Our second full day in Rome started with the shuttle into the city where we promptly went to the Pantheon.
First of all, pictures simply do not do it justice. The building is massive and of course the dome is. The dome is the largest free-standing rotunda in the world, and probably the oldest. The Pantheon was rebuilt in 126 AD by Emperor Hadian, but it was commissioned before that. It was built to honor the Roman Gods, a temple to the Pagan Gods. Everything about this building is perfectly executed architecturally, from the oculus (the opening at the top), to the whole rotunda, to the door opening, it is all perfect. To think that it was built and designed so long ago is simply mind-blowing.
The cool thing about the rotunda is the oculus at the top which permits sunlight to rotate around the huge room throughout the day creating a sort of massive sundial. After returning from Rome, Asher and I found a video explaining how the sunlight perfectly lines up with the doorframe at certain, important times illuminating the entrance. The oculus is also the building's ventilation and cooling system, very cool. It's neat that this kind of genius was exhibited so long ago without the technology we have today.
And the Pantheon isn't just a building today, though. It is in fact used for Christian services as it was converted to a Christian church around 600 AD by the Pope at the time. Other than its very odd shape, the interior seems very much a Christian church now with all of the Christian symbols. The nooks around the base of the building now hold all sorts of monuments and statues to former Italians kinds, popes, the Virgin Mary, and others. A pope is buried, one of our favorite painters Raphael, and Emanuele II who united Italy and the first King and Queen of Italy. Yes, pagan temple used as a Christian church! So now it's known as the Church of St. Mary and the Martyrs apparently.
This is a lovely painting of the Pantheon from the 18th century, which looks at lot more like the actually structure than my little pictures.
After this, we stood in line for about two hours waiting to get into the Vatican Museums and to see the Sistine Chapel. After waiting and waiting and waiting, we toured the Vatican Museum just to see how many things the pope likes to collect. Hundreds of statues, gifts to the pope, all sorts of art, more statues and figurines, then list and the rooms went on and one. It holds some of the greatest pieces of Renaissance art in the world and also a ton of pagan art which is a bit surprising. We estimated that our tour of the museum was maybe only a tenth of the Vatican, thus the pope has a huge domain, well, bigger than I have.
This is a cool piece that represents the Nile river. There is also one to match for the Tiber river, which would have been nice to see.
Somehow this statue represents the founding of Ancient Rome. Asher and I kept reading the description and just stayed confused. It's nice though, right?
The best parts, needless to say, were the Raphael rooms and the Sistine Chapel. (Goofy Fact: I didn't understand what the Sistine Chapel was whenever I first heard the name and I kept thinking that it was named the Sixteenth Chapel, which sounded like a terrible name). The rooms that Raphael painted have some of the best, most famous painting in the world. They are right there together, painted on the walls, and it's hard to comprehend how much fantastic, world-renowned art one is looking at because there is so much of it everywhere.
The favorite is most certainly the School of Athens.
And for the main event... (drum role please)...
Madames et Monsieurs, Le Sistine Chapel.
Yeah, it's huge, full of art, and gorgeous. Fun Fact: Raphael didn't actually paint it upside down. He did however, get a neck fracture from bending his head back all the time.
Next stop was the Colosseum since we didn't actually get to go inside yesterday. We're walking around the huge thing wondering where to get in and one of the doors just opens. Well, of course, I march in. In less than ten seconds I'm scolded and told to get out because 1. that was an exit and 2. it was closing and 3. I most certainly didn't pay. Whatever, I get to say that I've been in the Colosseum.
Keep in mind that every sentence posted should include after it "but there were so many other people there." Rome was a madhouse, and I kind of think it always is. So, honestly, I think my favorite part of the day was getting a bit of gelato, going to a restaurant and just ordering coffee and tiramisu while it rained. Asher and I just sat there forever talking and eating the best tiramisu either of us had ever had. It was the perfect cap for a day that was brilliant, but sometimes frustrating, crowded, and way too expensive.
Early the next day, we said goodbye to the Eternal City and hello to the Capital of the Alps!
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