View Article: 090704 - Il Vaticano

	090704 - Il Vaticano
	written by somers / 09.13.2004

page 1

1 of 1

Itinerary

Shane and Raphael's Stanze in the Background

The man himself, Shane Richards.

The Laocoon

Swordfish!

A giant swordfish at the Campo di Fiori Market. mmmmmmmm . . .

In an attempt to beat the outrageous crowds at the Vatican Museum, we got a late start to the day. The rest of the tourists think they’ll beat the crowd if they get there early, but the museum-savvy Lisa Schultz knows better so we left at 12:30 pm. We packed onto an overcrowded bus and were shipped over to the Museum. After reassembling the group – not all students were able to fit on the first bus – we set out into the museum.
First up on the presentation docket was Jack who talked about the renaissance and thus the ancient Greek and Roman statues that the Vatican sought after and displayed during this time. Two famous statues worth noting were the Apollo Belvedere and the Laocoon (see pictures), both beautiful examples of Greco-Roman statues.
Walking further into the museum, we passed through the hallway filled with centuries-old maps of the church’s once grand and far-reaching Papal empire. By this time, the hallway starts to closer resemble an unstoppable river of people than a hallway and in either case the anticipation for Raphael’s Stanze and the Sistine Chapel was building.
Shane led a tour de force of Raphael’s Stanze, explaining the intricacies and importance of Raphael’s masterpiece. The bottom line: Raphael was a rock star.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Frescos were jaw dropping and awe-inspiring. It’s hard to believe one man could paint 2,400 square feet with such perspective and vision. Unbelievable.
By the time we left the Vatican it was time for sociology. We discussed what exactly crime is, why people commit crimes and more importantly why they choose not to -- a fascinating discussion. Lecture notes are posted if you’re interested in reading more . . ..
After sociology, everyone went their separate ways for dinner and homework (weak). And that just aboot wraps up September the 7th.

Highlights

The obvious highlight of the day was the Sistine Chapel and, I think most would agree, the Last Judgement in particular. When you stand below these frescos, it's easy to understand why Michelangelo is a)is considered one of the best artists of all time and b) the coolest Ninja Turtle.

Images

http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/michelan/3sistina/lastjudg/

The Last Judgement

The newly restored fresco is truly one of the worlds greatest treasures.

[ Multi-Page View ] [ Back to top ]