Catholic Guilt in the Vatican (Part 3 of 3)

If you've known me personally over the past twenty years or so, you probably didn't know that I'm Catholic.  Not like it matters much in our ever-growing non-secular society, but I bring it up because I'm reminded of my lack of practicing every now-and-then.  Not surprisingly, my recent visit to the Vatican resurrected some of that infamous Catholic guilt that comes along with not going to church, regularly confessing or routinely praying.

A fitting end to my time in Rome, my sojourn to the tiniest sovereign city-state (at just about 110 acres) not only offered a great view of the city, it shed some light onto my dimmed religious past and offered a historical refresher to what my mother sent my to a private school to learn so long ago.  Was it a life-changing event?  Was I wooed back to the welcoming arms of the church that I've neglected for so long?  Not exactly; let's just say that it was a pleasant afternoon.

Saint Peter's Square.  During his tenure as Pope, Alexander VII (1655-1667), decided to build the square as we know it today.  Entrusting the work to Gian Lorenzo Bernini in 1656, the acclaimed artist needed only ten years to finish it.  The pink obelisk sitting in the middle stands over 25 meters high and was "imported" from Heliopolis, Egypt, by Caligula in 37 BC.  This monument dates back to 1835 BC.

Some 140 statues of saints adorn the balustrade of the two semicircular arms of the square.

Coming on the heels of the Pantheon and a few other sites, my time in and around Vatican City came at the end of the day.  As a result, I arrived too late to make it to half of the public sites: the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museum.  However, the other two sites, Saint Peter's Basilica and the Tribute to Pope John Paul II's Ascension, were more than enough for my initial visit.

Both were impressive.  The Basilica for its architectural design, artistry, historical significance and grandness.  It lived up to its billing and is worth a pilgrimage regardless of one's religious preference.  But for some odd reason, I was more moved by the Ascension Tribute.

Commemorating the Ascension of Pope John Paul II, the Vatican hosted a Tribute near Saint Peter's Basilica. 

From the beginning to the end of the 45 minute walk, the Tribute piqued at my religious and historical curiosity.  Perhaps it was a bit of that guilt, but through each of the placards, presentations or photographs, I felt that I should've known more about John Paul II's papacy.  Probably most striking were the photographs and historical accounts of the man prior to his nomination as Pope.  To see him as a child, young adult and inexperienced Bishop brought a unique lens from which to view the man born Karol Wojtyla in Wadowice, Poland.

The Pope as a child in Poland.

With his parents; his father was a sergeant in the Polish military.

This bust represents Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha.  He hosted a clandestine seminary during the Nazi occupation which Karol was an active leader; later, he would play a large role in the future Pope's rise.

Perhaps seeing this rise made him more human, more relatable.  His journey was inspiring, a reminder of what normal people may accomplish as well as what great people once were: unknown.  I don't know exactly what it was about the Tribute, but I exited more inspired by the Pope's life work as a result.

Three of the 30 markers outlining the Pope's Ascension.

Pope John Paul II's daily attire.

On that note, I was primed to enter the Basilica and continue to brush away the cobwebs that have collected around my understanding of Catholic history.  Though I should've done it prior to entering the basilica, I purchased a guidebook for it afterwards.  Proving more helpful than aimlessly wandering around the cathedral itself (there are certainly no inscriptions or placards within Saint Peter's), it accounts for any of the following facts and figures.

Free admission gets you into the basilica's main naive, apse and exterior porticoes; however, the winding line first leads visitors to a ticket window for the basilica's cupola, which is worth the five Euro ticket for a bird's eye-view of the city as well as an intimate look at the giant dome's spectacular artistry.  The ascent, however, isn't for the faint of heart (or cardiovascular endurance) as it includes at least 331 steps to reach - even if you splurge a couple extra Euros for an elevator lift.  The kid who started in front of me and finished long after me (and also reminded me of Manny from "Modern Family") can attest to that.

The stairwell ceiling took the curvature of the dome above it; here, walking sideways was the only way up.

Saint Peter's Square from the copula.  In the upper right corner, the white structure is the Emmanuel II Monument from the last post.  That is essentially where I started my walk to the Vatican.

Making it up those winding steps was interesting enough.  Not for the claustrophobic, the tight, spiraling staircases were made for one-way traffic.  At points, "hikers" are required to contort their torsos far to the right as they trek below the dome's curved exterior.  Once at the top, however, the views of the dome's ceiling, Vatican City and Rome are well worth the effort.

Inside the copula, murals lined the catwalk.

Each mural was made of thousands of tiny rocks that were rough to the touch.

