First Weekend in Rome

Yesterday, we went to visit Vatican City! It was absolutely amazing! First, we went through a guided tour of the Vatican Museums. Unfortunately, we either skipped the Etruscan and statue sections, or it was closed down at that moment. Alas, I will have to make it back! Anyway, the paintings that covered the wall and ceilings completely overwhelmed me. I couldn't articulate all the wonderful art that I was seeing at a fast enough pace. The works of Raphael were by far my favorite. When we entered into the room with the wall-painting of the School of Athens, I was completely taken aback. I had no clue it was a wall-painting! It was absolutely beautiful. Then, we proceeded into the Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, pictures weren't allowed, but I snuck one of the Last Judgement painting that adorned the right wall anyway. After we sat there and gazed upon the wonderful art of Michaelangelo, we proceeded into St. Peter's Basilica. It was beautifully decorated, and there was an exquisite nave, which sits over the entrance to the tomb of St. Peter.  The dome above the nave was massive, as it can be seen from the outside a far away distance in Rome.  Then, we went out into St. Peter's square to check out the massive Egyptian obelisk in the center. Afterwards, the group grabbed lunch. I had some amazing seafood pasta, but it came at a hefty price. I shouldn't have eaten near the Vatican! Then, I separated from the group and did some individual sight-seeing. First, I checked out the Mausoleum of Hadrian (now called Castel Sant 'Angelo). It housed the tomb of Hadrian but later was turned into a medieval fortress. Then, I visited the Ara Pacis Museum. It housed the tremendous Altar of Peace constructed during the reign of Augustus. The Altar of Peace is aligned with reliefs of Augustus' royal family performing their duties to the gods, which is why they were able to maintain the peace. Then, I went and saw another obelisk at Piazza del Popolo. Then, I checked out a street performance on the Spanish Steps. Finally, I got off at the metro closest to my apartment, which was across the street from the Pyramid of Cestius and some remains of the Aurelian Walls. Finally, I decided to call it a day and I went back to my apartment. Today, I woke up really early again for my second free day of exploration. First, I stopped by the St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls Church, which is right near the university. Since I had been completely oblivious to the fact that it was Sunday morning, I was not able to explore the church, because a service was about to start. I would have stayed, but I was dressed improperly for church, and I also don't speak Italian...yet. Alas, I will have to come back and check out the church which was built on the burial site of St. Paul! Anyway, I then proceeded to the National Museum of Rome, which houses many Roman copies of Greek statues, which is wonderful due to the fact that many of the originals are now lost to the world. Of the entire collection, my favorites are the Seated Boxer, the Discus Thrower and Sleeping Hermaphrodite. After spending numerous hours surveying this exquisite collection of sculpture, I met up with a few people to check out the Jewish Quarters. On our way there, we passed the Circus Maximus, the famous oblong area where chariot races took place, and the temples of Vesta and Portunus in the Forum Boarium (the ancient cattle market). We also crossed the Tiber River, passing the Tiber Island, where an ancient healing sanctuary of Asklepius used to be located until a modern-day hospital was built in its place. Finally, we arrived at the Jewish Quarters, where the Jews were forced to live per mandate by the pope after the Counter-Reformation. Beside the Jewish Quarters, we saw the remains of the Portico of Octavia and the Theatre of Marcellus, which has modern houses built on top of it. I'm not sure how I would like living on an ancient amphitheater, but it would be really cool nonetheless!  Then, we went into the Jewish Museum and visited the massive Synagogue. Rome has been a place with a strong jewish presence dating back to the 2nd century BC.  Then, we grabbed lunch at a local Jewish place, and I had some falafel, which is fried chick-peas. It was so good! Then, we went to check out the Capuchin Crypt, a series of 6 crypts underneath a church, which houses the bones of over 40,000 friars collected from the 16th to the 19th century. It was very eerie but cool at the same time. Alas, though, no pictures were allowed! So postcards will have to suffice. A little bit south of the Capuchin Crypt we saw the Triton Fountain in Piazza del Barberini. Then, I separated from the group and made my way to the Baths of Diocletian, which now houses a Renaissance church. The cool thing about this church, though, is that it was built within the same dimensions of the baths, so one could see the outline and shape of how the ancient baths appeared. Also, Michelangelo painted the inside, so it was very cool! Finally, I called it a day and went back to the apartment. I'm about to pass out from two days of non-stop exploration in the Eternal City!