St Peters Basilica and other Rome, Italy Things to Do Tips

We really looked forward to visiting the 'city within the city'... the Vatican City.

Even from the far view of it from across the River Tiber, one is in awe of it's architecture and presence.

The Basilica of St. Peter started being built under the papacy of Julius II around 1506.

As you enter the basilica, you notice immediately how its functional layout is in the traditional form of a Latin cross.

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Phone: +39 06 6982
Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: www.vatican.va

When you enter the Basilica, you don't know quite where to look. To the left, to the right, up or down haha.

There is just so much to take in and absorb. You really need a few hours in the Basilica alone.

From the inside, the Cupola of St Peter's Basilica is reaaaaaaaaally high up and not all that clear to see form the floor.

You view it in a lot more detail at the first level, and it is amazing. Hard to fathom the artists creating this masterpiece in days gone by sans modern technology!

It really is amazing.

This dome is the largest dome on earth. Following this is Saint Paul's in London. The sheer beauty of it is amazing.

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Phone: +39 06 6982
Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: www.vatican.va

Other things immediately hit me too inside the basilica: its sheer size and stature, the ornate decoration on absolutely everything and the light that gently bathes all surfaces inside.

The central and side naves are filled with altars, statues, monuments and mosaics.

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Phone: +39 06 6982
Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: www.vatican.va

I studied this basilica in great detail when studying Art History and so to actually view (and touch) that which I knew in a theoretical sense only until now, meant a lot to me.

We did lots of climbing, felt the coolness of the smooth marble beneath our feet, and savoured the respect within this special place.

My little niece was learning to walk at this stage, and it's poignant that some of her first steps were in the Vatican City :)

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Phone: +39 06 6982
Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: www.vatican.va

The Vatican Museums originated as a group of sculptures collected by Pope Julius II (who served between 1503-1513), and it is amazing that today it is a proverbial warren of galleries and artifacts.

Simply incredible how it has grown!

Having said that though, knowing how well endowed the Vatican coffers are, one shouldn't be surprised at the immense growth. I somehow wish this money had been used for a more practical use.

For the people.

Don't get me wrong, I am an artist, and LOVE what they have achieved... I just wish it had been spread out a bit more.

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Phone: +39 06 6982
Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

Here is a list of some of the galleries and museums: 'Cortile Ottagono', Chiaromonti Museum, Egyptian Museum, 'Braccio Nuovo' Gallery, Lapidary Gallery, Missionary-Ethnological Museum, Etruscan Museum, Lateran Profane Museum, Hebrew Lapidary, Chapel of Nicholas V, Pio Christian Museum, Gregorian Profane Museum, Gallery of Tapestries, Sobieski Room, Room of the Immaculate Conception, Raphael Stanze, Loggia, Sistene Chappel, Gallery of Maps, Vatican Pinacoteca, The Carriage and Automobile Museum, Collection of Modern and Contemporary Religious Art, The Vatican Historical Museum.

As you can see, there are quite a few! haha So best to put your walking shoes on and have a good few hours spare to walk around. Please look at the Vatican's website below for detailed info on what the galleries offer.

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Phone: +39 06 6982
Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

This is the first museum you enter when you come out of the spiral foyer area. Housed in ten rooms, it is a very interesting (and ancient!) museum with all kinds of articfacts of that time.

It was interesting to read up about the mummies and the embalming etc. but what really tickled my fancy were the earthenware artifacts.

Some were chipped, most were in excellent condition. Urns, bowls, saucers etc.

Always a favourite of mine.

In the Louvre they also have some lovely relics and artifacts from Egyptian times. Always a lure for us as we love antiques.

Thoroughly enjoyable!

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Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

This was a particularly lovely foyer area we thought - the Vatican has certainly not spared any expense with their museums!

The infamous Vatican post office is to the right at the top of this spiral ramp area, we thought of sending a postcard, but there was quite a queue, and we were keen to see as many museums as possible (bearing in mind we had a child with us).

From here you can visit any of the other museums.

It is well sign posted and organised, with excellent security.

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Address: Vatican City
Directions: Vatican City alongside the Tevere River in Rome
Website: www.vatican.va

The Coliseum is special, not only because of the artistic value and meaning to it, but the Christian aspect too.

It has always been said that Christians were killed in the forum, mauled by lions and other animals, for the enjoyment of the secular society that Rome was.

We went on a tour with an authentic guide (I say 'authentic' as there are quite a few going-solos outside the Coliseum who hanker after your custom, and this gets quite irritating).

This lady told us many interesting facts about the coliseum, including the fact that Christians, to their knowledge, had never been killed in the Coliseum, no humans ever wer. Only animals and gladiators fought in the arena.

It was either gladiator against gladiator, gladiator against animal, or animal against animal. Elephants, giraffes, monkeys, lions.. you name it, they were brought into the arena and forced to fight.

There would be a noticeably weaker opponent always.

Not very nice, so brutal. But that is mankind for you!

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Address: Piazza del Colosseo
Website: www.the-colosseum.net

This arena was excellent technology for that time!

The word 'arena' means sand in Latin, because the arena was wooden, with a sand covering over it, so that the blood would not stain the wood and would be easy to clear away.

If larger animals died, they had an elevator system, where sections of the arena would move aside and the animal was lowered into the warren of rooms below the arena.

The gladiators and animals were all kept beneath the arena for the duration of the tournament. The heat must have been stifling! Many animals died even before they could 'compete'.

In the seating area, the more 'powerful' people in society sat on a marble step on the lower circle, and then the higher you sat the less 'important' in society you were.

Marble, stone, wood.. all depicted one's 'place' in society. Interesting, but I am so glad we no longer have these hierachies!

Thinking on all these things as you stand there is very moving. I wish we'd had longer there.

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Address: Piazza del Colosseo
Website: www.the-colosseum.net