Dagger in the Heart

Now, I understand that my post about The Vatican could have easily been lumped in with the post about Roma. However, I feel like the grandiose scale of this place alone was enough to warrant its own post. Home to some amazing chapels and the biggest museum I'll ever be in. Like there was a good instance where I thought I wasn't actually to find my way out (something that my roommate in San Marcos and I joked about).

I was planning on making my visit to the Vatican much sooner but found out I had to make a reservation to get into the Museum. So I had to plan my trip for later and accepted my fate of feeling like a canned sardine the entire time.

Anyways! The amount of art and things to look at in the Vatican was absolutely shocking. I wasn't sure initially what I would find in the museum but was stunned by the variety. There was classical art, ones ripe with religious meaning, a lot more statues and paintings around animals than I was expecting, art that felt more modern and contemporary, and even paintings that still maintained religious tones while also tapping into some horrific imagery that I naturally resonate with. I must mention an artifact that was horrific and didn't resonate with me, which was the mummies of the Egyptian Exhibit. I really didn't give myself a chance to examine or see if these were real, but the first thing that came to mind upon seeing this was to literally get out of the Exhibit as fast as possible. Very similar to the instance in Pompeii where looking at the mummy felt wrong, even being in the same room with the mummy felt wrong. But after some research, I have learned that the mummies are in fact fakes which is a massive relief. I think my favorite art to look at in the Vatican was the tapestries. They all felt so vibrate and colorful. There was also this warmth to them.

The Sistine Chapel was also incredibly beautiful and I could only imagine what it would be like to have mass or religious gatherings in such a beautiful building. I also think it's very special to not have any pictures of it, although I can't explain why that is. I have made it clear that I'm not exactly religious, however, I cannot deny how absolutely amazing it would be to go to a mass service at the Vatican and if I had to go to any mass I would probably want to experience it here. I also think of my Aunt, who celebrated her Christmas birthday at the Vatican a long time ago, and wonder what it would have been like. What the scale of this celebration looks like. What does Christmas look like in the Vatican?

Being in the Vatican was a surprising boost of creativity that I wasn't expecting to find for myself. I found myself looking at a lot of the rooms and just picturing certain scenes playing out. I was shocked at the sights even before I went in. Thankfully my friend I was staying with lived close enough to the Vatican so I was able to see the walls of the Vatican any time I went to go anywhere in Roma. It really earned it's reputation of being the dagger of Italy.