First of all, I should not really categorise Vatican City under Rome as it is an independent authority, in-fact it is officially the smallest (land mass) country in the world with a population of 900. The Vatican City is a beautiful city, so make sure when you are sending a postcard from Rome, you send it from the Vatican City as they have their own stamps. You can purchase a Vatican City Stamp from the gift shop.

The Vatican has its own Swiss Guard for the Pope’s personal safety. The name says it all, to be a guard you need to be a Swiss and a Catholic.

St Peter’s Basilica and Square

St Peter’s Basilica is an interesting church as Michelangelo took over the project in 1547 at the age of 72 years old. He designed the grand dome which soars 120 meters above the alter. It was finished off in 1590, long after he died.

Michelangelo is an all rounded genius, he has an astounding understand of the human anatomy (shown in his sculptures), an excellent artist (as shown in his paintings of the Sistine chapel) and an architect (as shown in his architectural works).

Inside St Peter’s Basilica, you can find Michelangelo’s magnificent creation of Pieta which was sculpted when he was only 24 years old and the only work to carry his signature.

Just as astonishing as St Peter’s Basilica was St Peter’s Square (Piazza di San Pietro). Most of you will find this square very familiar as it is often shown on televisions and photographs. This is where the mass attends to the Pope’s speech every Sunday or any special briefings by him. 

The square was built in the 17th century by another amazing Italian artist of Bernini. The square (piazza) is bound by two semicircular colonnades, each comprised of four rows of Doric columns. Right in the middle stands an obelisk brought to Rome by Caligula from Heliopolis in ancient Egypt.

Vatican Museums

I also managed spend time at the Vatican Museums. It was unfortunate though that I only had few hours to explore but fortunate rnough to be able to move past the queue quickly. The museums host collection of art and treasures collected by the popes. Having browsed at those collections quickly (not to miss Raphael’s works), I spent most of my time at another of Michelangelo’s work of the Sistine Chapel. No pictures or video footage were allowed to be taken here as aparently a Japanese company holds the right to these. The chapel was built in 1473 for Pope Sixtus IV. It took Michelangelo four years to paint the ceiling of Sistine Chapel which shows the ‘Creation’ and ‘Last Judgement’. It took a further four years to paint the ’Creation’ and 24 years later he painted the ‘Last Judgement’/  On the walls of the chapel, you can see work by Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Pinturic-chio and Signorelli.

Related posts:

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2. Rome – Piazza Navona
3. Budapest – Interesting architectures, histories and city
4. Stockholm – Sweden – Gamla Stan (Old City)
5. Rome – Cafe Greco, Piazza di Spagna and Spanish Steps