Rome Trip Report, Day 4 b: Vatican museum; Day 5: Santa Maria Maggiore

Vatican museum:

https://picasaweb.google.com/108910506663540711253/6272982759068429265#6274346845512897906

Has our video of Vatican museum visit.

We hopped on to our faithful 105 and reached our apt. We had some food and I went off for a hot shower… 15 minutes of hot/cool water washed off the fatigue.

We assembled our bags and were out of the door rejuvenated by 5.40.

I knew bus 81 goes to Risorgimento-san pietro from Piazza Venezia… I thought we’ll take 571 and reach the piazza. But we were worried we may get delayed.

We decided that we’ll go to termini and take the metro. It was easy and we reached Ottaviano station in no time. There were several exits—none to Vatican only St Peter’s. I knew we should not land up at St Peter’s square… so after getting out, we asked directions for Vaticano and shop keepers guided us to reach the famed walls of the Vatican… it was around 6.15.

we had booked tickets online:  € 16,00
http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking&codiceLivelloVisita=17&step=1

Website says: An extraordinary opportunity to visit the Vatican Museums after sunset.
Every Friday from May 2nd to July 25th and from September 5th to October 31st, the Museums will be open to visitors from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm (last entrance at 9:30 pm).
Visitors will be able to admire important collections, following an itinerary that includes the Pio-Clementine Museum, the Egyptian Museum, the Upper Galleries (Candelabra, Tapestries and Maps), the Raphael's Rooms, the Borgia Apartment, the Collection of Modern Religious Art, the Sistine Chapel.

Booking online is mandatory

We were comfortably early—we sat on the steps along with few other people and prepared to wait for our 7pm entry. We had some sandwiches and chocolate we had packed and kept sitting while other people started standing in queue. Where was the hurry? We’ll join the line when they opened the gate!

By 6.55, the officials turned up and the line started moving. We joined the tail end… after 5 minutes or so, we realized, the line was not moving…we were confused. We just forged ahead and showed the officer our reservation—they said for 7.30 appointment you should wait… we said ours is 7pm… they looked at the paper and waved us in. The people standing ahead in the line were those who had the 7.30 tickets!! They had joined the line and stayed put when they were not allowed in along with the 7pm people.

We ran in and joined the security line… in a minute we were inside the revered portals.

The Egyptian antiquity section was straight on and there were arrows to the right for Sistine chapel… short route etc. We went into the Egyptian section… it was nice but our hearts were to hit the main trail.

We asked the docent whether we can return to this section after going on the Sistine chapel trail, they nodded. So on we went on the main trail to the upper rooms (when we were through with the upper rooms, and exited, we tried to search for the entrance to the Egyptian gallery—did not find it; only saw the Pio Clementino Museum. So in hind sight probably it’s a better idea to see things in sequence! )

Passed through huge tapestries in the upper rooms

Came to the map room—some 40 maps of such beauty. Mountains, valleys painted in, appropriate animals dotting the landscape… each a work of art and probably accurate as well.

The Raphael rooms had explanation pages stacked up—we just went to the UK flag and picked up the English version, and admired the frescoes surrounding us on all 4 sides as well as the ceiling.

We had so grown accustomed to perfection… but this visit was taking everything to a new high… the floor was eye catching with intricate mosaic, walls sang with frescoes, ceilings glittered… we were running out of words to exclaim…

Raphael’s Constantine room—great war scenes… Heliodorus  room, St Peter being rescued —the lighting in the painting was so awesome—the divine light, the light of dawn, torch light and reflections! 

The last room fire painting was so realistic—one felt as though it was happening right near.

We went into the much awaited Sistine chapel… just a few people… we had entered from the entrance near the altar… some how we had pictured we’ll come through the other entrance. Anyways, we had seen all the paintings earlier and knew what we were looking at… the brilliance and clarity was breathtaking though.

