Heart of Vatican City

Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, is a very special place to visit. Located within the city of Rome, Italy, Vatican City is a separate country ruled by the pope and is a place where one can find faith and art intertwined. For those interested in art, the Vatican has one of the premier collections of the world, encompassing sculptures, paintings, architecture and more. Since early popes were patrons of many well-known artists during the Renaissance period, the Vatican has retained works that were created there by geniuses such as Raphael and Michelangelo. Although access to many of the wonders is restricted to casual visitors, tourists can find amazing treasures to view at Vatican City. Here are 10 things to do there.

ST. PETER’S BASILICA

The massive basilica said to be built over the grave of St. Peter is so huge that it’s hard to fully take in all the details. Works by Bramante, Bernini, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Maderno overwhelm, and there are acres of marble, magnificent mosaics, and Michelangelo’s amazing dome in St. Peter’s, the world’s largest church and headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church. It is difficult to decide whether to look up, down, or to the side as there are treasures everywhere in the church, and visitors can spend hours seeing all of the interesting features. Bernini’s canopy, the dome, the treasury, the statue of St. Peter, the Pieta, and the grotto should all be seen, and it is possible to attend services in the church also. To enter the church, acceptable clothing must be worn; no shorts, sleeveless shirts, mini skirts, etc. are permitted. Admission to the basilica is free.

PIETA
The Pieta, Michelangelo’s remarkable statue of Mary holding Jesus as he is taken down from the cross, is in the first chapel in St. Peter’s. Sculpted when Michelangelo was in his 20s, the Pieta is his only signed sculpture; notice the signature on the ribbon that runs diagonally across Mary’s chest. La Pieta has been recreated in numerous copies around the world as an example of pure beauty. In 1972 a disturbed man tried to destroy the statue with a hammer; today it is in a glass case for protection.

GROTTOS
Downstairs in the basilica are the tombs of the popes, including the one said to be that of St. Peter’s. The stairs that lead down to the grottos are not readily visible; they’re near the bronze of St. Peter to the right of the central nave. While some may find the grottos a little spooky, the tombs are interesting; to go down to the necropolis vaticana, which is farther down around the tomb of St. Peter, permission for a tour must be granted by the excavations office several weeks in advance.


ROOFTOP & DOME There are 491 steps leading up to the dome at the top of the basilica; you can save steps by taking the elevator to the top of the roof. The rooftop itself is a great destination; you can see the statues of the disciples up-close, take amazing photos of Rome, and there’s even a gift shop and post office where you can mail postcards with a Vatican City postmark. If you make it to the top of the dome, you will have a fantastic view of both the inside of the church and a view of the Vatican Gardens and Rome outside. The walk up, while exerting, is worth the great views, although if you aren’t in top shape you may have to stop and rest along the way.

PIAZZA SAN PIETRO St. Peter’s Square is in front of the basilica and is laid out in an oval shape. Designed by the artist Bernini, the plaza features two colonnades in a semicircle arrangement, each containing four rows of Doric-style columns. There is an Egyptian obelisk in the center of the plaza and also two fountains. A favorite activity of tourists is to stand on one of the circles between the fountains and the obelisk and look down the columns; they line up perfectly so the rows behind can’t be seen.

SWISS GUARDS The Swiss guards were first hired by Pope Julius II in 1506, and the Vatican and the pope have been protected ever since by them; they stand near the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica. The guards wear very distinctive uniforms, consisting of blue and yellow striped pantaloons and jacket with red accents and a beret, and they hold a halberd, a long lance with an axe on one end. The guards, which number 100 in all, are all Roman Catholic Swiss men, and they swear allegiance to the pope. Although their uniforms appear to be ceremonial, the guards serve a real purpose today against anyone who would harm the pope, and they receive modern military training.


VATICAN MUSEUMS The Vatican Museums are near the basilica and contain priceless works of art from ancient to modern times. There are many different galleries; seeing all of them is definitely not possible in one day, so doing a little research before visiting and deciding what you really want to see is the best plan. There are countless pieces of art, including statues, busts, Renaissance paintings, tapestries, early icons, Egyptian artifacts, etc., and there is so much art in this museum that the visitor is totally overwhelmed. Two of the most well-known exhibits in the Vatican Museums are the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael rooms, and you will see many works that were in your history and art books in school. The double-helix spiral staircase at the entrance/exit to the museum is a work of art in itself. Purchasing the audio tour is a good idea, as it will tell you all about the works in the museum.

SISTINE CHAPEL Although the Sistine Chapel is always very crowded, it is a must-see for any visitor to the Vatican Museums. The magnificent frescoed ceiling of the chapel painted by Michelangelo depicts over 300 figures from the Book of Genesis, the most well-known being "The Creation of Adam," showing God touching the finger of Adam. "The Last Judgment" on the west wall depicts a scene from the Book of Revelations. The chapel’s frescoes have been restored to remove the centuries of grime; work began in 1979 and took twenty years to complete, but the colors are much more vibrant now than before the restoration.


COURTYARD OF THE PIGNA This courtyard off the Vatican Museum, designed by Bramante, contains some very interesting pieces of sculpture and a lovely green lawn. There’s a huge pinecone, which was once part of a fountain, and a giant head of Octavia. In the center of the courtyard is an enormous modern spherical sculpture by Pomodoro that is quite unusual. This is a good place to take photographs, especially group ones.


CASTEL SANT’ANGELO The castle, originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, was used as a safe place for the popes, and there was a secret passage connecting it to the Vatican. A bridge, the Ponte Angelo, spans the Tiber River and connects the castle to Vatican City from Rome. The castle was also used as a prison and a fortress, and it is now a national museum. Dan Brown, author of the best-selling book "The DaVinci Code," has recently revived interest in the circular castle by featuring it in his book "Angels and Demons."