Rome: Part 2

Day three was spent at Vatican City. I started at St. Peter's Basilica, and had a few minutes to admire St. Peter's Square as I stood in line to go through security.

It is said that Peter was executed where the square now stands, and the basilica was built on top of his grave.

Chairs are set up in the square for the Pope's weekly public blessing.

The Swiss Guards, still dressed in the colorful uniforms designed by Michaelangelo.

Once I stepped inside the basilica, the splendor really took my breath away.

Nearly every square inch is gilded or covered in artwork.

Michaelangelo's masterpiece Pieta is just to the right of the entrance. It's amazing that he sculpted this when he was only 25.

There's a lot of natural light that streams into the basilica, which enhances the shine of the gold decoration.

The dome was also designed by Michaelangelo (his fingerprints are all over Rome).

All around the perimeter of the church are Latin phrases which feature every mention of Peter in Scripture. Encircling the dome are the words of Jesus: "You are Peter, and on you I will build my church."

The baptistry featuring a painting of the baptism of Jesus.

Suddenly, as I was standing there gawking at the ceilings, bright lights came on near the altar and heavenly music filled the church. The area near the altar was blocked off, but crowds pressed in and phones went into the air.

Ladies and gentleman, it turns out the Pope himself was holding a special mass. If you squint, you might be able to see him in the photo above.

You can't really see anything in this short video clip, but you can hear the choir and get a sense of the majesty.

After spending quite a bit of time in the basilica, I left and met up with the rest of my group at the Vatican Museums, which contain the vast holdings of the Catholic Church that it acquired over the centuries.

With over 5 miles of galleries, we only sampled a small portion.

The Hall of Maps might have been my favorite.

Every room had incredible frescoes on the ceiling.

This is in one of the famous Raphael Rooms. These rooms, plus the Sistine Chapel, were incredibly crowded. It was difficult to enjoy the art because I felt so claustrophobic and just wanted to get out.

After we left the museum, we returned to St. Peter's Square just as the sun was going down. And what a scene!

It was quite a lovely evening.

That's all for now. More to come!