|
Rome in 96 hours - second day
 The
Vatican City:
Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica
 Castel
Sant’Angelo,
brief boat ride on the Tiber up to the Isola
Tiberina (Tiber Island), walk in
 Trastevere.
 
The
Vatican City
The Vatican City, independent sovereign state
since 1929 (Lateran Pacts), rises on the site where St. Peter was
martyred and buried. The first Christian Emperor Constantine, built
a splendid basilica there in the 4th century AC which was in later
times demolished and rebuilt over a period of almost 120 years
(1506-1614). The greatest architects of the period, including
Bramante, Michelangelo and Maderno, collaborated in the project of
the new church, the largest in the world with its surface adding up
to a total of 22,000 square metres. The Basilica of St. Peter’s
offers one of the most impressive experiences of architectural space
available anywhere. Photographs cannot convey the impact on the
visitor of the vastness of the structure, of the splendid
decorations and works of art it contains.
The alternation, during
the construction phase, between the Greek cross and Latin cross
plan, and the definitive choice of the latter, explains why one must
proceed significantly along the central nave before coming in full
view of Michelangelo’s extraordinary dome (which measures 136 m in
height and 42m in diameter) The artistic treasures contained in St.
Peter’s include the celebrated Piet� by the same Michelangelo, the
only work he ever signed, and which he made when he was only 24,
using a single block of marble; the baldacchino above the main
altar, the authentic visual focus of the church, created by Bernini
with bronze taken from the Pantheon, and the bronze statue of St.
Peter by Arnolfo di Cambio.
The church is also famous for its almost total absence of paintings,
substituted with mosaics by the Vatican School.
St. Peter’s Square can contain 300,000 people; it defines the border
with Italy and welcomes visitors with the embrace of the colonnade
designed by Bernini. It is the site of important ceremonies tied
with the pope’s direct relationship with the people, such as
audiences and blessings.
The Vatican Museums and their immense
wealth of art, resulting from centuries of papal collections
and commissions, offer an extraordinary experience in which
the relevance of the works on display is heightened by the
splendour of the structures in which they are displayed, and
that are in themselves worth a visit. We do not proceed
through buildings designed specifically to allow the large
numbers of contemporary visitors to see artistic objects in
a functional manner, but we walk through the galleries and
rooms of papal palaces, at one time reserved for a small
elite.
The Museums offer a great variety of collections,
including ancient Greek as well as Roman art (of which the
Vatican owns the largest collection in the world), Egyptian
and Etruscan art and, of course, the great masterpieces of
Renaissance art with the frescoes of the Raphael Rooms and
the Sistine Chapel.
This is a great opportunity to realize
how coming to Rome often has more to do with remembering
what we have always somehow known, than with discovering
things for the first time. Images that are strongly related
to the identity of Western artistic culture are here.
The
restoration of the Sistine Chapel lasted 20 years and
revealed the brilliance of the original colors, allowing us
to fully enjoy the details of the biblical episodes on the
ceiling and of the Last Judgement by Michelangelo, with its
almost 400 figures captured in the most dramatic moment in
the history of humanity. The Sistine Chapel also contains
the famous 15th century frescoes by Botticelli, Perugino and
Ghirlandaio, among others.
In order to avoid long lines, check the opening
times that are longer in the summer and, if possible, plan your
visit after 12:00am, when the Museums are less crowded.
 
Castel
Sant’Angelo
Via della Conciliazione leads to Castel
Sant’Angelo, the fortress of the popes built in the Middle Ages
above the remains of the tomb of the Emperor Hadrian (2nd century
AD). Its structure is an example of the continuity between past and
present in the urban fabric of Rome, where ancient buildings were
often reused and adapted to serve new purposes, thus maintaining an
active role in the history of the city. The location of the
emperor’s mausoleum on the right bank of the river Tiber, close to
the Vatican, determined its use as a defensive rampart, connected to
the papal palaces by a passageway, known as the “Passetto”, and
endowed with a moat surrounding it, drawbridges and cannons. In the
past the castle was famous for its terrible dungeons, described by
Benvenuto Cellini who made an adventurous escape from them. It was
also a place of public executions, as recalled by the opera Tosca,
that sees its tragic ending here. Walking through the 58 rooms the
Museum of the Castel Sant’Angelo today is a journey through its 1800
years of history, and the many terraces offer extraordinary views of
the city.
Don’t miss the Bridge of the Angels, with the statues by the Bernini
school that in the past announced to pilgrims on their way to visit
the tomb of St. Peter, that the goal of their journey was near.
We suggest reaching Trastevere by boat
with the navigation service on the Tiber, and to get off at
the Isola Tiberina. The boat ride will evoke the fundamental
role the river used to have in the life of the city, when
buildings and gardens went right down to the river banks,
that also had ports, water mills and platforms for fishing.
The Tiber often flooded causing great damage to the
neighbouring areas. This led to the construction of modern
embankments in the 1870s that have profoundly modified the
appearance of the river and its relationship to the city.
Trastevere
The area of Trastevere is ideal for a walk
through narrow streets, squares and colors that still maintain an
authentically Roman character and offers a pleasant contrast with
the solemn splendor seen at the Vatican. In antiquity Trastevere –
“beyond the Tiber” – was the first district established on the right
bank of the Tiber and was inhabited by artisans, fishermen,
merchants and communities of foreigners, connected with the
activities of the nearby port. Trastevere was also famous for its
magnificent villas and vast gardens, the most important of which
belonged to Julius Caesar who may have hosted Cleopatra there and
left them in his will to the people of Rome.
In the Middle Ages the neighborhood acquired the aspect it still preserves today in its
narrow alleys and small squares that often defy any idea of a
rational overall urban design, and give the impression of having
adapted to preexisting structures. Sites that should not be missed
include the ancient Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, with the
13th century mosaics by Pietro Cavallini, and of Santa Cecilia, with
the touching statue of Cecilia herself, patron saint of music, by
Stefano Maderno. To find the magnificence of the Renaissance even in
Trastevere, the ideal place is the Farnesina, the suburban villa of
wealthy banker Agostino Chigi, containing frescoes by Raphael,
Baldassarre Peruzzi and Sebastiano del Piombo.
Trastevere offers a great variety of restaurants
and bars for a fun evening.
Rome in four days - first day
Rome in four days - third day
Rome in four days - fourth day
Courtesy of romaturismo.com Azienda Promozione Turistica Comune di Roma
|
