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Rome, Pt. 3: The Pope, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, and a Date

June 9, 2016 by Shelli

Well, it’s Day 17 of our 29-day Epic Europe Family Adventure. We have had so many exceptional and unforgettable experiences. This is our third day in Rome, and it has nothing short of Epic. It started by seeing Pope Francis!

(By the way, this is my 11th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

Jerry and the boys, in front of St. Peter's Basilica, waiting for the Pope. — Jerry and the boys, in front of St. Peter’s Basilica, waiting for the Pope.

After seeing the Pope, we hurried over to the Vatican Museum to meet our private guide for a tour of the museum and the Sistine Chapel. We were all exhilarated about seeing Pope Francis, and as we dodged in and out of traffic and crowds of people to get the museum, where we met Alberto and started the tour.

The Vatican Museum is one of the largest museums in world. I knew it was big and spectacular, but I had no idea what we were in for. Now, by now, I realize you may think I’m just easily blown away. After all, it seems like the last 2-3 posts I’ve remarked how I’ve been blown away. But really, I’m not easily blown away. These sights are just spectacular.

Following are several photos of works of art that particularly inspired awe for me.

I had to get this photo since I am fan of this guy, Marcus Aurelius and his works.

A sarcophagus that was for a couple, with a scene of Greeks fighting Amazons.

Emperor Claudius. (The eagle signifies power)

All of the floors are marble, many have intricate designs like this one, made from little tiny tiles of marble from all over the world. Many of the floors in the Vatican Museum were repurposed from Roman homes, etc. Our guide, Alberto, said this particular one was from a swimming pool in a 2,000-year-old Roman home!

This is a mummy of a 19-year-old princess.

A magnificent bronze statue representing Hercules.

The ceiling of one of the many corridors we explored in the Vatican Museum.

We loved the map paintings of Italy's different regions. They date back to 1582, and were all completed in 33 months, and, compared to Google Maps, their accuracy is 95%. — We loved the map paintings of Italy’s different regions. They date back to 1582, and were all completed in 33 months, and, compared to Google Maps, their accuracy is 95%.

This is a Life of Jesus tapestry. It is stunning! It took 7 years to make this tapestry, which is almost 500 years old. (Our guide said it took one man one year to make one yard of this. There were many who worked on it, and it was laborious and detailed work!)

The Sistine Chapel was our last stop, and we were full of anticipation… The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope, in Vatican City. The chapel gets its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored the chapel from 1477-1480. The chapel serves as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity, and is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, and most particularly, the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.

Before entering, our guide provided a lot of interesting insights that we didn’t previously know. Originally, the Sistine Chapel’s vaulted ceiling was painted blue and covered with golden stars. The walls were adorned with frescoes by different artists. In 1508, Pope Julius II (who reigned from 1503-1513) hired Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the chapel – to change its appearance entirely. Before this time, Michelangelo had gained fame through his work as a sculptor, especially as a result of his great works, David, and Pieta. Our guide explained that at first Michelangelo wanted no part of the project. He loved 3 dimensional work too much. But, our guide explained, about a year later he was compelled to say yes and he began his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The importance of the project was pressure enough, but add to that the working conditions the artist had to experience. Paint and other materials would fall onto his face as he lay on scaffolding to paint much of it. Because he was painting on a ceiling, his neck was always craned, and he had the challenges that came with fresco painting (working with fresh and wet plaster, under a time crunch). It took Michelangelo, who started the project when he was 32 years old, 4 years to finish.

Like I said, visitors are not allowed to take photos, so I don’t have any photos to share. I just can’t find adequate words to describe the experience of standing in such a spectacular chapel and being totally immersed in the beautiful – seemingly miraculous paintings – that tell such important stories so visually and in such an inspiring way. The impact of my experience will be lasting.

While nothing is as good as standing in the chapel yourself, and looking at, and taking in, Michelangelo’s frescoes, the good news is this is perhaps the next best thing – a virtual 360-degree look at the Sistine Chapel, provided by the Sistine Chapel.

Well, after that glorious and epic first half of our day, we found a pizzeria and ate another delicious meal before continuing on foot to see some more sights.

