"Veni, vidi, vici"- "I came; I saw; I conquered"- is a Latin phrase popularly attributed to Julius Caesar who, according to Appian, used the phrase in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC after he had achieved a quick victory in his short war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela. The phrase is used to refer to a swift, conclusive victory.
Up an on the bus at 7 am. We Golden Tour folks are beating the traffic at the Vaticano! The lines are normally long but on the last Sunday of the month- everyone gets in free and they say the lines are insane.. Yikes!
A friend said "try not to get hit by lightning while at the Vatican!"
The Vatican Museums are Christian and art museums located within the city boundaries of the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display, and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.
Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. In 2013, they were visited by 6 million people, which combined makes it the 6th most visited art museum in the world. There are 54 galleries, with the Sistine Chapel, within the Museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world. In 2017, the Museum's official website and social media presence was completely redone, in accord with current standards and appearances for modern websites. Per Wiki
I wonder if the Pope will be twittering soon?
Per Bubs, they really tech"d the place up since his 1975 visit to the Pope with President Ford and Henry Kissenger...in fact this building is relatively new. Lots of military outside posted around the grounds.
Bubs, the Pope's trees are bonsai manicured...giving me some great ideas. Who knew the Pope had a green thumb! Maybe we'll catch him gardening.
So many buildings on the Vatican property. Hey what is that very cool sculpture?
The Pope knows how to pick out lawn ornaments too. Modern globe.
Check out the sign Pleep. I guess they had to add the message as an after thought to the Ruskies.
Lots of restoration going on- left side done, right side a work in process.
One wing after another...
The only acknowledgment Boca noticed....and the lady is from Ohio. Bet she winters in Naples- seems like half the town is from Ohio.
Boca's pick for a cool sculpture...love that level of manicure service.
Yes, portrait of to crabby old men.
The tapestries are immense and positively stunning....this depict of Jesus is 3D- really.
The Pope's obviously never heard of a ceiling white.
SISTINE CHAPEL: The creme de la creme
Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor, not a painter. While in his 30s, he was commanded by Julius II to stop work on the pope's own tomb and to devote his considerable talents to painting ceiling frescoes - an art from of which the Florentine master was contemptuous. Michelangelo labored for 4 years (1508-12) over this epic project, which was so physically taxing it permanently damaged his eyesight. All during the task he had to contend with the pope's incessant urgings to hurry up; at one point Julius threatened to topple Michelangelo from the scaffolding - or so Vasari relates in his Lives of the Artist. It's ironic that a project undertaken against the artist's wishes would form his most enduring legend. Glorifying the human body as only a sculptor could, Michelangelo painted nine panels, taken from the pages of Genesis, and surrounded them with prophets and sibyls. 
The most notable panels detail the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the creation of man (where God's outstretched hand imbues Adam with spirit).
The Florentine master was in his 60s when he began the masterly Last Judgment on the altar wall. Again working against his wishes, Michelangelo presents a more jaundiced view of people and their fate; God sits in Judgment and sinners are plunged into the mouth of hell. A master of ceremonies under Paul III, Mosignor Biagio de Cesena, protested to the pope about the "shameless nudes " painted by Michelangelo. Michelangelo showed he wasn't above petty revenge by painting the prude with the ears of a jackass in hell. When Biagio complained to the pope, Paul III maintained he had no jurisdiction in hell. However, Daniele de Volterra was summoned to drape clothing over some of the bare figures - thus earning for himself a dubious distinction as a haberdasher. Nice to know the Pope had a sense of humor!
On the side walls are frescoes by other Renaissance masters, like Botticelli, Perugino, Signorelli, Pinturicchio, Roselli, and Ghirlandaio. We'd guess that if these paintings had been displayed by themselves in other chapels, they would be the object of special pilgrimages. But they have to compete unfairly with the artistry of Michelangelo, so they're virtually ignored by most visitors. The restoration of the Sistine Chapel in the 1990s touched off a worldwide debate among art historians. The chapel was on the verge of collapse, from both its age and the weather, and restoration has taken years, as restorers used advanced computer analyses in their painstaking and controversial work. They reattached the fresco and repaired the ceiling, ridding the frescoes of their dark and shadowy look. Critics claim that in addition to removing centuries of dirt and grime - and several of the added "modesty" drapes - the restorers removed a vital second layer of paint as well. Purists argue that many of the restorers figures seem flat compared to the original, which had more shadow and detail. Others have hailed the project for saving Michelangelo's masterpiece the vibrancy of his color palette. PER DESTINATION DRIVERWhen Bubs was here in 1975 they were working on the restoration and when I was here in 1998 they were still working on it...it took over 25 years to restore this magnificent room to it's original glory! It was neat to see the very dark untouched original and the brightly redone...in a side by side comparison. Bringing great appreciation to restoration. Have you been? When was the last time you visited?
