THE VATICAN – a state within a city
Monday – a really late start to the day and we do not leave the apartment until about 11am. Today’s visits include the Vatican – St Peters Basilica. But first up we go to catch the HOHO bus.
Walking to the Victor Emmanuel Monument we get on the bus for our journey to San Pietro. It is a lovely day, although there are a few ominous dark clouds hovering. Down the Corso Vittorio Emanuela for a longish drive and then left at the via Della Conciliazione. You should all be able to understand that and know exactly where we are going!
Our stop is just a short walk from St Peters, and on the way we pass the Santa Maria in Traspontina Carmelite Church that has a small exhibition of memorabilia of Pope John Paul II so of course in we go. It is only a tiny place but very lovely and we are given a little pamphlet containing a message that John Paul II made to the Carmelite Family on March 2001. Even though not of this faith – I pay my respects and we are on our way.
Let me say now that I am not a religious person so this post will not be full of what you should believe and what you should not. It is mainly an historical outing with religion as a background.
Completing our short walk we find ourselves standing in the Piazza San Pietro. It is hard to stand here and not feel a sense of reverence or to understand how people built these places all in the name of religion, faith is an overpowering emotion. Unfortunately the dark clouds still hover above us but every now and again the sun comes out and it is hot! So much so that people take shelter under the colonnade and in the small amount of shade provided by the obelisk, anywhere there is shade there is a group of people.
Nearly 2,000 years ago this entire area was the site of Nero’s Circus, a huge Roman chariot race course with the obelisk as the centre piece of the chariot track. It was also a site of the persecution of Christians. Many believe St Peter was killed and subsequently buried here on the Vatican Hill, the site of the Basilica. But back to today’s events – –
The square is outlined by a monumental colonnade by Bernini, its open arms of the church symbolically welcoming everyone no matter what faith.
Between the obelisk and each fountain is a circular stone that marks the focal points of an ellipse. If you stand on one of these points, the two rows of the colonnade line up perfectly and appear to be just a single row.
140 statues were installed on top of the colonnades, all created by Bernini and his students. They depict popes, martyrs, evangelists and other religious figures.
In 1613 a fountain designed by Carlo Moderno was installed on the square, to the right of the centrally located obelisk.
To maintain symmetry, Bernini decided to install an identical copy of the fountain on the left side. The fountain was created in 1677 by Carlo Fontana.
At the center of the square stands the Egyptian obelisk, 25.5 meters tall – 41 meters including the pedestal. The obelisk was originally located at Heliopolis in Egypt and was built for Cornelius Gallus, the city’s prefect.
In 37 AD Caligula decided to transport the obelisk to Rome with a specially constructed ship. It was installed at the spina of the Circus of Caligula (later known as Circus of Nero), which was located in an area now occupied by Vatican City. In 1585 pope Sixtus V decided to have the obelisk moved to its present location in front of the then under construction St. Peter’s Basilica, a distance of about 300 meters.
The queue for the inside of St Peters Basilica is long but it seems to be moving at a reasonable place so we decide to line up. The Basilica is the greatest church in Christendom and as such it has a strictly enforced dress code – no shorts or bare shoulders allowed – which is only common respect but of course there are those that do not possess this quality and they miss out! We do not plan on climbing the Dome so we are careful on what queue we join. The queue moves quickly, the dress code assessment and the security check is a rather painless process and it is not long before we stand in the Atrium (left) and in front of St Peter’s Holy Door (centre). This door is only opened every 25 years on Christmas Eve – next opening is in 2024 – but you can read all about that on the link.
Another of the magnificent doors is the Filarete (right). Incredible workmanship – and once we are through the entrance this sight greets us – the Central Nave.
Inside is jaw dropping WOW material – so much to look at – it is a veritable feast for the senses.
The statues, the columns, the marble, the mosaics, the carvings – it is just as well that Rick has come along today and that we can benefit from another one of his Audio Tours so if it is OK with you, I will follow his tour for this post otherwise we will be going from here to there and back to here again!
The church area is huge – about six football fields – and on the floor as you walk toward the main Altar there are markings where other such world famous cathedrals would fit; St Paul’s in London, Duomo in Florence etc. As large as they may be – they pale in comparison to St Peter’s. Rick tells us that he has lost several tour groups inside this place and I can believe it!
At the end of the walkway is the Main Altar.
Made from white marble and decorated with golden candlesticks, this is where the Pope and only the Pope celebrates Mass. It was consecrated by Clemente VIII on June 5th, 1594.
Above the Altar is a magnificent baroque sculptured canopy, the Baldacchino.
Designed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, it was intended to mark, in a monumental way, the place of Saint Peter’s tomb underneath.
Dating from the 17th century the canopy is supported on spiral columns 20 metres high.