We walked next to the Trevi Fountain, which was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Pietro Bracci. Standing 86 feet high and 161 feet wide, the Trevi is the largest Baroque fountain in the city, and one of the most famous fountains in the world. We can see why. I’m including a photo below.

Trevi Fountain, one of the world's most famous fountains. — Trevi Fountain, one of the world’s most famous fountains.

After having a gelato while sitting in front of the spectacular Trevi Fountain, we went looking for the Pantheon.

The Pantheon. The The Pantheon (temple of every god) is a building in Rome, on the site of an earlier building commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian, and probably dedicated about 126 AD.

The Pantheon (temple of every god) is a building in Rome, on the site of an earlier building commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). According to Wikipedia, the present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian, and probably dedicated about 126 AD.

The altar, and the interior of the Pantheon is beautiful.

The building is circular with a portico of large granite Corinthian columns (eight in the first rank and two groups of four behind) under a pediment. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost 2,000 years after it was built, the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 142 feet. It was staggering to look up at. (see photo)

The Pantheon's Dome, which is 2,000 years old, remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world. — The Pantheon’s Dome, which is 2,000 years old, remains the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world.

The Pantheon is reportedly one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, probably because it has been in continuous use throughout its history. (Since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a church dedicated to “St. Mary and the Martyrs,” but informally known as “Santa Maria Rotonda.” The square in front of the Pantheon is called Piazza della Rotonda.

To cap off what was another inspiring and fulfilling day for my family and I, Jerry and I went on a date night. The boys were excited to get epic pizza from a pizzeria that is next door to our apartment and some other snacks. They were actually looking forward to a night of “chillaxing.” So Jerry and I headed to the wonderful and romantic Bernini Ristorante, which is just steps away at the Piazza Navona. Here are a couple of photos:
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Jerry's and my first round last night. Delicious! — Jerry’s and my first round last night. Delicious!

Thank you for reading my blog, and for following along with us on this Epic Europe Family Adventure.

Up next: The Colosseum!

If you’re interested, here are all of my previous blog posts about this Epic Europe Family Adventure so far:
• From Wyoming to the British Museum and Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew in 24 hours
• Big Ben, River Thames, Tower of London and Ice Cream
• Munich Day 1: Glockenspiel, Deutsches Museum, Englischer Garten and Beirgarten
• Biking in the Bavarian Alps, Exploring Neuschwanstein Castle, Epic Beer & Food
• Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland: The Land of Many Fountains, Cows with Bells and Epic Food
• Zermatt: Gornergrat Glacier, the Matterhorn, Mountain Lakes and More Delicious Food
• Moneglia, Italy: The Cinque Terre, Epic Focaccia, Pizza, Pesto, Wine, Olives, and Gelato
• Leaning Tower of Pisa, Michelangelo’s David, Cathedral of Florence, and Giotto’s Bell Tower.
• Rome, Part I: Ponte Sant ‘Angelo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona & More
• Rome, Pt. 2: Capuchin Crypt, Catacombs of Priscilla, and Ancient Underground Churches

Rome, Pt. 2: Capuchin Crypt, Catacombs of Priscilla, and Ancient Underground Churches

June 8, 2016 by Shelli

Greetings from Rome! Today was our second day in Rome. We are so in love with this city. Everywhere we go, we are awe-struck. Last night, after we arrived in Rome, we wasted no time, and walked all over the City taking in as much as we could.

(By the way, this is my 10th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

Jerry and the boys behind the Triton Fountain in Piazza Barberini, before our tour. The fountain is a 17th Century fountain.

Today, our much-anticipated main event was a small group tour of the Capuchin Crypts, catacombs and ancient underground churches. We didn’t have to meet the tour guide until 1:45pm, so this morning we walked all over Rome, to several piazzas, including Piazza Napoleone, Piazza Novona, Piazza DiSpagna and the Spanish Steps, Piazza Del Popolo, Piazza Barberini and Piazza Venezia. We also went to the Vittoriano, Borghese Park and by the Colosseum. We didn’t spend much time at the latter because we have a small group tour that will include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Underground and Arena in a couple of days.

