Italy- Day 6

We got to see Rome today in all its glory. The Colosseum is well named- it is colossal! Which is not how it got its name. It is really named the Flauvian Amphitheater. There was a statue of Nero beside it that was nearly as tall- a colossal statue! The Colosseum was built two years after the death of Nero on the grounds where he had one of his palaces and the statue changed to that of a Roman God (Apollo). Contrary to popular belief, Nero couldn't have fed Christians to the lions there- it wasn't built yet! Parts of the colosseum are missing. I thought it was because it fell down. But no, it was because, during the building boom of the Renaissance, much of the material was used in other buildings, including St. Peter's.

What I found most interesting, besides the size and scope of the building, was the area below the floor. Tunnels and rooms brought animals and gladiators to panels that were then raised up to the floor through a system of pulleys. Much killing, not only of gladiators but of animals, was done in this place. Often, 50 turkeys would be turned loose and hunters allowed to shoot them with arrows, all for sport. The place could hold nearly 50,000 people, all of whom had seating assigned. Each archway still boasts a number so that the patron would know which entrance to take to get to their seats.

Across from the colosseum, past the Arch of Constantine (who is the emperor who legalized Christianity) is the Roman Forum. This is perhaps the est archeological site in Rome. Remains of temples to gods like Saturn and Vesta are there. It also contains what would have been public meeting places and "The Sacred Path" that victorious gladiators walked. I wasn't really impressed with the Forum itself, but with my imagination of what it once was. Rome periodically flooded by the Tiber River (until high walls were built) and the forum ended up buried under layers of silt. I would guess they had to excavate about 30 feet of earth to get to the road bed.

What strikes me most about Rome are the "discarded" artifacts- pieces of stone columns, copulas, and marble just lying around randomly. These give the city a sense of antiquity and decay.

However, the visit to the Vatican in the afternoon was a different story. St. Peter's Basilica is amazing from St. Peter''s square (which Savannah is upset about - the square is in a circle!) Lined with statues of the saints and flanked by statues of St. Peter and St. Paul, the facade is stately and welcoming. Designed by Michaelangelo, he died before it was finished but, unlike most buildings of the time that were finished under another architect, his original plans were kept. We didn't get to go inside since there was a service later in the afternoon, but we did get into the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel was the highlight of my entire trip. Tears came to my eyes as soon as I stepped into the room. There were many visitors who were not respectful of the place, but with my earphones in, tuned to Mozart, I didn't really notice. The details of the room are amazing. It was built between 1477 and 1480 and decorated by a team of painters that included Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio. They created a series of frescoed panels depicting the life of Moses and the life of Christ. The ceiling and chancel area are where the true treasures are, though. The details are amazing. It only takes one glance to know that you are looking at the creation of a master, with the flat ceiling coming out in depth with moldings, statues, and pedestals painted on to look real.

We had such a whirlwind visit to the museum that we didn't see much else of note. I really wanted to get into the Raphael rooms, but they were on a different floor. Also, our guide was not very good and failed to point out much beyond the chapel.

This was a very tiring day and my feet and back hurt! I treated myself to a bubble bath (in the only bathtub we had on the trip, thank goodness) and turned in for a good night's sleep.