Check out the Vatican Museums

An entire article could easily be taken up solely by listing the names of all the galleries and museums comprising the Vatican Museums. Naming the artists and their works would take up several more. Describing them takes entire catalogs, held in the Vatican Library.

Growing from humble beginnings with Pope Julius II's 1506 acquisition of the sculpture of Laocoön and his sons in the grips of a sea serpent, it now numbers dozens of individual galleries and thousands of works of art.

The Etruscan Museum, founded in 1837 is one of the later additions, holding many excavated samples of ancient works unearthed in southern Etruria and elsewhere. It is nearby the mosaics and ancient sarcophagi from the glory days of the Roman Empire held in the Egyptian Museum, which it resembles.

There is the Gallery of Tapestries, a collection of wall coverings from the 15th through the 17th centuries. First exhibited in 1814 these extraordinary weaves would be welcomed in any of the major museums of the world.

Nearby is the Gallery of the Maps, named after its painted walls. Forty different panels devoted to varying regions around the globe form a collection that was once as practical as it is beautiful. Before Global Positioning Systems and other modern technology, these maps were among the prime means for locating and tracking the Church's far-flung spheres of influence.

Among the highlights of the Vatican Museums are the Raphael Rooms. A series of four connecting rooms, built between 1447 and 1455, these house many of the works of that Renaissance master. The rooms, ironically however, are not named for holding his paintings, but because of his work decorating them over a ten year period.

The plainly named Vatican Picture Gallery holds works that belie the room's designation. Here are works of many masters, including Giotto, Perugino, van Dyck and Poussin.

Visitors may be disappointed if they visit the Gregorian Museum of Profane Art looking for early samples of pornography. The word was simply used to distinguish subject matter that was not sacred in theme. Opened only in 1970, here are Roman sculptures of the Republican and Imperial periods, sarcophagi and much else.

The Carriage Pavilion was opened even later, in 1973, in a building constructed under the Square Garden. It houses the carriages used to transport various Popes and other officials of the church. The main objects are supplemented with photographs of processions, harnesses, documents and other related items.

Of course, the centerpiece of the Vatican Museums is unquestionably the world-famous Sistine Chapel, in particular its 10,000 square foot ceiling painted by Michaelangelo. The chapel holds many works by Italian masters, not least of which is the master's Last Judgment completed twenty years after the ceiling.

Still, it is the ceiling that commands attention. Nine panels display figures from the Bible, Sibyls, Noah, random male nudes and Jehovah bringing Adam to life with a touch. Goethe said it best when he stated:

"Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving."

The same might be said of many of the masters whose work is housed in the Vatican Museums.

The Fountains of The Eternal City of Rome

The fountains of Rome have an ancient and glorious history. Examples range from the Eternal City's glory days in the 1st century AD to its even more glorious days during the Renaissance to the 18th century and beyond.

Other cities offer fountains that are barely beyond the utilitarian. But not Rome. Rome must have a water display that is a work of art, because Rome is itself one enormous museum.

The Trevi is unquestionably the most famous, but it has many competitors for the attention of Rome's many visitors.

Fontana del Tritone

The Fountain of Triton (Fontana del Tritone) is just one stellar example. Designed by the renowned Bernini in 1642, it is a masterpiece in the Baroque style. The central figure is a merman (the male equivalent of a mermaid), seated on a giant clamshell and flanked by dolphins.

Near the Spanish Steps is another Bernini work, his first in the genre. Displaying a half-sunken ship, the Barcaccia was a progenitor of the Baroque style in outdoor sculpture.

There is the Fountain of the Moor (Fontana del Moro), also by Bernini, yet another example of a sea-oriented theme. Sited at the southern tip of the Piazza Navona - itself worth a visit - the fountain depicts Neptune surrounded by his subjects. Four Tritons expel water as sea creatures frolic below.

The Fountain of Neptune adjacent to The Moor was a 19th century addition that features many of the same elements, but in a vastly different style.

One not by Bernini, but clearly influenced by his style, is the Fontana dei Tritoni by Francesco Bizzaccheri located in the Boario Forum in front of the Church of St. Maria. Set between the Temple of Male Fortune and the Temple of Vesta, it was built in 1715 at the dawn of the Age of Reason. Two powerful Tritons kneel on a large outcropping of rock and support a basin from which the fountain's water shoots.

Fontana di Trevi

But without a doubt the Fontana di Trevi, the Trevi Fountain, is the foremost example of the genre in Rome. Originally built in the 1st century AD, it was re-built between 1732 and 1751 at the orders of Pope Clement XII.