A few months back, we signed up for the 3.5-hour “Skip the Line: Crypts and Roman Catacombs Small-Group Walking Tour,”and what a brilliant move that was. The tour blew us all away. We just returned to our flat after another delicious Italian dinner, and during dinner, Jerry and the boys and I could not stop talking about our experience this afternoon.

Note: We were not allowed to take any photos of videos of what we saw, due to their sacred and religious nature. However, I’m including some photos I found online that I believe I’m permitted to use, because they have common use licenses and I’m linking them to their original source. I sure hope this is okay. I’m not trying to do anything illegal, but rather share some of the intriguing sights we were able to see today.

First off, we had a fantastic guide. Her name is Georgia Darell, and we highly recommend her! She has an encyclopedic knowledge about the Capuchin Crypts, the Catacombs, and the Basilica of San Clemente – and for all of Rome. Georgia is not only informed, but passionate and funny, too.

We met Georgia, and the rest of our group, at Piazza Barberini, and then we all walked over to the Capuchin Crypt at the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione. First, we took a quick tour of the Crypt museum, home to St. Francis in Meditation, a painting by Caravaggio, as well as other artifacts about Italy’s patron saint, St. Francis. Then, we entered the Capuchin Crypt.

The Capuchin Crypt includes several tiny chapels located beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini. Capuchin monks used human bones to build and decorate their crypts, which contain the remains of 4,000 monks buried between 1540–1871. During that time, the Roman Catholic Church permitted burial in and under churches. (This is no longer legal, so when a bone falls off the wall in one of the crypts, it is not re-hung, but rather buried in the ground of the crypt, which is covered in soil, brought in from Jerusalem.)

(Photo by Wikipedia.org) One of the crypts we toured.

The crypts we saw included: Crypt of the Resurrection, featuring a picture of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, framed by various parts of the human skeleton. Crypt of the Skulls, which was my personal favorite –probably because of what our guide shared while we viewed it. She remarked that what she likes about the Crypt of Skulls is that it reminds us that, despite the difference we all have in skin color, amount of wealth, beliefs, etc., when we die we all look similar and we’re all equal. She also pointed out one of the designs that forms a time piece with wings. “Time flies.” She said, “so Carpe Diem.” The Mass Chapel, an area used to celebrate Mass, does not contain bones. In the altar-piece, Jesus and Mary exhort St. Felix of Cantalice, St. Francis of Assisi, and St. Anthony of Padua to free souls from Purgatory. The chapel contains a plaque with the acronym DOM, which stands for Deo optimo maximo (“To God, the best and greatest”), a term initially used to refer to the pagan god Jupiter, but claimed by later Christians. The plaque contains the actual heart of Maria Felice Peretti, the grand-niece of Pope Sixtus V, and a supporter of the Capuchin order. When she died, Peretti’s heart was donated to the monks, and her heart is in this crypt.

The Crypt of the Three Skeletons is the only crypt with entire skeletons. The three full skeletons are of young children. The center skeleton is enclosed in an oval, the symbol of life coming to birth. In its right hand it holds a scythe, symbol of death which cuts down everyone, like grass in a field, while its left hand holds the scales, symbolizing the good and evil deeds weighed by God when he judges the human soul. A placard in five languages declares: “What you are now we used to be; what we are now you will be…” Powerful… The two other crypts are called Crypt of the Pelvises; Crypt of the Leg Bones and Thigh Bones.

After the tour of the Capuchin Crypt, we rode a bus to our next stop: The Catacombs of Santa Priscilla. According to Georgia, about only one-third of Rome is above ground. In fact, Rome is home of some of the oldest and longest burial underground tunnels in the world – hundreds of kilometers of underground tunnels and passages where thousands of Christians were buried during the 2nd Century. We toured the catacombs and old burial sites for over an hour, and it was fascinating!