In the last judgment painting at the altar, Son was so happy with the sight of a muscular youthful looking Jesus without a beard—earlier he had queried, why no beard? I said doesn’t this version correspond to a happy relaxed mode Jesus would be in? He totally concurred that this was a welcome change from the regular portrayal of a bearded Jesus. More over, this tallied with handsome Adam in the same image.

 Also of course, Baigio da Cesena as Minos, one of the judges of the underworld leading the wretched guys to Hell drew a big laugh… I had told him the story (Baigio da Cesena , a papal master of ceremonies, had criticized Michelangelo's work saying that nude figures had no place in such a sacred place, and that the paintings would be more at home in a public tavern. Michael Angelo had taken his revenge by painting his face as Minos  and the Pope had refused to intercede saying he had no jurisdiction over hell!)

 We had taken a page of the explanations and sat looking at each panel in awe. Only whinge—it would have been so nice if there had been more light… may be the people visiting during the day will have the privilege of brighter light to see all the details well

As time went on, it seemed as if they had a small light behind the windows… in a way the dim light added to the ambience… the painted curtain panels looked real and there was a charged atmosphere.

After ample time, we passed through the other rooms, admiring the furniture, knick knacks. It seemed a sacrilege to walk on the mosaic floors—they had such intricate workmanship, looking up at the frescoed ceilings had to be done simultaneously, there was so much to admire, we did not want to miss out.

The gardens looked lovely in the dusk, the restaurant was doing brisk business. As said, we went in search of the Egyptian section, and ended up going through the whole circle of upper rooms once more, including Raphael loggia and the Sistine chapel… we did manage to see Pio Clementino Museum with its marble statues, stone zoo…

By 11, we got out. Walked toward the metro station, made a wrong detour, corrected our path with help from a restaurant guy and got to the station. The metro was running and we reached Termini. Our bus 105 was FULL at this hour—as our apt lady had said, migrant workers travel in the wee hours also… we stood all the way up to our apt and dragged ourselves to bed, tired but happy… it had been such a privilege to walk through sections of the revered Vatican and savor its choice treasures! 

May 24, 2014, Saturday:

Santa Maria Maggiore and train to Florence

https://picasaweb.google.com/108910506663540711253/6272982759068429265#6274413321840431746

video covers our Rome day 4b: Bath basilica, Palazzo Massimo, Santa Maria Maggiore

Originally our plan was to leave for Firenze on Sunday morning. We planned to buy the Firenze card at 72 euros from the tourist office opp to SMN station Firenze, store our bags in the station itself and start our 72 hours right then. In the evening we wanted to collect the bags and go to our apartment—Villa Lucrezia 2 km from the station.

However, when I thought in depth, cramming all sights in to 3 days starting Sunday looked difficult. Monday being holiday at several sites made it more complicated.

The option of using Amici degli uffizi card at 50 euros became more attractive—it was valid upto December, though it did not cover the Duomo, it did give us the privilege to jump the lines at the Academy, Uffizi and Pitti Palace and gained us entry to Bargello, Cappelle Medici as well.

But there was a hitch—if I had ordered online, we would have got it with us. I made this decision too late to be able to receive the card at our address if we bought online. Our option was to buy in person-- it was available only at the Uffizi office till 5pm, Mon-Sat.

The office was closed on Sunday. So we had to be at Florence before 5pm to make this plan work. With this plan it made better sense to go to our apt, keep our bags and then rush to the Uffizi office to buy their card remembering to take our passport…

We booked an extra day at Villa Lucrezia for their highest prized apartment, then tried to cancel a day at our previously booked apt in Rome Villa Tassoni, near Vatican. That was not possible, so we cancelled it fully and booked Lux appartamenti for the revised dates just a fortnight before our visit… the change really served as well as the apt had proved lovely and very comfortable

We wanted to leave before noon to make it in time for buying the Uffizi card.

