The Sistine Chapel and I
For one reason or another my many and varied trips always skirted around Rome. Yet top of my bucket list was seeing Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.
Finally, this month I had the opportunity to visit this amazing city and view his renowned masterpiece of Renaissance Art. Having studied this piece in high school art history lessons and dreaming of seeing it myself, decades later standing beneath it was truly an emotional journey.
This is one piece of art I urge you to read about before you see it and then you have some understanding of the enormity of the task in painting the ceiling, his incredible skill and sense of humour!
We booked an early morning “skip the line” small tour and I was one of four tourists with a private guide who also just happened to be an archaeologist. We couldn't have been luckier!
There were a few “skip the line” early groups but some of these can be sizeable but either way I can certainly recommend going early before it opens. When you realise that 20,000 people view the Sistine Chapel each day and a record this year is 33,000 in a day you start to appreciate it is worth pre-booking before the crowds.
Our “skip the line” tour allowed us to go in the side door of the Vatican's beautiful Renaissance church and view St Peter's Basilica. Exiting via St Peter's Square or Piazza San Pietro as it is known, I can honestly say this was a great overview of the Vatican's iconic sights. This did not allow enough time for the Vatican museums but a brief walk through the Gallery of Tapestries and the Gallery of Geographical Maps was very enjoyable.
It is important in a new city to balance your experiences not frantically rush from one must see to another. I walked and wandered, we did another small group tour that offered more insight into the wonders of Rome with a local teacher and savoured local wines and Roman food.
A good tour, even a half day tour is worth it’s weight in gold!
Rome was not built in a day nor can it be seen in a day or two or three...I for one will be returning again soon.