SIXTINE CHAPEL There is people... by SirRichard
SIXTINE CHAPELThere is people Rome, and there is Papal Rome. The Church wrote volumes of the city's history, and today we tear ourselves off Rome's dizzying streets to get a feel for the backdrops the Popes chose for themselves. This is largely an indoor day, worth some husbanding of energy. Try to be at the Vatican Museums entrance promptly at 8:45am when it opens, and opt for one of the shorter marked routes, preferably A. Bring binoculars. The main attractions of this overwhelming collection are the Raphael rooms, and even more important, the Sistine Chapel. You need stamina for the long walk from the entranceway and for the awkward position that viewing the ceiling imposes. If you are nimble, you will find a seat from which to lean back and contemplate the recently cleaned miracle that Michelangelo single-handedly wrought. Some prefer to look down into a hand-held mirror. To see the the Sistine Chapel before its eight year long cleaning was as through a glass, darkly. Now its brilliant colors order us to pay attention.
Vatican Museums entrance on Viale Vaticano. Open: Mon-Fri, 8:45am-4pm Sat, 8:45am-1pm Free last Sun. of month. 8:45am-1pm. connecting bus between St.Peter's and Museums