At 85 feet (26m) high and 65 feet wide (20m) it is the largest fountain in the city, and among the most beautiful. Sited at the rear of the Palace of the Dukes of Poli, it displays a familiar subject: Neptune, but this time riding a clamshell chariot behind two horses, amid Tritons and flanked by the gods of Health and Wealth.

It is here at the Trevi that hopeful tourists toss coins into the base, prompted by the legend that those who throw three coins into the water will one day return to Rome. The coins represent a healthy sum for the city's charities. Clever marketing was not unknown even in centuries past.

Nicola Salvi is often credited as the designer, but there are elements that suggest Bernini had a hand in its creation. The water source is from the Aqua Vergine aqueduct, the name of a legend depicted in the fountain itself. A virgin is said to have offered water to thirsty Roman soldiers.

No visit to Rome could be considered complete without seeing at least a few of its many famed fountains, outdoor sculpture at its finest.

Domus Aurea: The Golden House of Nero in Rome

One of the more recent attractions in Rome is actually one of the more ancient. The Golden House of Nero, what remains of it, has been excavated and the ruins are now available for public viewing. Though re-discovered during the Renaissance, they were the subject of a massive restoration project near the end of the 20th century.

Constructed in 64 AD after the devastating fire that burned two-thirds of Rome (at which legend has it Nero fiddled), the Golden House is an archaeological treasure trove. At one time many parts were covered with gold foil and the ceiling festooned with ivory and jewels by the extravagant emperor. Alas, these are not on display. They were stripped from the palace shortly after Nero's death.

The original palace and related structures covered 350 acres that included a man-made lake, vineyards and the house itself. Terming the villa a house, however, is misleading. It contained 300 rooms, but is thought to have had no sleeping quarters. None that were intentional, at least. No doubt many passed out where they were during the parties for which Nero was famed.

It was the original site of the huge statue Nero had made, bearing his own likeness of course, that was later relocated to outside the Colosseum. The bronze base of the 40m/130ft statue can still be seen there.

Though much has been destroyed over the centuries, there still remains enough to satisfy anyone looking to spend an interesting hour or two tour in a cool place. That's always welcome in Rome, where the temperature can be in the mid-80s even in late October.

The underground, audio-guided tour offers enormous, fresco-covered vaults and many rooms to explore. The frescoes painted by Fabullus, a noted artist of the period were executed in a style popular in Pompeii, the doomed city not far from Rome.

The Renaissance artist Raphael used them as models for some of his own work, and many Renaissance artists - including Michaelangelo - went to visit the (then) newly discovered palace frescoes. Both artists left their signatures scratched in the walls, to be later joined by such luminaries as Casanova and the Marquis de Sade.

The tour shows a wide variety - some areas are shadowed ruins with barely visible carvings. Others are fully restored golden and marble walls with largely intact paintings and fireplaces.

Grottos abound in the underground area, but the most impressive portion is unquestionably the Octagon Room. Here Nero, a great fan of Greek art, housed a statue of the Dying Gaul, which can now be seen in the Pallazo Altemps museum.

Outside, there are gardens and a reconstruction of the octagonal room that allow the visitor to clearly imagine what living there must have been like.

The Romun Forum - A center of political and cultural life

Located in a valley between Palatine Hill and Capitoline Hill, the Forum Romanum is one of the foremost archaeological sites in the world. Long before the first millennium the forum was the center of political and cultural life for the Roman Empire.

Under construction for centuries, by the 7th century BC it was already a major part of Roman culture. It grew into final form under Octavian, son of Julius Caesar in the decades around the beginning of the first millennium.

Composed of a dozen temples, arches and other structures, it was rightly called the Forum Magnum (the Great Forum) by those who had many to choose from. Built on drained marsh land, it provided a focal point for commerce, legal administration and social interaction for the citizens and rulers of Rome.

The structures fell into ruin after the Roman Empire collapsed in the early part of the 5th century AD, parts of it being used in the Middle Ages for grazing cattle. But with the re-birth called the Renaissance it was rediscovered. A long restoration effort began in the Age of Reason at the beginning of the 18th century and continues to this day.

Today, echoes of its grandeur can still be seen around the large complex of buildings.

Archaeologists and others have relined its paved streets, picked away the debris of centuries and opened the forum to the public. The facility is far too large to be seen in one day, but even a small sample of what's there is enough to give visitors a good sample of what was the glory of Rome.

The Temple of Venus and Roma is just one example of the massive scale at which the Romans executed their public projects. A huge temple designed and built by the Emperor Hadrian, it sits atop a plateau facing the Colosseum.