A glimpse into the Catacombs of Priscilla. (Photo borrowed from CatacombePriscilla.com)

The frescoes were also beautiful. One highlight was seeing the Cubiculum of the Veiled Woman. From CatacombPriscilla.com: This room is named for the picture in the semi-circle on the back wall, in which a young woman, wearing a rich purple garment and a veil on her head, lifts up her arms in prayer. On either side of her are two scenes unlike any others among all of the paintings in the various catacombs, probably episodes of her life. In the middle, the Good Shepherd is painted in the Garden of Paradise, amid peacocks and doves. Before this scene, in the arch above the door, the prophet Jonah is shown emerging from the mouth of a sea-monster, a clear expression of faith in the Resurrection. The semi-circle on the left depicts the Sacrifice of Isaac, while on the right are shown the Three Children in the fiery furnace in Babylon; both of these episodes are expressions of faith in God’s salvation, understood by the first Christians as prophecies of the salvation brought by the coming of Christ. These pictures, which are in a remarkably good state of preservation, date back to the second half of the third century.

Our last stop on the tour was an amazing one – to the Basilica of Saint Clemente, which is a Roman Catholic basilica dedicated to Pope Clement I. The Basilica of San Clemente allowed us to experience history in layers, literally. The present basilica was built just before the year 1100 during the height of the Middle Ages.

Then, we walked down a level to tour the remains of a 2nd century mithraeum. A mithraeum was either an adapted natural cave or cavern, or a building imitating a cave. When possible, the Mithraeum was constructed within or below an existing building, such as the Mithraeum that we got to see found beneath Basilica of San Clemente in Rome. From Atlas Obscura: The Mithraic Mysteries emerged and gained popularity throughout Rome between the 1st and 4th centuries. The cult and religious sanctuaries were open only to initiates, and their rituals secret. The central imagery is of the god Mithras slaying a bull, a motif known as “tauribolium”, found in most if not all mithraeums.

The Mithream, in — (Photo borrowed from Wikipedia.org Commons) The mithraeum, in one of the underground layers of the Basilica of San Clemente, in Rome.

As if this wasn’t fascinating enough, we then went down one more level to the former home of the Roman nobleman, dating back to 64 AD. We stood on the actual floor of the 1st Century home. Like I said, we were pretty much blown away by today’s tour. The entire experience and all that we saw and discovered was unforgettable for our whole family, and will remain a highlight when we reflect on our Europe travels.

If you’re in Rome, or planning a trip here, be sure to book this tour: Skip the Line: Crypts and Roman Catacombs Small-Group Walking Tour – Rome | Viator Tour.

It was an amazing day for our family. We feel blessed and privileged that we were able to see firsthand the remains of such long-ago and intriguing history. Thanks for following along with us on this Epic Adventure.

Next up: The Vatican!

Rome, Part I: Ponte Sant ‘Angelo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona & More

June 6, 2016 by Shelli

We are so excited, we can hardly stand it. For months we have talked about and anticipated our visit to Rome, and we are finally here. We are in Rome!

Family selfie in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. — Family selfie in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

(By the way, this is my 9th blog post published so far during our 29-day “Epic Europe Family Adventure.” If you’re interested, all previous trip reports from this Epic Family Adventure include are listed and linked to at the bottom of this blog post.)

We rode a train from Florence and arrived in Rome at 4:40pm. From there, we took our first bus public transport of the trip. It was either that, or walk 2 miles with our heavy (90L) Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag/Backpacks for 2 miles to our apartment. By now, we are accustomed to doing this. Typically we have had to walk 1/4 to 1 mile from train station to our accommodations. But today, with 17,000 steps already on our feet from the morning in Florence, we opted to save our walking for exploring Rome’s attractions, rather than walking from train to hotel.

"The Amazing Race," in St. Peter's Square. My team, June 6, 2016. — “The Amazing Race,” in St. Peter’s Square. My team, June 6, 2016.

After riding in the packed bus for 10 stops before disembarking, there was a bit of an adventure. It felt like we were on The Amazing Race show, and we lost –and yet we very obviously didn’t lose, and still won. We kept taking wrong turns and going the wrong direction, and couldn’t find our apartment. Thankfully, after about 20 minutes of wandering up and down streets – and trying every one in the area except the one our apartment was on – we finally found it, and there was a woman waiting outside of it for us. She took us through a huge green door with a small door cut out of it, then through a gate, then up some old marble stairs – one floor, two floors, plus one floor more – and, there it was. This is the second city where we have an apartment (“flat”) that is part of a two?-hundred-year-old building. It’s a wonderful place!