In an ambitious move, I had planned to visit Palazzo Colonna 9—11 on Saturday before leaving for Florence. Palazzo Colonna is open only 9-1 on Saturdays and we had loved the pics from its website. However after our late Vatican night, packing, and checking out with our bags stored by our apt to be collected later, took time. We could start only at 9 from the apt. We reluctantly ditched our Colonna plans as we wanted a reasonable start on the trip, leaving Rome by noon.

Decided to go to Piazza Venezia on 571, to walk to the Altar to Fatherland monument, take its elevator up for a view and then look around Campidoglia before returning.

Just as we were walking, bus 105 came to a stop near us and we got in and went to termini…from there we had wanted to take a bus onward to Piazza Venezia but decided to walk in the direction of Santa Maria Maggiore… we did not have our maps and took the wrong road and reached a tourist info office. 

Got directions, retraced our walk and entered the towering church…

Santa Maria Maggiore:

Founded in the 4th century, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica of Saint Mary Major) is one of the four great ancient basilicas of Rome.

 The other three major basilicas are Saint John Lateran, Saint Peter and Saint Paul outside the Walls.

Other churches in Rome dedicated to Mary include Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Maria in Aracoeli, and Santa Maria sopra Minerva,

 The greater size of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major justifies the adjective 'major' it is distinguished from the other 25

The church is sometimes referred to as Our Lady of the Snows from 1568

 On 5 August, a few 100 years ago, at the height of the Roman summer, snow fell during the night on the summit of the Esquiline Hill.

Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their possessions to the Virgin Mary. In obedience to a vision of the Virgin Mary which they had the same night, the couple built a basilica in honor of Mary on the very spot which was covered with snow.

Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore was built in the immediate aftermath of the Council of Ephesus of 431, which proclaimed Mary Mother of God.

The interior underwent a broad renovation encompassing all of its altars between the years 1575 and 1630

The 14th century campanile, or bell tower, is the highest in Rome, at 240 feet, (about 75 m.)...

It is located on Piazza del Esquilino, number 34, some five blocks southwest of the Stazione Termini.

This is the Esquiline obelisk originally erected on the western flank of the Mausoleum of Augustus paired with the Quirinale obelisk. Found in 1527 and erected here behind Santa Maria Maggiore in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V





This is the 16th-century coffered ceiling, is said to be gilded with Inca gold presented by Ferdinand and Isabella to the Spanish Pope, initially brought by Christopher Columbus, to Alexander VI (something which factually is erroneous, since the Inca empire was conquered during the reign of Charles V)



Down below is the "cave of the Nativity" similar to that in Bethlehem.

Numerous pilgrims returning to Rome from the Holy Land, brought back precious fragments of the Holy Crib (cunambulum), which are now kept in the golden Confessional shrine…

Crystal urn trimmed in silver, through which the faithful can venerate the relic of holy crib... four boards of sycamore wood believed to have been brought to the church, in the time of Pope Theodore I (640-649)

This is the Borghese Chapel



The famous icon of the Virgin Mary is now enshrined in the Borghese Chapel of the Basilica.

It is known as Salus Populi Romani, or Health of the Roman People or Salvation of the Roman People, due to a miracle in which the icon helped keep plague from the city.

 The icon is at least a thousand years old, and according to a tradition was painted from life by St Luke the Evangelist using the wooden table of the Holy Family in Nazareth.



 Altar of Sistine Chapel and Oratory of the Nativity

This main altar in the chapel has four gilded bronze angels, holding up the ciborium, which is a model of the chapel itself.



This chapel of the Blessed Sacrament is named after Pope Sixtus V, and is not to be confused with the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican, named after Pope Sixtus IV.



The chapel contains the tombs of Sixtus V himself and of his early patron Pope Pius V

Time was creeping on to 10.30 and we returned to our apt, collected the bags, asked the maintenance guy to call us a taxi.

Buying tickets at Termini:

The taxi arrived with some 5 euros on it, reasonable… and it was 11 euros for our drop at the termini.

