St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican (Kid Stuff)

The view from Ponte Sant'Angelo across the River Tiber.

This was our second trip to Rome.  Our first stay had been in 2009 and at that time we had tried to do all the "must see's" - the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, etc.  This time not so much.  In fact, as we were planning this stay, we made a conscious effort to just walk, enjoy some food along the way, and focus on the lesser knowns.  With one exception.  

Jamie and I have been privileged to visit a few of the great churches of the world and in our recent history that has included climbing closer to where angels reside.  To date there had been three such conquests.  Duomo di Milano, Milan, Italy.  St. Pauls Cathedral, London, England.  Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre, Paris, France.  The steps of St. Peters had been neglected on that first visit.  An oversight that needed correcting.

Words really don't do justice to any of the churches we've entered.  Some are calming, peaceful.  Others are gorgeous.  Many are amazing.  A few are simply holy.  The word for St. Peters has to be enormous.  It's extraordinary BIG.  In fact, if words don't do the place justice, pictures definitely don't.  There is no way to get the entirety of the structure in one frame. 

At the bottom of the frame is St. Peter's Baldachin.
A ten story canopy of bronze standing over the high altar
and the tomb of St. Peter buried deep beneath.

Our goal, the inner ring above and then the outer ring overhead.

And so it was with slight trepidation that we began our ascent.

The lower spiral staircase was maybe 12 feet wide. 
With each stair, the walls synched-in imperceptibly and then ejected us onto a rooftop
with panoramic views of the city.

Next stop, back inside for more stairs and the lower ring known as the Inner Gallery of the Drum.

Looking down from the Inner Gallery.
The lettering across the way is 6 feet high.
The letters along with all other depictions on the ceiling 
are done in mosaic, not paint.

We're doin' it now!  Onward to the external gallery - the Lantern Gallery.

St. Peter's is actually a double-shell dome.  Designed by Michelangelo, the dome is composed of two distinct layers with a hollow space between them.  Our route coiled through this void.

Looking up.

A real life carnival tilt house.  The sensory conflict
gave a whole new meaning to the term "the walls started closing in".

Then, without warning, out we popped.  The 360° views were stunning but this was definitely one of those experiences where the path held more magic than the peak.

Vaticano di Piazza San Pietro

Then, the descent to terra firma for some other sights. 

Pietà - (Our Lady of) Pity.
Sculpted by Michelangelo at the age of 24.

St. Peter's facade with Christ the Redeemer in the center,
flanked by St. John the Baptist (immediately left),
then 9 of the 12 Apostles (two cropped out on the edges, St. Peter's statue below in the courtyard). 

Vatican Museum, Gallery of Maps

A small section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
The entirety depicts the history of the world before the coming of Christ. 
Painted by Michelangelo over the span of four years.

While walking back to our hotel, we stopped at one of the 3,000 Roman eating establishments that offer outdoor seating after making sure there was no English printed on the posted menu.  Fat, dumb, and happy, that brutal bed at the inn beckoned. 

The view from Piazza Pia
looking down Via della Conciliazione
lined with historical edifices.