Good Friday in Rome

Today we made our second trip to the Vatican City with the intention of seeing the Sistine Chapel. Still lacking energy from yesterdays excursion, we opted for a local bus to take us there instead of our legs. In just ten minutes we had arrived at St. Peter's Square (unlike the 4 hours on foot yesterday) and then walked to our destination from there.

After walking past the many tapestries and paintings in the museum we arrive at one room which is incredible. My neck starts to hurt as I am forced to look up at the decorative and complex work. Never have I seen so many paintings all on one ceiling. There must be at least 1000 individual paintings just on the ceiling alone! Each one is different from the next illustrating a new story. This is one of many "coridor-like" rooms that make up the Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museum). It must be over 600 meters in length and was built between 1578 and 1580. The painted ceiling took 3 years to complete.

There is so much to take in, it's almost impossible to understand everything that you're looking at. Just as I was amazed at the perfectly carved statue of 'David' in Florence, I am equally as impressed with the scale and perfection of the works within this museum. Like the city of Rome itself the museum is an overload of visual stmuli.

"Shhhh... Silencio" the guards insist as we finally enter the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo's single greatest artistic acheivement right there above me on the ceiling of the Cappella Sistina. It has been described as one of the most awe-inspiring acts of individual creativity in the history of the visual arts. Painted between 1508 and 1512 Michelangelo painted the entire ceiling himself after dismissing all his assistants. Still claiming to be a reluctant painter, Michelangelo never wanted the commission but was forced to devise the complex and grand composition that covers the entire 800 sq meters of ceiling. It took him four years to complete.

... I can't help but feel like this would have been slightly more impressive had I not taken the route via approximately 1000 other frescos, paintings and tapestries before hand. Looking up (in small periods to avoid severe neck issues) I notice several small dark squares in certain areas and found out that they are to show the original condition of the surface before the restoration. The restoration on a scale as grand as this is also amazing to see.

Unfortunately it is unlikely that we will get to see the Pope. We have to leave for Naples tomorrow in order to make our flight to Berlin so we are unable to stay for his Easter Sunday speach.

As this is our last night in Rome AND Good Friday AND our agreed special day for eating what we want, we have decided to eat in the nearby neighborhood called San Lorenzzo which apparently has good restaurants where the locals eat and for a reasonable price.