Italy Part Two - The Vatican - Rome

I wake up two hours before my alarm, filled with excitement for the day. Unfortunately, the day is not yet ready for me, and I turn over once, twice, three times. Play on my phone, turn over six more times, play on my phone some more, and decide on a bath instead of a shower, if only to waste more time. The bathtub is one of the biggest I've ever seen, yet I'm restless inside. Make no mistake, the Star Hotels Metropole has extremely comfortable beds, but my body can’t seem to adjust to the time shift.

I get out, put on makeup and a dress, and break one of my earrings, letting out a groan as I watch the clasp tumble down the sink drain. Oh well, it’s not a day ruiner, but it does add a bit of a damper to my already tired disposition. I try to ignore the disappointment as I head down to a breakfast with lots of options, each more mediocre than the last. Though there is one absolutely delicious item, the chocolate muffin with icing filling. I had one every morning we stayed at this hotel and was never disappointed.

Now completely full, my family decides it's time to get ready. Unfortunately, due to my restless night, I've been ready for hours. I decide to lie briefly while my family prepares themselves for the day, dozing off accidentally, and I find I am unready myself once they have fully prepared. We walk down the sunny Italian street, basking in the beauty as I try and ignore a growing migraine in favor of fun. We stop at a coffee shop where I eagerly sip at a very bitter hot chocolate that seems to act the perfect cure. Though medicine also helps.

We travel on and stumble upon a large building with several beautiful statues. Payment is required beyond the first floor, but running short on time, we opt to miss the experience.

Returning to the hotel with time to spare, we rest a moment before climbing aboard the van that will transport our souls to the Vatican.

To describe the entirety of the Vatican is like being asked to describe an entire country. It feels impossible to do, and that's because the Vatican is technically the smallest country in the world, with just 0.44 square km of space, with the pope acting as the elected leader. Never in my life have I experienced such an information-packed tour, and I can't say I remember even half of the eight-hour experience. That being said, I will do my best to relay what information I can.

We enter Cortile della Pigna, also known as The Pinecone Courtyard, named for its large pine cone as the focal point of the grassy court. The thirteen-foot pinecone, standing atop a double staircase designed by Michelangelo, was created in the 2nd century B.C. as a Roman sculpture made of bronze. It once rested near the Pantheon, spouting water from the top near the temple of Isis. Then it was moved to the courtyard of Old St. Peter’s Basilica in the Middle Ages, until finally it was moved to the Pinecone Courtyard, where it still rests today. The essence of this area feels peaceful, as I’m able to soak up the sun and listen to the beautiful sounds of the Fontana della Pigna.

As we walk through the yard, we pass by a golden sphere sculpture, titled Sphere within Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro. Within the golden globe is a series of wires that have been crafted to move with the wind in a representation of the cosmos. There are replicas of this sculpture all over the world, including Hiroshima, Jeddah, Warsaw, California, Chicago, and Washington, DC.

Entering the Vatican Museum, we step foot into the Gallery of Busts, packed to the brim with stone and marble of every shape and size from various historical periods. Including the many Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. The sculptures within the Gallery are known for bringing ancient artistry and culture come alive through their preserved works. Originally a private collection, these works were released to the public in 1771 by Pope Clement XIV.

My favorite statue within this hall is titled Herma, or a Herm Statue. These statues come in the form of pillars with a head and male genitalia, often found at crossroads, land borders, graveyards, and houses all over Greece and in certain parts of Italy. Their purpose? To ward off evil spirits and bring the good luck of Hermes, a phallic (fertility) god known for luck and his protection of merchants and travelers. Though there were many other gods, and even a few mortals who were made into Herma’s over the years.

Despite its name, the Hall of Busts did not only have statues of heads. Within this hall, hundreds of statues of all shapes and sizes lie, taken and preserved from various points in history. However, as I walk through the years, I couldn’t help but notice a recurring theme among many of the pieces. In my mind, I had always associated ancient Greek artwork with nudity. Though it seems that many of these full-bodied figures have their delicate parts covered.

While the artists of ancient Greece saw nudity as a representation of honor and virtue, Catholicism has always seen nudity as a sinful, shameful thing. In the story of creation, Adam and Eve hid their private parts with fig leaves after taking an apple from the tree of knowledge. So, in an act of poetic irony, in 1541, the Catholic Church started what is commonly referred to as “The Fig Leaf Campaign”, where many ancient marble statues, paintings, and artworks were covered with leaves or desecrated for the sake of modesty by the Church. This movement is now known as one of the most significant censorship movements in history.

Thankfully, some of these statues have been restored to their original shape after the campaign largely fell out of practice. Those who had their manhood chopped off were restored if the piece could be found. Unfortunately, there are still many statues that are missing pieces or remain covered, either due to the inability to find the piece or the inability to remove the sculpted leaves without damaging the original. However, in keeping these sculptures censored, we can remember the history of censorship that caused the defiling of these great statues.