A priest came into the Chapel and gave a prayer and a short "service". That was a very cool bonus.
There's my tour group....better catch up! Where in the heck is Pleep!! The last time I saw him he was talking to that Priest about life at the Vatican.
A girls gotta eat....bring your own smorgasbord? I guess they didn't want to waste time to find a table or any sort of eating place- oh heck, have at it ladies.
Attached....is St. Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave within the city of Rome. St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom"- per some of my oh so Catholic friends.
Catholic tradition holds that the Basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, one of Christ's Apostles and also the first Pope. Saint Peter's tomb is supposedly directly below the high altar of the Basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period, and there has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica, which would replace Old St. Peter's Basilica from the 4th century AD, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.
St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage and for its liturgical functions. The Pope presides at a number of liturgies throughout the year, drawing audiences of 15,000 to over 80,000 people, either within the Basilica or the adjoining St. Peter's Square. St. Peter's has many historical associations, with the Early Christian Church, the Papacy, the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-reformation and numerous artists, especially Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age. St. Peter's is one of the four churches in the world that hold the rank of Major Basilica, all four of which are in Rome. Contrary to popular misconception, it is not a cathedral because it is not the seat of a bishop; the Cathedra of the Pope as Bishop of Rome is in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran- per Wiki.
"It is not a cathedral because it is not the seat of a Bishop"? Huh? Haven't been here for several years, let's get in there Bubs. Yes Boca, the Vatican city state and not part of Rome-technically.
Who in the heck would carve their name or whatever on the marble pillars????
Largest church in the world...Boca loves this painting of the interior- dated 1794.
No lightning hit yet.
Bubs favorite- The Pieta by Michelangelo.
The statues are incredible....and so so many are humongous.
They use a Zamboni to take care of the marble floors?
Stay with the group Boca...yeah, sure.
What's up with the Orthodox Cross up on top???
What??? Wonder what that is all about?
Boca has one of her "nun outfits" as Bubba calls them...as the real deal gives him quite the nun look. Boca figures the closer she gets to the Nuns, the more they might rub off?
Now that's a pulpit one could give quite a sermon from...
The gargantuan sizes of all the art and embellishments is astounding...I don't remember them being so big. What's up with that memory?
Hey Bubs, did I just see an Orthodox Priest whiz by me?????
OMG x 1000! The are having an Orthodox liturgy in St. Peter's CATHOLIC BASILICA??? The singing was church Slavonic- Russians?? What is going on? We were told that the Pope so enjoyed meeting our His All Holiness Bartholomew (GREEK ORTHODOX) that he incorporated some Orthodoxy at St. Pete's? Does anybody know what is going on? I so wanted to stay for the service but you know who said stick with the group!
And our oh so darling Italian tour guide- Ulysses- was baptized here- at this very font. He said when he was a little boy (1 of 6 boys) his mother would bring them here in the summer- a cool place to play. Wow, talk about some childhood memories!
Glad you enjoyed yourself Boca. Nice we got there ahead of the hordes.
Per Bubs, "Oh there they are. I remember them from a trip I made here, working, and the Swiss guards tried to block us and pointed their swords at the agents - no guns. Yeah sure- no one dressed in those girly outfits are stopping us".
Look closely at the black line at the base of the columns...those are people lined up to visit St. Peter's today. It went on and on-where does it end? I know they have a limit.....
Time for a pit stop and wet my whistle...there's another tiny car. Without a doubt, we have never seen sooooo many tiny cars anywhere else in the world. Loads of FIATS- or as the Italians say Fix It Again Tony! What's next? Tiny houses?
Two of our fellow Goldens taking 5. Have you seen Pleep? Yes, he was playing around with the Swiss Guards.
What!
Oh, there you are- giving those Swiss Guards some bad ass lessons. Like father, like son.
Hot chick with a Beretta Assault rifle? Lot's of military at various sites all over Rome- the big tourist sites. Let's pray the rest of the summer is peaceful at all the European tourist places...
Look all you want Bubs- I am following that nun for some retail therapy..."buy whatever you want but make sure you have it shipped!".
Several rosaries later (get them blessed by the Pope and have them delivered to your hotel room)- how's that for customer service? Check.
Time for a cold beer to absorb all that we saw...worth it to pay the freight to go with a proper tour guide and go very early. Next time Papal Audience and Pope Gardens a must!
Next stop The Colosseum... and always a souvenir shack as you step off the bus.
Let's go Marcus Aurelius - time to check out the Colosseum. And yes you need to get your hair did.
More of those watchful eyes and guns.
Yes Bubs, just us and the other several thousand who wanted to see the Colosseum today. Ok Boca, bore me with more of your detailed history about this place.
Located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater known as the Colosseum was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseum–officially known as the Flavian Amphitheater–with 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, the magnificent arena fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination, as well as an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history.
