On two occasions we had the chance to visit the Vatican. First to explore St Peter’s basilica, and the second time to visit the museums of the Vatican. The reason of course being the fact that there is too much to see in only one session, and thus the need to divide it into two. St Peter’s however, we visited on a Saturday, to make things a little more efficient. Nevertheless we have ended up in the big line like everyone else, waiting to be processed through security. Once inside however, the views and spaces slightly blow one’s mind away. The scale and amount of decoration is in some cases almost too much for my own taste, as if a picture was over saturated. So many colors and details, leaves one with no other choice but stand there in awe, trying to absorb all of it. Some have even become dismissive of it, as it really is done at a massive scale.
One of the interesting things among all of these were also the fact that we have had the chance to climb between the two shells of the basilica’s dome, in order to climb on its top, to see one of the best views of Rome. Some things have also become at this point familiar, among which one especially to my interest: the crossing. Looking from one transept to the other, one cannot escape the obvious inspiration by the School of Athens, and imagine it all taking place in front of one’s eyes. Both done in about the same period, it was even more amazing to then see the School of Athens in person, some days later in the Vatican museums.
The Vatican museums themselves really do need the plural as the number of rooms filled with artwork seems to never stop, every inch being either decorated or covered with artwork if not frescoes. Being in the company of prof. Blanchard, we have gained access to some additional spaces through his own connections that were either under restoration or completely inaccessible to the public, making the experience even more interesting and memorable. One of these was especially the Bramante staircase, but also many more rooms hidden behind corridors with a dead end and so on.
(photos credit to Oonagh Davis)