Christine and Carol in Roma, Italia

My mom decided to visit Europe.  So off we went.  To her choice of Roma.  And we saw all the major sites.  First up was the ever impressive Colosseum.  Then we walked by the Roman Forum and up the steps to Capital Hill.  We visited the Christmas Market in Piazza Navona.  (For the record, Christmas Markets all sell junk.  But are fun to see and the smells are yummy.)

We also visited Vatican City (which counts as another country in case you are keeping track).  There we went to mass at St. Peter's Basilica and were blessed by Pope Francis.  Michelangelo was one of the primary architectures of the Basilica.  He also completed the sculpture Pieta, displaced in St. Peter's.    (He has a few sculptures around town.  I took pictures of them for you and will mark them accordingly.)

The alter is 7 story bronze canopy.

Michelangelo's Pieta behind glass.

The Pope's window, where he blessed us from.  

All the people celebrating the Pope's birthday.

On the walk to the Vatican:

The next day we went back to visit the museum and see the magnificent Sistine Chapel and Raphael Rooms.  The Belvedere Torso (2,000 years old) that inspired Michelangelo's sculptures:

Since I'm a huge fan of sculpture, you get to see both pictures I took.  You are welcome.

Raphael painted the fresco, The School of Athens.  In in, he included Leonardo Di Vinci (top middle), Michelangelo (bottom grayish robe, head down), and included himself (very right side behind man in orange, and he is looking at you).  The drawling for the painting did not include Michelangelo.  Apparently Raphael saw the Sistine chapel ceiling and decided he should be added.  [A fresco is when paint is mixed in with the plaster.  So it does not fade like painting can.]

You are not allowed to talk or take pictures of the Sistine Chapel.  It was an agreement with the restoration company that cleaned up the fresco.  So it makes it really hard to take pictures.  I tried though (turn off the flash people).  My mom kept telling me to stop.  She was afraid I would get into trouble.  I try not to sweat the small stuff.  The Creation is the most famous portion.  But he explains Adam and Eve quite well I think.  The last judgment is the creation behind the alter.  There is a lot going on in it.

Creation

Adam and Eve

Last Judgment

We walked around and saw the Pantheon.  It was closing for the evening, so we moved on to Trivoli fountain.  And then the famous Spanish Steps.  Why are they called the Spanish Steps?  Because the Spanish Embassy is right near the base of them.

I did go back to the Pantheon.  It is the largest dome in Roma.  Michelangelo kept St. Peter's Basilica smaller than it.  It was built in 126 AD.

Pantheon Dome.  They don't let you directly under it.

I also visited the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, with a little known Michelango statue, Christ Bearing the Cross:

No one was around this one.  So if you wanted, you could touch the toe of the sculpture.

The San Pietro in Vincoli (Saint Peter in Chains Church) houses Michelangelo's Moses sculpture.  He worked on it for 30 years.  Look closely.  He has horns.  Centuries ago the Hebrew word for rays was not translated correctly.  FYI-a person has to pay a Euro to turn on the lights around the sculptures.  Not cool Italia.

Plus we ate plenty of great food.  I love pizza.  And pasta.  And gelato.  (Especially gelato.)

The chocolate gelato had fudge pieces around it.  So good.  Best ever.

The Borghese Gallery does not allow photographs (or bags of any type to include your camera bag) in the museum.  But it is, by far, the best art I have ever seen.  The sculptures look like they are moving.  And they are marble.  If you are ever in Roma, go.  I would rate this as high as the Sistine Chapel.  That amazing.  We took the guided tour.  I highly recommend it.  I loved Bernini's sculptures.  He did them in his 20s, each taking around a year to complete.  When you sculpt marble, you start from the top and work your way down.  Each was more amazing than the last one.

First up was the Pluto and Proserpina sculpture.  There is much texture on it.   Her hair is blowing in the wind.  She has a tear coming from her eye.  And you can see his hand on her thigh.  Plus you can see the dog's fur.  http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/eproserp.htm

Then I loved Apollo and Daphne sculpture.  He is love struck and chasing her.  But she asks the gods to help her get away.  So they turn her into a tree as he catches her.  You see it even in the littlest details, like her toe growing roots.  The marble is translucent in some places (the cloth around his waist).
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edafne.htm

My favorite was David.  The marble is showing him moving.  It is the second he is about to cast the stone.  Bernini used his own face for this sculpture.
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edavid.htm

My words don't do the works justice.  I just loved them.  And am so grateful my mom chose to visit here.  (Though it is listed in the to 10 in all the guide books for Roma.)

Christine

My mom in Roma:

Glad you could make it.  And now you have proof you were there.  Since I'm not good enough to photo shop you in.  ha