Even after the decadent Roman emperor Nero took his own life in A.D. 68, his misrule and excesses fueled a series of civil wars. No fewer than four emperors took the throne in the tumultuous year after Nero’s death; the fourth, Vespasian, would end up ruling for 10 years (A.D. 69-79). The Flavian emperors, as Vespasian and his sons Titus (79-81) and Domitian (81-96) were known, attempted to tone down the excesses of the Roman court, restore Senate authority and promote public welfare. Around 70-72, Vespasian returned to the Roman people the lush land near the center of the city, where Nero had built an enormous palace for himself after a great fire ripped through Rome in A.D. 64. On the site of that Golden Palace, he decreed, would be built a new amphitheater where the public could enjoy gladiatorial combats and other forms of entertainment.As you can see, they have not cleaned the interior walls- yup, that black dust/soot is from pollution an no Mr. Clean- not enough money honey.
Measuring some 620 by 513 feet, the Colosseum was the largest amphitheater in the Roman world. Unlike many earlier amphitheaters, which had been dug into hillsides to provide adequate support, the Colosseum was a freestanding structure made of stone and concrete. The distinctive exterior had three stories of arched entrances–a total of around 80–supported by semi-circular columns. Each story contained columns of a different order (or style): At the bottom were columns of the relatively simple Doric order, followed by Ionic and topped by the ornate Corinthian order. Located just near the main entrance to the Colosseum was the Arch of Constantine, built in A.D. 315 in honor of Constantine I’s victory over Maxentius at Pons Milvius. Up until the 70's the Italians really didn't do much to restore the structure- then they figured out it would be a terrific tourist gig. And they were right. People from all over the world visit it- even Asian illustrated babes.
Ok, enough with the posing. Ya got a bunch of folks in line who want that same shot...
So Bubs jumped in to encourage them to move on.org
And one our fellow tourees helped Bubs strike a pose as well...
Inside, the Colosseum had seating for more than 50,000 spectators, who may have been arranged according to social ranking but were most likely packed into the space like sardines in a can (judging by evidence from the seating at other Roman amphitheaters). Awnings were unfurled from the top story in order to protect the audience from the hot Roman sun as they watched gladiatorial combats, hunts, wild animal fights and larger combats such as mock naval engagements (for which the arena was flooded with water) put on at great expense. The vast majority of the combatants who fought in front of Colosseum audiences in Ancient Rome were men (though there were some female gladiators). Gladiators were generally slaves, condemned criminals or prisoners of war.
The Colosseum saw some four centuries of active use, until the struggles of the Western Roman Empire and the gradual change in public tastes put an end to gladiatorial combats and other large public entertainments by the 6th century A.D. Even by that time, the arena had suffered damaged due to natural phenomena such as lightning and earthquakes. In the centuries to come, the Colosseum was abandoned completely, and used as a quarry for numerous building projects, including the cathedrals of St. Peter and St. John Lateran, the Palazzo Venezia and defense fortifications along the Tiber River. Beginning in the 18th century, however, various popes sought to conserve the arena as a sacred Christian site, though it is in fact uncertain whether early Christian martyrs met their fate in the Colosseum, as has been speculated.
Where did that darn monkey go!!!
By the 20th century, a combination of weather, natural disasters, neglect and vandalism had destroyed nearly two-thirds of the original Colosseum, including all of the arena’s marble seats and its decorative elements. Restoration efforts began in the 1990s, and have proceeded over the years, as the Colosseum continues to be a leading attraction for tourists from all over the world. Who wears short shorts?
And did ya know this...In recent years the Colosseum has become a symbol of the international campaign against capital punishment, which was abolished in Italy in 1948. Several anti–death penalty demonstrations took place in front of the Colosseum in 2000. Since that time, as a gesture against the death penalty, the local authorities of Rome change the color of the Colosseum's night time illumination from white to gold whenever a person condemned to the death penalty anywhere in the world gets their sentence commuted or is released, or if a jurisdiction abolishes the death penalty. Most recently, the Colosseum was illuminated in gold in November 2012 following the abolishment of capital punishment in the American state of Connecticut in April 2012.This guy suggested that Boca use her phone and a selfie stick rather than an IPAD to take pictures. He then proceeded to demonstrate how to do so...to the right and
to the left. Easy peasy Boca. You can do it! The chances of getting your whole face in the picture rather than just your eyeballs will increase.
Our brand new, oh so tech bus has wifi. Boca is in heaven!
Boca what are you doing with your ear phones? Drying them, they fell in the toilet. For the love of God, throw them out yelped Bubs.
Here was a first, the lady was sitting down and begging but also busy chatting on her cell phone.
A dear friend from Seattle sent me this article from the New York Times....
Have ya read it?https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/29/nyregion/how-much-tourism-is-too-much.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphoneHow Much Tourism Is Too Much?
We have been staying at The Bernini Hotel....more on that later....