The Temple of Concord is equally impressive. Dedicated to peace, it was completed in 367 BC on the western end of the Forum. Once a repository of statues made of gold and silver, it remains a shining reminder of what the builders of Rome could accomplish.

There are many more. The Temples of Saturn, Castor and Pollux, Vespasian and several others all demonstrate the vision made real by the Roman emperors and their architects. But there are many structures besides the temples as well.

Arches, invented and perfected by the Romans and not improved on for a thousand years, line many of the walkways. The Arch of Titus and the Arch of Septimus Severus are only two out of many outstanding examples.

The Rostra, from which politicians made speeches, is still in evidence. Standing beneath it one can easily be transported back to a time in many ways very similar to our own. The Lapis Niger, or Black Stone, is a shrine that shows another aspect of the endless creativity of the builders. The Via Sacra, a shrine connected to it, is yet another.

No one can truly be said to have seen Rome until they've spent at least a day wandering around the grounds of this magnificent monument. It may just provide a needed reminder of what can be accomplished, and how easily it may be lost.

Peace and quiet in Rome at Villa Borghese

Like every metropolitan city, Rome is a bustling, buzzing hive of outdoor activity. While much of that is naturally a source of excitement for tourists, there comes a time when anyone will want to find some peace and quiet. No spot in Rome could serve that purpose better than Villa Borghese.

Moderate-sized by some standards, the Villa Borghese is 148 acres (80 hectares) of greenery containing aviaries, museums and a stunning artificial lake. A vineyard in the 16th century, Cardinal Borghese had it transformed into a park with geometric landscaping ala Versailles. A villa, whose design was based on a sketch by Cardinal Borghese himself, was later constructed.

By the end of the 18th century an artificial lake had been added in the center, which contains a small Ionic temple dedicated to the God of Healing.

Aviaries held several exotic bird species like peacocks and ostriches for the Borghese's viewing pleasure and gazelles once graced the gardens.

Donated to the Eternal City at the turn of the 20th century, it had grown to hold several temples, fountains and numerous sculptures. Among the latter are the original Tritons from the Fountain of the Moor from the structure in the Piazza Navona. The ones currently in the fountain are 19th century replicas.

The park, open to the public for 100 years, holds many other delights as well. At certain times of the year visitors may be fortunate enough to catch one of the many horse-jumping events in Siena Square. The Piazza di Siena amphitheater is sometimes used for outdoor concerts and there is a botanical garden. Nearby is a beautiful 18th century arch, the 'Arco di Settimio Severo', a stunning example of Baroque architecture.

There's even a small bar located in the middle of the park where a hungry visitor can have some authentic Italian pasta or sip a Campari. Not far from there are several pavilions built for the 1911 World Exposition representing many countries.

But unquestionably, much of the impetus for tourists are the many museums housed on the grounds.

The Museo e Galleria Borghese, for example, has on display several sculptures by Bernini, the artist responsible for many of Rome's famous fountains. Among other pieces, Bernini's Abduction of Proserpina by Pluto is here. The gallery also holds many paintings by masters of the Renaissance including Titian and Raphael.

Also on the grounds is the Museo Nazionale Etrusco, housed in the Villa Giulia. The villa derives its name from having been built as a summer residence for Pope Julius II in 1553. As the name suggests, the museum contains a number of Etruscan works excavated from the hills outside Rome.

Located north of the Spanish Steps, the entrances are above the Piazza del Poppolo and the Porta Pinciana at one end of the Via Veneto. The Villa Borghese offers tired tourists the perfect respite in a busy holiday. Spend a half-day or longer, fully recharge and prepare to take on the incomparable Roman nightlife.

In Rome, there is the Spanish Steps!

Though the name may not be entirely accurate (they were built by the French), the Spanish Steps in Rome deliver true delight to visitors of any nationality. 'Ah,' some will say, 'they are just stairs'. A way to get from the Villa Mèdici to the Piazza di Spagna. But, as any traveler knows, it's how you get there that counts as much as the destination.

Constructed between 1723 and 1725 the Spanish Steps or Scalinata di Spagna are 137 steps arrayed near the Piazza di Spagna - a triangular outdoor plaza and one of Rome's most frequently visited tourist destinations.

These lovely steps, dark, elegant and winding up a moderate graded hill, connect some of the most active and delightful areas in Rome. At the same time, they are beautiful to see all on their own. A pleasure anytime of year, they are especially wonderful in spring when the city festoons the area with azaleas from its many municipal greenhouses.