Above the catwalk, the dome's interior was cut into 16th's, each of which adorned with four portraits.

Following an equally challenging decent, it was time to try to take in the cathedral itself.  Difficult to do without a guide or guidebook, I felt like one of those Pantheon tourists I saw earlier in the day - blindly taking pictures of what I thought looked interesting or important, trying not to miss something I'd later learn was important (Michelangelo's Pieta).

Known as the Alter of the Confessio, this four-columned structure stands where Saint Peter witnessed to his faith with his martyrdom (right in the middle of the basilica).  It towers over the Confessio, a gigantic block of Greek marble around which patrons recite the Creed.  At the top sits Bernini's first work in the basilica, the bronze "baldacchino."  He took nine years to make it and used 6,200 kilograms of metal.

Far above the Alter of the Confessio, the basilica's great dome.  Supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 meters (nearly as large as the Pantheon's entire interior), the dome sits at a height of 120 meters.  Michelangelo worked on the structures, making it to the bottom of the dome (referred to as its drum).  Giacomo Della Porta finished the dome with only minor changes to Michelangelo's plans.

The Monument to Alexander VII was my favorite statue.  The last great masterpiece of the 80-year old Bernini, it shows the Pontiff kneeling and absorbed in prayer, undisturbed by the sudden appearance of Death, who brandishes an hour-glass underneath four statues and a drapery made of Sicilian jasper.

At the base of one of the structure's main four piers, the Statue of Saint Andrew memorializes Saint Peter's brother, who evangelized Greece.  Francois Duquesnoy carved this statue out of a single piece of marble before it was erected in 1639.

A look into one of the ten "minor" copulas that line the left and right aisles of the basilica.

Admittedly, a horrible picture of Michelangelo's masterpiece, The Pieta.  Located near one of the five entry doors, artist's work shows Mary holding Jesus after he died on the cross.  Carved from a single piece of white Carrara marble, The Pieta is the only work known to carry Michelangelo's signature.  He finished it at the ripe old age of 25.  This is now the only work of art inside the cathedral that is enclosed in glass after "a lunatic disfigured Mary's face" in 1971.

The second masterpiece (touted by the guidebook) is Bernini's Alter of the Chair of Saint Peter.  Sitting at the apse, this work consists of four gigantic gilded-bronze statues surrounding a chair which is made to look as if it's suspended amidst the clouds.

I think I succeeded.  But, I also think my photography skills camera failed.  Here, I feel like noting that I didn't bring my SLR due to weight/size constraints (thanks, RyanAir!) and my usually-reliable Samsung took a crap on me atop the basilica, so I had to rely on my iPhone's surprisingly impressive - but limited - camera.  Not surprisingly, the resulting shots just don't match up with the real things.t

And now, a Hail of Rosaries:

• Saint Peter was anointed by Jesus to continue his work on earth.  Afterward, he acted as the leader of the Apostles, executing "indisputable authority." The papacy began with him.
• The Basilica today is actually the third structure at the site.  The first was Nero's Circus, where Christians were martyred shortly after Christ's death.  The second was the original basilica, which was erected by Emperor Constantine in 313 to win favor with the Christians.  This structure stood for almost 12 centuries, until it was replaced with today's creation beginning in 1506.
• Michelangelo began working on the basilica at the ripe young age of 72 years old.  He worked on it until his death 16 years later.
• Each of the 140 statues lining Saint Peter's square are three meters high.
• The obelisk in the middle of the square was hewn from a single block of pink granite and took 900 men, 140 horses and 44 winches to erect it in 1586.
• The five doors to the basilica are named: "The Door of Death," "Door of Good and Evil," "The Central Door," "Door of the Sacraments," and "The Holy Door."
• 73 sites are listed inside of the cathedral according to the guide; they include chapels, statues, altars, monuments, aisles and doors.  This differs greatly with any mosque that I've visited, which is practically empty and devoid of all symbolism.  Though I only mention it to point out a central difference in styles of worship, it makes me wonder how each was conceived and what motives compelled the religious authorities of the day to design their places of worship, respectively.

Leaving the Vatican with my Catholic "bucket" somewhat refilled, I meandered through Roman back alleys, within earshot of small musical performances and past the tempting cuisine of street-side carts.  Before my trip, I'd heard a lot about this city, how its atmosphere is unparalleled, history unmatched.  After a couple short days, my experience met these descriptions.  Though it's starting to sound cliched after London and Barcelona, it again is worth a return trip!

*Additionally, if you've looked at any of the slideshows and have questions about photographs that I didn't include, just let me know!