By the way, we have loved the accommodations adventure part of this trip. We arrive to a city or town, and it’s like unwrapping a present and not knowing what we are about to receive. We are always being surprised–anticipating what behind that gate and that door and up those stairs and behind that other green door… It’s been a lot of fun, and so far we have not been disappointed.

As soon as we were checked into our apartment, we were out the door, walking toward Ponte Sant’Angelo.

The spectacular Ponte Sant' Angelo Bridge, in Rome, a bridge that was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian. — The spectacular Ponte Sant’ Angelo Bridge, in Rome, a bridge that was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian.

Ponte Sant’Angelo, (once the Aelian Bridge or Pons Aelius,) is a Roman bridge that was completed in 134 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian, to span the River Tiber, from the city center to his newly constructed mausoleum, now the towering Castel Sant’Angelo. The bridge is faced with travertine marble and spans the Tiber with five arches, three of which are Roman; it was approached by means of ramp from the river. The bridge is now solely pedestrian, and provides a photogenic vista of the Castel Sant’Angelo.

According to Wikipedia, the Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant’Angelo (English: Castle of the Holy Angel), is a towering cylindrical building in Rome. It was initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The Castle was once the tallest building in Rome. At the top of the castle is a sculpture of St. Michael. Legend has it that the Archangel Michael appeared atop the mausoleum, sheathing his sword as a sign of the end of the plague of 590, thus lending the castle its present name.

Here’s a short video capture from one of our moments during the Sant ‘Angelo scene:

After enjoying the music from the harp player, and watching two street performers who appeared to have invisible heads/faced, we continued toward St. Peter’s Basilica, which we could spy from a distance while crossing the Sant ‘Angelo bridge. We couldn’t wait to get up close to it!

Jerry and the boys lead us toward St. Peter's Basilica, in Rome. — Jerry and the boys lead us toward St. Peter’s Basilica, in Rome.

St. Peter’s Basilica is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave in the city of Rome. Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and one of the largest churches in the world. St. Peter’s has been called one of the holiest Catholic shrines.

As we approached it, and took in all of its grandeur, stood in its presence, and wandered about the Square, looking at its beautiful exterior up close, and taking in the whole setting, we were speechless. It is simply awesome. We are going on a private tour of St. Peter’s, the Vatican Museum, and more on Wednesday morning, but for now, this was a magnificent start to seeing the spectacularly beautiful cathedral.

My guys, in front of St. Peter's Basilica. — My guys, in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

The boys and I in front of the fountain near St. Peter's Basilica. — The boys and I in front of the fountain near St. Peter’s Basilica.

After checking out St. Peter’s, we were famished. In anticipation of our Rome arrival, all we had eaten was a modest breakfast, some crackers and a gelato. We found a trattoria and enjoyed a large and delicious Italian dinner, and then set our sights on Piazza Navona.

Piazza Navona is a piazza that is the site of the Stadium of Domitian, built in 1st century AD, and according to Wikipedia, it follows the form of the open space of the stadium. The ancient Romans went there to watch the agones (“games”), and hence it was known as “Circus Agonalis” (“competition arena”). It is believed that over time the name changed from avone to navone, and eventually to navona.

We were eager to check it out after dark because some locals told us it’s got a great vibe, and that we might see street performers. Of course we needed a gelato, and we are so delighted that we have seen probably no fewer than 50 gelatarias so far in our few hours of walking Rome. We found our way to Piazza Navona while enjoying our gelatos.

We knew where to go by the liveliness we could hear and sense coming from the Piazza. It was very festive. Singers, artists and people throwing lit up twirly objects that shot up high in the air, and the sound of the three major fountains and people talking and laughing and having a great time. Fin bought one of the glowing twirlers with his own money, and the boys had fun taking turns shooting it high up into the black sky.

Here’s a short video capture from our experience at in the Piazza Novena:

We didn’t get back to the apartment until after 11pm. My FitBit reported we had walked 32,000 steps. Another big day! (Thanks, by the way, to all of our friends and family who have made recommendations for this trip, including a special thanks to Mark Randall for tips about what to do when we were first had feet on ground here in Rome!)

If our first evening in Rome is any indication, we’ve fallen in love. We are so excited to be here. Thanks for reading and following along with us on our Epic Europe Family Adventure. Next up: Crypts and Catacombs!