They are alive with flowers, people and the hint of the warm summer to come. Rome can be hot, in the mid-80s, even in late October. Nearby are some of Rome's most upscale boutiques and dozens of restaurants, shops and sidewalk cafes. The steps themselves used to be a favorite place to rest and have a small lunch, though that is now forbidden. Naturally, Rome being Rome, that law is often ignored.

At the bottom is the La Barcaccia fountain (Fountain of the Old Boat), one of Bernini's many great outdoor works in the Eternal City. In the center is a sculpture of a ship that may have been designed by his son, Gian Lorenzo. Commissioned by Pope Urbano VIII Barberini in 1627, the water flows outward through 'leaks' in the ship.

While you are at that end, stop in and see the Keats-Shelley Memorial House. Then have something cool to drink in one of the numerous bars before starting your climb.

As you travel up, there are three large flat areas on which to rest and people-watch, shop or eat. At the top, be sure to look back and admire the stunning view before continuing on to the Church of Trinta dei Monti.

More formally known as the Santissima Trinita al Monte Pincio, construction began in 1502 but continued for almost two centuries. Built in the late Gothic style, the facade is neo-classical. Outside there's an obelisk, one of Rome's many instances of this Egyptian-style sculpture, first brought to Rome around the 3rd century AD.

Only a couple of blocks away is the infamous Via Veneto where many Italian girl was ogled and pinched in the 1950s. Today, the area is tamer but no less interesting. It's full of shops, restaurants and beautiful examples of Rome's architecture, old and new.

No visit to Rome would be complete without visiting this landmark of Rome. Though created by the French, and named for the long-gone 18th century Spanish Embassy to the Vatican, it is an international delight to all.

The Pantheon - The work of genius that stood the test of time

Few ancient buildings have survived the ravages of time so well as the Pantheon in Rome. It is the only example of similar age, size and span that remains intact. The fact is no accident - it's largely the result of superior engineering.

Often copied, sometimes equaled but never surpassed, it had more architectural innovations than most modern buildings. All the more remarkable, given that it was built around 125 AD under the aegis of the emperor Hadrian.

The plan is simple enough: a circular enclosure aside a rectangular entrance. The entrance sports a classic Greek portico of granite columns topped by a triangular pediment. There are three ranks of the 39 ft Corinthian supports, eight in front and two sets of four further in leading to the main rotunda. A rectangular section joins the portico to the rotunda.

But within that simple design are a dozen signs of genius.

The giant concrete dome topping the cylinder forming the major component was so well designed and built that no similar type would stand up under its own weight.

The dome is 142 feet in diameter (46 feet larger than that crowning the White House in Washington, DC), while the oculus at the peak is over 25 feet of that total. It stands as a result of its unusual composition, outstanding engineering and brilliant construction.

Just one example is the oculus in the center - the opening through the top. It decreases the overall weight and serves as a ring that distributes stress around its circumference. Imagine, by analogy, how difficult it is to crush a bicycle wheel.

It also serves to admit light to the interior. And rain, too it must be said, though the floor is an early example of slanting the floor toward drains.

The dome's tapering steps provide yet more evidence of the mastery of craft displayed by the dome's designer. It's 20 feet thick at the base, 7.5 at the oculus and composed of heavier material at the bottom, lighter as it rises. That doesn't seem so remarkable until one considers that many architects a thousand years later ignored this simple idea.

Nearly two thousand years after its birth the Pantheon in Rome is as stable today as when it was first built. Yet it was constructed without the benefit of machines or modern tools.

Nor did the Pantheon engineers have the advantage of modern transportation methods. All the materials were floated down the Tiber and moved to the site by man and animal on carts of the period.

Though its enormous bronze doors have been restored many times, no major structural work has ever had to be undertaken. This is all the more remarkable given the marshy land on which the structure is built.

By contrast, observe there have been several decades-long projects to preserve the Leaning Tower of Pisa, owing in part to the soft ground in parts of the site. The Parthenon in Greece, though a great building, was a virtual ruin 2,000 years after its birth.

The Pantheon in Rome was first converted to a church during the 8th century and continues to serve that purpose today. In fact, the building has been in continuous use since first being built.

This amazing building has often been copied, two notable examples being the British Museum Reading Room and the Thomas Jefferson Rotunda at the University of Virginia.

When in Rome, be sure to spend time viewing the original.

The Sistine Chapel - Meticulously crafted masterpiece

Though named after Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned the chapel construction, the Sistine Chapel was given everlasting fame by Pope Julius II. For, in 1508, it was he who commissioned Michaelangelo to paint frescoes to cover the 10,000 square foot ceiling.

