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Part of my program includes excursions to parts of Rome unrelated to class. Today, we were given a guided tour of the Vatican Museum which contains many religious works of art as well as the Sistine Chapel. Our tour was given by Stefan, a Dutch man who was very knowledgeable about the Vatican and all of Rome. He had many interesting little notes about every aspect of the area.

The museum is what could be called a depository for various gifts given to the church as well as a canvas for many famous artists of the Renaissance period. Heads of state from all over the world give the Pope gifts ever year and they usually find their way into the museum. For example, President Richard Nixon gave Pope Paul VI a few slices of moon rock from the Apollo 11 mission and a Vatican flag that was taken on the shuttle. The real highlight of the tour, however, was the Sistine Chapel, much of which was painted by a sixty year old Michelangelo. Unfortunately, no photography is allowed but it was certainly a site to see. After fifteen years of cleaning and restoration, every inch of the chapel is breathtaking.

Vatican City, although a tiny country, is actually quite large and contains beautiful gardens and courtyards. The one pictured above housed a number of pieces from various places in Italy. We didn’t have much time and could only see a fraction of what the museum and the grounds have to offer. Hopefully I can go back soon and discover more.