The Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapal

 Probably the most desired art pilgrimage site in all of the Western world, the Vatican's collection of classical art and sculpture is without equal.  There are museums that have a better renaissance focus (Louvre, Uffizi), and certainly there are wider collections of modern and contemporary art (even though the Vatican does have a small modern section), but as a museum, the Vatican overwhelms you with its immense long galleries of marble art, and unbelievable rooms decorated from fantastic marble and mosaic floors, up to the sumptuous ceilings, coffered and painted.  

Our guide was interesting.  He definitely had his own personal agenda, but to give him credit, he tried his best to help me find medication for my agonizing knee.  After about two hours of steps, halls, etc., and my constantly having to sit and rest, he found something from another guide which helped a lot. And he was absolutely a great person to have along at the museum.  

The tour could not have been more amazing.  When I say overwhelming, it was just that.  The halls seemed to go for miles, and each room had its incredible collection, surrounded by spectacular mosaics on the floor, elaborate "Grotesque" painting on the walls, and elaborate coffered ceilings, filled with paintings. Every square inch seemed to be ornamented in some way.  

The climax of course was the Sistine Chapel.  You entered with an enormous crowd (timed entry), but once in you could wander freely, looking up in astonishment at figures you have seen all your life in books, but now were a serious distance away from you, crowds of colorful figures all of which you recognized.  The guards would periodically yell "Silenzio!  No photo!  No video!"  Despite that, many were taking photos, so I sneaked a few, but nothing I photographed could possibly do Michaelangelo justice. The restoration, done in the 80's, and financed by a Japanese firm who secured all the photo and reproduction rights (thus "No Photo!"), is a spectacular triumph.  

Here is a long blog, but I hope you will be patient, and enjoy this unforgettable place. 

A huge brass pinecone from the original St. Peter's 
in the Cortile della Pigna

An idea of the immensity of the galleries. 

Every ceiling in the museum in every room, was worth study. 

Lacoon and His Sons
One of the most famous schuptures in art, it was found in a field in 1504.  Evidently Michelangelo heard about it, he rushed to see it. 
This is evidently a Roman copy from the 2nd. century. 

A room of animal sculptures.

Another great ceiling. 

The Belvedere Torso, 1st. Century. 
There are few statues that have had more influence.  Every great sculpture has studied this great anatomically stunning work.  Michelangelo is said to have come to it in his old age, when his eyesight was going, and wanted to feel the beauty of it with his hands.  

A tomb made of porphyry, the hardest, most precious of marbles.

This is maybe two feet square.  Is it a thorn, or is it a tickling session?

More beautiful ceilings

In the tapestry collection

The map gallery, with perhaps the finest ceiling of all.

This is a perfect example of "Grotesque" decoration.  Fine lines, 
imaginary animals, fantastical beings, etc. 

In a corner of one of the maps, a Roman ship bringing home a huge obelisk from Egypt. 

Charlemagne becoming Christian and defeating his enemy. 

In the Raphael Rooms, the "School of Athens"
Plato pointing up, Aristotle pointing down
and Michelangelo, dark and grumpy, studying a book on a pedestal. 

And just before the entrance to the Sistine Chapal, a small area devoted to more modern art, including
this Paul Klee.  
Our guide could have cared less about this area, which frustrated me, because there were some great examples of earlier 20th. century works, including Van Gogh, Bacon, Chagall, de Chirico, and a Matisse room.  But we were running out of time with him, and we still had St. Peter's to visit. 

And so, to the Sistine Chapel.  There was, thank God, a bench running around the entire outer perimeter of the room, and I could squeeze myself in among the other seniors, and just sit and gaze up.  How very moving to see God, Adam, and the hundreds of Michelangelo's visions, created between 1508 and 1512, and so superbly restored in the 1980's.  How marvelous to be in the room, after reading about it for so many years.  Talk about a bucket list fulfilled. 

And so, on to St. Peter's (next blog).