First she dissected San Clemente for us - an 11th century church that was built on top of a 4th century church, that was built on top of a 1st century Roman home. By understanding the layers of San Clemente, we could understand the layers of Rome ("it's like lasagna," she said). She made an interesting analogy that the ruins you see today in Rome are the "tip of the iceberg" - 80% are still uncovered.
Next she took us to the Forum. She said the more we can imagine, the closer we will be to understanding it. She made it easy to visualize! Repeatedly she made me feel like I had traveled back in time - actually standing in the massive basilica that has always mesmerized me. She reproduced the awe and fear, just as the Roman Empire intended.
The ruins are literally "awesome" ... creating admiration and fear
Francesca read us. She sized us up and tailored the tour to our family. I wanted the kids to come away from Rome with a knowledge that I knew I could not give them. Francesca gave this to them. And in the end, realizing she had given us something I could not repay her for - an unforgettable and everlasting gift - it made me emotional that people like her exist, and we were honored to meet her and spend a few hours with her. Thank you, Francesca!
Let me return now to how we started our day: with a visit to St. Peter's and the Vatican museum. We got to the dome as it opened which is a fantastic way to appreciate a small space - without crowds! The kids were blown away by the immense size of the basilica and its dome!
St. Peter's Basilica is open, but there is no one there at 7:30am
I love how the rays of light shine into the basilica - it is so ethereal, and you can feel God's presence
Climbing to the top of the cupola (dome)
View from the top
Then we walked all the way around the large Vatican wall to get to the entrance to the Vatican Museums. With all the people, this was no easy feat. The museum was just opening and already teeming with people.
I have been on a tour of the Vatican before, and did not thoroughly enjoy it. I wanted my kids to have a different experience, and get the most of it. So I researched it and made an audio tour completely tailored to them. It worked marvelously! The only thing that did not work well was the hordes of people. The museums get 30,000 visitors daily in June, and I'm sure they were all there with us. We were trapped in group after group of selfie-stick guided tours. Greg and I don't handle crowds like this well. It is by far the worst crowd we have seen and I am sure will be the worst we will see.
Listening to the audio tour in front of the Fontana della Pigna
My favorite piece of art this visit, as I am now more informed about what I am looking at. The Belvedere Torso, although a battered fragment, was hugely influential to Michelangelo.
The beautiful Gallery of the Candelabra was completely covered in scaffolding
Jeremy was impressed by how much porphyry the Vatican owns. Chris was disappointed by how fast we went through, and wanted to spend more time - which simply was not an option with the wave of tourists forcing you through! Chris enjoyed the statues, and Raphael's "School of Athens" - he thought it was funny that Raphael painted himself looking out at us.
Today we climbed 54 stories and walked over 14 miles. Greg won't stop each day until we average 10 miles. He is going to be disappointed in our next couple stops, as we will have to leave town or swim to get that kind of distance under our feet in Florence and Venice.
Logistics:
- We reserved our 9am entry tickets to the Vatican. Tickets are available 60 days in advance.
- Do not even attempt tackling the museum without some form of a tour - at least during the exceptionally crowded hours. It was too crowded to move, making finding and seeing the artwork nearly impossible.
- There is a strict dress code for St Peters and the Vatican museum: you must cover your shoulders and knees. I have been told it is acceptable to wear "long" shorts. However, we didn't want to risk it so we wore pants.
- As you walk around the wall of the Vatican on your way to the museum, and reach the large crowd wrapped around - waiting in line - stand on the left side if you need tickets, and keep to the right side if you already have them. Even though the right side is just the sidewalk and not a line, it is too narrow for the amount of people using it - so in essence is a line.
In front of the entrance there are 3 lines - buy tickets on the left, reservations in the middle (sign above), and groups on the right
- As you leave the Sistine Chapel, go to the back right door marked "No Entry" (you can't miss the big sign). It is for "tour groups only" and takes you straight into St. Peter's. It cuts off the 15 minute walk around the outside and the 1-hr wait to get through security!
- Francesca Caruso
www.FrancescaCaruso.com
- Tickets to the Colosseum and Forum are good for 2 consecutive days but only one entry to each one.
