mention the Vatican guards screaming to keep everyone quiet (the irony).

After exiting the maze of Vatican City and Museums, I spent the rest of the day revisiting the sights of Rome. Unfortunately, food is not as good as you would expect in these large tourist centers of Italy. If you're not willing to pay upwards of 20 euros for a meal, you'll have to settle for bad-to-mediocre street pizza and food. The food does not detract from the amazingness of this country though. Next post is Venice!