The Baldacchino acts as a visual focus within the basilica; it is a very large structure and forms a visual mediation between the enormous scale of the building and the human scale of the people officiating at the religious ceremonies at the papal altar beneath its canopy.
Above the Baldacchino is Michelangelo’s Dome.
The dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral is the crowning piece of St Peter’s. About 42 metres in diameter and 136 metres high it is the tallest in the world and is visible from many areas of Rome. The dome or the cupola, was designed by Michelangelo, who became chief architect in 1546.
At the time of his death (1564), the dome was finished as far as the drum, the base on which a dome sits. The dome was vaulted between 1585 and 1590 by the architect Giacomo della Porta with the assistance of Domenico Fontana, who was probably the best engineer of the day. Fontana built the lantern the following year, and the ball was placed in 1593.
Along the base of the inside of the dome is the following inscription in letters 8 feet high:
TV ES PETRVS ET SVPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM.
TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORVM.
Meaning ‘You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church . . . I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.
This is the only religious lesson you will get from me – I think it is imperative in the story of St Peter’s.
Directly under the Dome, under the Baldacchino and under the Altar and about 23 feet under the floor is the Tomb of St Peter.
You cannot see the actual tomb but at the bottom of the small staircase there is a box of Bishop’s Shawls – the tomb is just below this box.
A booking must be made well in advance if you wish to see this tomb.
At the end of the Nave is an enormous gilded bronze monument which was designed by Bernini in 1666 to enclose an oak throne donated by Carolingian ruler Charles the Bald upon his coronation in St. Peter’s in 875. This is also called the Throne of St Peter – although St Peter never sat on it.
The legs of the throne are decorated with finely pierced ivory bands made in the School at Tours. The 18 ivory plaques on the front of the chair were added slightly later, and show the 12 Labors of Hercules and six monsters.
To the right of the chair are St Ambrose and St Augustine (fathers of the Latin church), and to the left are St Athanasius and St John Chrysostom (fathers of the Greek church). On the right wall of the chapel is the monument to Pope Urban VIII by Bernini and the left wall has the monument to Paul III.
Above the chair is a window, another work by Bernini, which is made not from glass but thin translucent stone called alabaster. How on earth did he do that I hear you ask? I don’t know I answer.
The Dove of the Holy Spirit is in the middle of the window with rays of light spreading out into the Basilica through a sculpture of golden clouds and angels. The dove is surrounded by 12 rays, symbolising the apostles.
To the right of this area there is a lighted glass niche with red robed body – this is Pope John XXIII also known as ‘The Good Pope’.
Pope John instigated major reforms bringing the church into modern days with use of the English language during Mass and using ‘ordinary’ people in church services.
In 2000 the Church authorities opened his tomb for the recognition of his mortal remains which were to be transferred to the Vatican Crypt and when they saw his face and checked his body it was surprisingly intact which was taken as a sign of divine favour and holiness so they moved him upstairs for all to see.
On 29 April 2011, Pope John Paul II’s coffin was exhumed from the grotto beneath St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of his beatification, as tens of thousands of people arrived in Rome for one of the biggest events since his funeral.
John Paul II’s remains (in a closed coffin) were placed in front of the Basilica’s main altar, where believers could pay their respects before and after the beatification mass on 1st May.
On 3rd May 2011 Blessed Pope John Paul II was given a new resting place in the marble altar in Pier Paolo Cristofari’s Chapel of St. Sebastian, which is where Pope Innocent XI was buried.
This more prominent location, next to the Chapel of the Pietà, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and statues of Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, was intended to allow more pilgrims to view his memorial.
Retracing our steps back up the Nave, we veer to the left near the entrance to come face to face with Michelangelo’s triumph – The Pieta (The Pity). Michelangelo was only 24 when he completed this incredible sculpture depicting Mary holding the body of Jesus after he was taken down from the Cross.
Apparently Michelangelo overheard some pilgrims praising the sculpture but also saying it was done by a second rate sculptor from a lesser city. So Michelangelo carved on the ribbon down the front of Mary ‘this was made by Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence’. It is the only signed work by Michelangelo, the greatest sculptor of all time.
The Pieta was damaged in 1972 by a hammer wielding idiot screaming ‘I am Jesus Christ’. The Pieta was restored after finding about 50 shards of the marble and it now sits behind bullet proof glass. What a sad indictment on our times.
Walking outside we see blue skies and the sun shining down on the piazza – unfortunately when we move further down the piazza and turn around the clouds are still threatening as the backdrop of the Basilica.
The above is just a small section of what St Peter’s has to offer – there is so much to see in this place – so many statues, altars, remnants of history that this post is unable to do them full justice – you must experience it for yourself. If you are not of the Catholic faith, put your religion on hold and respect the history and beauty of the Basilica.
After this incredible exploration of St Peter’s we still have a couple of things to see today – Santa Maria della Concezione and The Moses Fountain.
Stay with me as we continue – – –