We straight away went to the ticket machine at the entrance for buying our tickets. Son started to operate the screen, I stood just behind, with hands on our bags, also staring at the screen

The guy at the adjacent machine finished his purchase and moved off…There was a woman behind him and she turned to me with a helpless expression and asked some thing. I looked at her and said sorry?

She said inglese?

Yes, I said encouragingly, thinking she needed some assistance.

She reached over and punched in the English option on our machine!

NO, said my son and whirled around… both of us had just realized that she was no helpless woman but one of the much reported scammers…

We moved off and she also moved away…Then we got back to the machine, all the while keeping a wary eye and got our tickets with cash (our whole stash, cards were in a pouch under the clothes as usual, only loose change for tickets in a vest pocket…so thankfully there was nothing of value accessible for negative elements)

The next two trains to Firenze were full and we could get seats only for the 1.10 train. It was a wait of more than an hour but we had no choice. Of course the platform will get announced later, so we walked into the station.

Now we saw several ticket machines inside glass booths … definitely a much better proposition than the heavy traffic area of the entrance where we had bought our tickets…we need not have been in such a hurry to go for the first machine in sight!

I had been the one directing son to the entrance machine and also the one engaging with the scam woman… I flinched at the missteps and swore to be more focused!

We sat on some elevated rails around a staircase near the platforms with an eye on the electronic boards. It kept getting updated, platform numbers getting posted for trains.

Our train’s final destination was Venezia, details of train number etc were on our ticket and we were focusing on that particular train. While I sat and kept an eye on the bags, Son followed signs to the toilet, came back saying they are ticketed and very clean. I have a phobia of toilets in crowded places, I was glad these were OK.

Our train’s platform got posted, we went there, and got on to the train looking for our coach number…no need for validation as we had assigned seats on a specific train…

Our seats were in the middle … an Italian middle aged couple was sitting across the table and we squeezed our way in. Our 2 bags were a little too plump to fit the space below, so I hurriedly stuffed some stuff into the cloth bag I had made and then all 3 bags were OK for storing. The lady in front of us even pointed out a niche between seats where bags can be stored and we were grateful to her

The train speeded off and the scenery that flitted by looked great… green country side!

Unfortunately, I could hardly enjoy the journey for the most part—the man across had stretched his legs, sprawled sideways all the way up to my seat… …there was the metallic support for the table also in the middle. I had the minimum space to keep my feet… just squashed to my seat… twice he even stamped on my feet trying for a still better position!

I said ouch… giving pained glances at his direction, he was conveniently immersed in his laptop!

Son sitting nearby was confining his legs to his half. The lady in front of him was stretching her legs in the aisle… and got badly stomped on by a heavy lady towards the end of the trip!! Surely her partner deserved that!

Anyways, in retrospect, I think I should have politely told him to pull back his legs to his half…my knees had started aching by the end of the trip as I had been sitting uncomfortably without scope for movement! I think the fault was entirely mine for putting up with junk, bullies flourish because of voiceless idiots!

The point is… there is very little legroom in the seats which are set around tables. They could have just designed all seats one behind the other. On earlier trips, we had seen such seating in Sapsan trains plying between Moscow and Petersburg and commented on how people sitting opp each other were sitting in a slanting position with their knees knocking into each other! The Edinburgh express to London has better legroom in such table seats

To come back to our Florence trip, we had had our packed lunch on the train and were checking the time to be ready for getting off; saw the board Firenze Rifredi station through the window… we knew our SMN station will be arriving soon. Assembled our bags and got ready to disembark.

 Always scared when the train is going onward to another destination that there may not be enough time to get off at our station! There were people with heavy luggage waiting to get in, but we managed to get out easily as our bags were already ready and we were waiting at the door of the coach.

http://adventuretrav.blogspot.com/2016/05/how-to-plan-trip-to-florence.html
covers general tips on planning a trip to Florence and report of our first evening there.