Before long, the Hall of Busts merged into the Gallery of Statues. Put on display in a grand marble-lined hall that seemed endless, shifting colors as we proceeded through the carved masterpieces. Even the floors are decorated, some with marble, many with beautiful mosaics. It’s impossible to see everything as we are gently pushed and corralled forward, as there is still so much to see and limited time for it all. There were several instances during this tour that I thought at least ten more trips would be needed to truly see all that lies within these walls.

Entering the Gallery of Tapestries, the entire hall goes dark. There are no flash pictures allowed here, and the light is limited in order to best preserve the threaded pieces. Notice the background of these works. While the subject may be biblical, the background resembles none other than Rome! The reason the artists made this stylistic choice is because they wanted the people to believe that these stories happened in their great city. This was especially apparent on the walls of the Sistine Chapel, which we saw later in the tour. Previous to these paintings, the majority of biblical artistry did not feature a background.

While all the ceilings are beautifully decorated, our tour guide was quick to inform us that while many of them are carved, some are attempting to deceive us. Several artists within the Vatican painted carvings onto the ceiling, enhanced with shadow to give the illusion that they were sculpted instead of painted.

We move forward out of the dark room into the Gallery of Maps. An audible gasp is heard from everyone who enters the room, our eyes blinded by golden light as they turn to the beautifully painted ceiling. This entire hallway is decorated with land-accurate maps, painted in 1580 - 1585, before planes were invented with alarming accuracy.

However, the real showstopper was the ceiling! Filled to the brim with what appears to be carved and sculpted frames and paintings. I, along with every other guest in the room, nearly fell backward several times as my neck held my head at a ninety-degree angle. Despite the pain, I refused to lose even a moment of beauty as we are urged to keep moving.

Aside from the Gallery of Maps and the Sistine Chapel, there were paintings on nearly every surface of the entirety of the Vatican. These paintings, while hundreds of years old, have an interesting ingredient that you may use every day. Eggs! Prior to our modern paint sets, eggs were commonly used in paint by binding pigments together and allowing them to stick to various surfaces. Serving as the dominant painting medium, this durable technique was called “egg tempera” and continued through the Renaissance period.

Previous to this artistic renaissance, the majority of the biblical paintings crafted were dark and grim. Often showing figures without emotion against nearly black backgrounds in an effort to promote loyalty and obedience to its viewers.

Maestro della Santa Cecilia from the Galleria dell'Accademia, as a reference to pre-Renaissance art.

However, art began to shift into the Renaissance with the work of Giotto, who worked on paintings during the Gothic and proto-Renaissance period. Giotto’s paintings began to shift artistry towards emotion and lighter colors, making the figures seem more real to the audience. Another change that came with the artist Giotto is the usage of geometric principles in order to make his paintings feel real, thanks to their life-like dimensions and proportions. Paintings no longer felt flat and drab, but rather three-dimensional and tangible. This allowed him to scale extensive backgrounds within his paintings, featuring crowds of people while biblical and mythical figures stood at the forefront of his artwork.

This shift in style is commonly referred to as the start of the European cultural and artistic renaissance. However, the Renaissance fully began with the artists Masaccio and Donatello, and as such, these painters are credited with the full start of the artistic period. While these painters do not have any work within the Vatican, the progression their works brought to the Renaissance can be seen in the paintings on the many archways and ceilings of the Vatican.

I must quickly address that there are NO PICTURES ALLOWED within the Sistine Chapel. Therefore, all pictures taken of this famous piece are pulled from the internet.

Within the Sistine Chapel is the story of creation, painted on the ceiling by Michelangelo. Something that I found absolutely fascinating is that each triangular archway in the ceiling is painted on, not an actual arch. Michelangelo was an architect, then a sculptor, then a painter. However, Pope Julius II, who had a fearful reputation and was nicknamed “The Warrior Pope”, insisted that he work on the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo felt he was unable to refuse despite the fact that he detested painting. But his previous skills allowed him to paint this beautiful work of art that seems, at times, carved into the very ceiling of the building.

The entirety of the Sistine Chapel was painted using the fresco (fresh) method, which involves painting on the still-wet lime-based plaster. Unfortunately for Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel was already painted with a depiction of the night sky by Piermatteo d’Amelia, and you can’t lay plaster over plaster. Therefore, Michelangelo and his crew had to chip away at the already-painted plaster before he could begin this beautiful artwork.

Since Michelangelo felt he was forced to paint the Sistine Chapel, he decided to take some liberties with his art. One thing that has been made apparent in his many works is that Michelangelo thinks very highly of himself, as he has painted and sculpted his face into many of his pieces. The Sistine Chapel is not exempt from this pattern, as Michelangelo’s face makes an appearance as God himself during the creation of Adam. Of course, he was only thirty-three when he began painting the chapel, but it is widely believed that he attempted to predict how he would age in order to design the face of God as himself.

