Vatican City Treasures
A long hall of busts from Italy and Greece, and from varying epochs
Our vacation to Italy was in 2012 but still resonates. In particular, our visit to see Vatican City treasures revealed countless objects of art, paintings, sculptures, murals, weavings and ephemera from around the world all gathered in one palacial location. The serious art buff would want to take a week or two in order to see and experience everything that Vatican City has to offer. But even though we had only a day, we were able to see most of the halls and galleries filled with historical art.
A bust in the courtyard of a female whose nose is missing and who seems to have weathered many years out under the sun
The array of busts seems endless, and each one worth a look
A two-faced bust (#17) facing another
According to Wikipedia, “In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus (Latin: Ianus, pronounced [ˈjaː.nus]) is the god of beginnings and transitions, and thereby of gates, doors, doorways, passages and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces, since he looks to the future and to the past. The Romans named the month of January (Ianuarius) in his honor.”
Painting of a woman with a scepter
A courtyard outside features several statues of marble and stone
A painted ceiling inside one of the rotunda areas inside the Vatican
A female bust with no arms
A study of many of these statues revealed the amazing skills of sculptors like Michelangelo who was able to carve marble to replicate strands of hair or silken material.
A woman snaps a photo of her friend standing in front of Sphere Within Sphere by Arnado Pomodoro in the Cortile della Pigna, Vatican, Rome
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel was teeming with excited viewers. You are not supposed to take photographs there, especially with flash as over time, the light can have a detrimental affect on paintings. But everyone with a cell phone took photos. We kind of felt sorry for the guards on their “fools’ errand.”
A detail from the Sistine Chapel ceiling
The Domes of the St. Peter’s Basilica as seen from inside the Vatican museum
Some of the busts in the Hall of Busts, Vatican City
I wish we could share all the photos we snapped at the Vatican. We snapped so many! Take at least a day to try and see most everything the Vatican has to offer. If you are an art and history lover and find yourself in Rome, then a tour of Vatican City is a must. So many delightful paintings, statues and works of art reside there and are well worth visiting.
