It feels to me (Kenzi) that as a result of that Renaissance, scale is off in Rome. Buildings appear small and close to you, when in fact, they are huge and distant. For example, do you see the small children in this picture?
See the little kids? Second row up, second window from the right |
We visited the Vatican Museums. Goodness gracious, there's a lot there! Highlights: Nero's massive purple marble (porphyry) tub from Egypt, the hall of maps, Raphael's School of Athens painting (my personal favorite), the Laocoon sculpture, and the Sistine Chapel (they don't allow pictures in there, but wow!).
Nero's marble tub from Egypt |
Hall of Maps |
School of Athens, by Raphael |
Laocoon |
St. Peter's Basilica alter with Bernini's baldacchino |
St. Peter's Basilica dome |
Michaelangelo's Pieta, behind bulletproof glass now, due to a crazed person who tried to destroy it in 1972 |
Pope Francis is the tiny speck just above my head |
Panorama of St. Peter's Square |
Vatican City from the top of the St. Peter's dome |
Just a "little" tile mosaic that was repeated probably twenty times around the St. Peter's dome |
The Trevi fountain is from the 1700s. It is really nice to see at night, especially while eating gelato, and most especially after sweating in the heat all day. The Spanish Steps are currently being restored, so we don't have any fabulous pictures of them.
Trevi Fountain |
Thanks to the Romans for all the great Roman ruins still around today and all the artists of the Renaissance for beautiful buildings and art. Rome is rad!
Next up on our itinerary: Naples, Herculaneum, Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast
Recommended reading if you ever go to Rome, or go back to Rome if you've already been there:
The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone
I, Claudius by Robert Graves
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