Rome, Italy

Today was one of those wonderfully overwhelming days. We spent the day in Rome and Vatican City, both of which have way too many centuries of history to cover in a week, let alone a day.

We started the day at the Colosseum, which was one of Emily Downing’s all-time must-see sites. It was built from 72-80 AD and, while largely still standing, it has had considerable damage from earthquakes, fire, and pillage over the centuries. It could hold more than 50,000 people, seated based on social status. Many wild animals, gladiators, and Christians were killed in the amphitheater from when it was built until the mid-5th century. Interestingly, the Colosseum had a shade covering for the crowd which could be retracted or opened as needed. Also, the arena could be temporarily flooded for naval battles.

In the afternoon we went to Vatican City. I knew that it is often very busy but it was amazingly crowded. We went through part of one of the museums (don’t quiz me on what all of the pictures are of…we had a ton of statue, painting, mosaic, and tapestry names thrown at us today and I have a mish-mash in my brain). The highlight was going into the Sistine Chapel. It is truly breathtaking…and larger than I thought it would be. You’re supposed to be respectfully silent while in the chapel. Ironically, the guards were loudly telling people to be silent. It was quite odd. Unfortunately, nobody is permitted to take pictures in the Sistine Chapel (and I didn’t sneak any).

From there we went to St Peter’s Basilica and St Peter’s Square. The basilica is amazingly ornate and the inside is covered with a huge amount of gold leaf. Interestingly, there aren’t any paintings in the basilica. There are, however, mosaics that look like very intricate paintings. The pope had had a public event in St Peter’s Square this morning so there were barricades and hundreds of chairs being taken down. This meant that we were only able to go around the edge of the square. Still impressive.