04/30/2025 – “Changes do not necessarily mean for the bad”
This morning could have been exciting, or earth shattering, but instead we just woke up and ate the pastries that we had purchased the previous evening. The pasties (blueberry muffins and banana bread) were not exciting or earth shattering, but dang they were good even for being a day old. Then, it was back to hoofing it on the cobblestones. Our tour of the “Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica” ended up including one of those three sites. The upcoming conclave closed the Sistine Chapel while they prepare the site for the 135 Cardinal Electors to elect the new Pope. Lots of work needs to be done, including making sure the floor is elevated and without steps, and, of course, installing the chimney which will emit white smoke (signaling that a new Pope has been elected) or black some (no one received the required 2/3 vote of their peers.) However, our guide used the extra time to take us into areas of the Vatican Museum housing some of the most outstanding artwork we have ever seen. Works by Michelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael, among others adorned every wall, ceiling, nook and cranny.
Aside from their obvious beauty, the paintings, carvings, and tapestries worked to enhance our knowledge of our Catholic faith and bring it alive like nothing else can. Seeing the casting of “La Pieta” really shows the grief in Mary’s faith as she holds the body of her son after he was taken down from the cross. The Michelangelo signature in the sculpture told the story of his arrogance as he broke into the Vatican at night to put his “stamp on it.” He was so guilt ridden afterwards that he never signed another work of art in his lifetime.
Three paintings on the back of a stand used in a church told the story of Saints Peter and Paul. Jesus is shown in the middle, with Peter being crucified upside down on the left, and Paul being beheaded on the right. Paul was given the “more humane” way of death because he was a Roman citizen. Peter, being a foreigner, was crucified (upside down at his request as he did not believe it would be proper for him to die the same way as Jesus.) In the Paul painting, you can see three marks in the ground where his head bounced three times after it was chopped off. These three bounces are the story behind the name of the Church of Saint Paul at the Three Fountains which was built on the site of his beheading. This painting also shows a woman throwing a napkin off a cliff and it rising toward Heaven. This tells the story of a blind woman who asked Paul to help her. The napkin had blood from St. Paul and when the woman wiped her face with it, her sight was restored. The painting shows the woman giving the napkin back to the Holy Spirit. Did you know that STs. Peter and Paul were housed in the same jail in Rome awaiting their execution?
More paintings show the Transfiguration of Jesus, the Assumption of Mary (which shows her in Heaven and her tomb on Earth which is now filled with flowers), a painting of St. Jerome removing a thorn from a lion’s paw, the Holy Family as the fled Jerusalem on their way to Egypt, Mary Magdalene repenting from here sins while praying over the thorny crown and the nails used to crucify Jesus, the Garden of Eden with animals of every type, and Jesus emerging from His tomb after his resurrection. There was even a painting of an early conclave with the votes from the cardinals being counted. Not only outstanding artwork, but an amazing way to encounter stories found in the Bible in a way that really reinforces our faith, in addition to adding to our knowledge.
After the museum tour, we walked over to St. Peter’s. The Basilica was closed, but we were able to enter St. Peter’s Square and soak it in. A sculpture called, Angels Unawares, showing immigrants of all varieties was added recently by Pope Francis. It was powerful message from Pope Francis “to remind everyone of the evangelical challenge of hospitality”.
By now, we were tired and hungry. We found a nearby restaurant and they had Buffalo Pizza on the menu. Of course we had to try that! It was good pizza, but we think the only thing “Buffalo” about the pizza was that the mozzarella cheese came from water buffalos, not that it was spicy like Buffalo wings. We then went to a place recommended to us by the man who drove us in from the airport. It served the best tiramisu he said. We walked there and, by golly, it was great tiramisu! Kathy had banana and chocolate, and Dave had tiramisu fragola (strawberry). We ate our delicious dessert while sitting and resting on the Spanish Steps! It was a great treat, well…until 2 cops told Dave he could not eat at the Steps. Ha, ha! Dave thought. He was already finished and all the cops saw was his empty box.
Afterwards, we made our way back to the Airbnb to rest up for dinner. We walked to a nearby restaurant that our driver also recommended. Again, he aced his recommendation. Dinner was great. Now, it’s time to get ready for bed as tomorrow will be another busy with a food tour on the agenda. Today was another 20,000 step day.