Something to note is the many angels and fabric surrounding God as he gives life to Adam. Does the shape seem familiar? Michelangelo painted the fabric, angels, and layers of God to resemble the human brain, symbolizing God as he bestows the gift of intellect and creativity to the first man.

A common myth of the Sistine Chapel is that Michelangelo painted the whole thing lying down. The reality is that scaffolding was built for him to stand on and paint while his head was held at a ninety-degree angle. The chapel was still in use while he was completing his work, and so the floor needed to remain largely clear for visitors. It was only after he had completed the entirety of the piece that he was able to see it come together when it was unveiled to the public. Though holding this position every day for years did have its toll on his health. To lament on the tolls of painting the piece, Michelangelo wrote a poem about the backbreaking work midway through its completion.

Michelangelo: To Giovanni da Pistoia

"When the Author Was Painting the Vault of the Sistine Chapel" 1509

I've already grown a goiter from this torture,

hunched up here like a cat in Lombardy

(or anywhere else where the stagnant water's poison).

My stomach's squashed under my chin, my beard's

pointing at heaven, my brain's crushed in a casket,

my breast twists like a harpy's. My brush,

above me all the time, dribbles paint

so my face makes a fine floor for droppings!

My haunches are grinding into my guts,

my poor ass strains to work as a counterweight,

every gesture I make is blind and aimless.

My skin hangs loose below me, my spine's

all knotted from folding over itself.

I'm bent taut as a Syrian bow.

Because I'm stuck like this, my thoughts

are crazy, perfidious tripe:

anyone shoots badly through a crooked blowpipe.

My painting is dead.

Defend it for me, Giovanni, protect my honor.

I am not in the right place—I am not a painter.

Michelangelo painted himself in another place within the Sistine Chapel, as both the Mumia skin, and Saint Bartholomew, who is holding his flayed flesh within The Last Judgment. It is common knowledge that Michelangelo resented having to paint the Sistine Chapel. So, as his own reward for completing the piece, he painted his skin, removed, as if to say that his reward for the torture he endured is to “skip the line” on the way to heaven. Effectively portraying himself as a martyr, ripping away his skin to reveal that he was actually a saint all along, hiding under the guise of an artist.

As self-righteous as Michelangelo was, it is no surprise that he did not take criticism of his artistry well. The three hundred people of The Last Judgment were originally painted completely naked, so as to strip away the various statuses of men, angels, and god, standing equal in his work. This was largely controversial at the time, and many of the Cardinals were displeased, stating that painting the figures naked was shameful.

His loudest critic was Biagio da Cesena, a papal master of ceremonies. In his criticism, he stated that nude figures were inappropriate in such a divine place of worship and better suited for a public tavern or brothel. In an act of revenge, Michelangelo painted Biagio da Cesena’s face onto the damned Minos, one of the three judges of the underworld. Shown with the ears of a donkey to represent his foolishness, wrapped in a serpent’s coils as the snake bites at his genitals.

Unfortunately, like many artists, Michelangelo’s art was subject to “The Fig Leaf Campaign”. Five years after his death, Pope Pius IV commissioned an artist named Daniele da Volterra to clothe many of the subjects within The Last Judgment, earning him the nickname “Il Braghettone” or “The Breeches Maker”. There were attempts to restore this piece to its original glory in 1993; however, it was quickly discovered that much of the paint underneath had been scraped away when the clothing was added, making restoration impossible.

After a bit of wandering, feet aching from the hard marble, we search for Saint Peter’s Basilica after a tip from our tour guide. I begin to wonder if it’s even worth the look, after all, we’ve already seen the Vatican. I’m happy to say we are quickly assured in our efforts as we enter an unassuming building that appears twice as large once inside. Immediately, we are surrounded by gold adorning every archway, wall, and roof piece, amid huge marble pillars facing towards a glowing golden window behind a towering altar underneath the grand dome.

This basilica boasts the largest statues I have seen thus far, with each distinguished figure standing above us in sanctimonious reverence. Old St. Peter’s Basilica was built first in the 4th century. However, the original Basilica was sadly destroyed. When they attempted to rebuild it, they quickly decided that it was not big or grand enough. It was reconstructed a third time, with a mosaic ceiling and space for the statues, deemed worthy enough to be kept and witnessed today.

After the Vatican, our feet are sore from the hard marble, and we are sweating profusely from the airless experience inside the various buildings. All that said, I would not trade the sights I have seen for the world. Thankfully, we only had to walk forty-five minutes back to our hotel. I do my best to ignore my throbbing soles as we set out towards comfy beds. Walking past the death place of Julius Ceaser, we are unaware of the importance of the location as we search for a place to fill our bellies. We stop at the quarter where I eat a delicious helping of calamari and carbonara. Then stop again at the three-quarter point for Gelato and macrons.

When we finally reached the hotel, I request better pillows, enjoy a drink with my wife, and set an alarm for the coming morning. As exhausted as I am, and as much as my feet scream, I am very thankful for my visit to God's most favored church.