But on the way to the ceiling there are many delights for visitors to Rome and Vatican City, of which the Sistine forms a part. The chapel is nearby the Vatican Museum, itself worth a day or two. And, St. Peter's is also not far away with another Michaelangelo masterpiece, the Pieta not to mention the dome of the basilica.

The chapel itself is on the small side, only 41m (135 ft) by 13.4m (44ft). But within these walls are works of art that would happily be acquired by any of the major art museums in the world. All have benefited from a large restoration project carried out from 1979 to 1999.

Many famous names are represented and many others that should be better known. There are several Botticelli works here, including the 1482 Life of Moses and The Punishment of Korah. Alongside and nearby are Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli, master artists of the period.

Of course, the main attraction - and properly so - remains the Sistine Ceiling. Formerly decorated only with a bland covering of painted stars, after four years of literally back breaking labor, Michaelangelo transformed it into the glorious nine-panel magnum opus it is today.

Drawing from stories in the Old Testament, Michaelangelo festooned the ceiling with Sibyls, prophets, Noah, obscure nude males, and - not least - Jehovah giving life to Adam with the touch of a finger.

Cleaned and restored in the 1990s, the ceiling shows the magnificent colors of one of the five greatest painters the world has ever seen. As Goethe described it:

"Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving."

Spending four years on a specially constructed scaffold, the paint nearly making him blind, the great artist had to devise and supervise a dozen innovations. Just as one example, an entirely new plaster - intonaco, still in use today - was created to resist mold and hold the paint properly.

Though the main sections were completed in 1512, Michaelangelo returned to the work more than 20 years later to paint the Last Judgment, beginning in 1535 and finishing the work in 1541. It too is not to be missed. Nor can it be, really, since it covers the entire wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel.

Among other fascinating aspects is the depiction of St. Bartholomew, a self-portrait that shows the figure having his skin flayed. Michaelangelo was heavily criticized at the time, and by powerful figures, for his frequent depiction of nude figures. Though he won a temporary victory, the genitalia were later painted over.

Even those not usually interested in fine art come away from seeing the Sistine Chapel with a sense of awe. No visit to Rome is complete without a viewing of this site of so many masterpieces.

Visiting the Colosseum in Rome

Il Colosseo as the Romans refer to it began life as the Flavian Amphitheater, an enormous elliptical stadium capable of seating 50,000 spectators within its six acre domain.

During the 1st century AD, and for hundreds of years thereafter, the Colosseum was host to grisly spectacles of human-human and human-animal combat. Slight evidence of those activities remains among the ruins, chiefly the underground vaults and tunnels that served as storage and entrances for the combatants.

Though the building has suffered repeated fire and earthquake damage over the centuries, remnants of its ancient glory can be seen in numerous places.

Looking over the huge arena from atop its 48m (157ft) height, it isn't difficult to imagine the show below as if it had happened only yesterday. True, the red brick arches are crumbling and the slaves and lions are long gone. But this popular Roman site remains alive with the ghosts of battles past and the many tourists in its present.

The seats are arranged in layers, almost all of which look out over the many levels of arch upon arch surrounding this vast expanse. Sitting in one, a visitor can almost hear the roar of the crowd as the Emperor's retinue enters through one of the four entrances used solely by them. The other 76 were for the average Roman citizen.

Opening in 80 AD after eight years of labor by 15,000 slaves and engineers, the Colosseum gained its now-common name from a 40m (130ft) nearby statue, the Colossus. Thought to have once had Nero's likeness, the statue displayed the face of a succession of Roman emperor's down the years. Evidence of the base of the bronze giant can still be seen between the Colosseum and the Temple of Roma and Venus not far away.

For 100 days after its debut, the arena was host to celebrations both noble and barbarian (to modern eyes). Fights to the death among enslaved gladiators, Roman versions of lion taming, considerably harsher than modern circus acts and many other displays of violence were common fare.

Seating was arranged by rank - the Emperor had a box near the base and women who were not part of the Royal party were relegated to the upper levels. But even from there it would not have been too difficult to see the results of the combat. Even from that height it would not have been to hard to see rhinos, hippos and elephants who were used in the 'shows' along with the more well-known lions and tigers.

The masts and velarium - a canopy covering part the large area to provide shade - have disappeared, long ago succumbing to the changes of the ages. But the immense columns and walls remain, ranging from Doric on the first story, to Ionic on the second, finishing with Corinthian on the third.

Visitors will marvel at the rest of the architecture, as well, that even today forms the basis of arenas around the world. It was one of the first, and certainly the largest and most well-known, to be free-standing. Most prior examples had been dug out of a hillside, of which many exist in and near Rome.

No visit to Rome is complete with a tour of the Colosseum.