When we woke up that morning it didn’t take me long to realize that things were not going to be happening according to our plan. Mike was sick and definitely not up to doing anything. We talked it over and I started to cancel some plans. A few of the things were refundable, which was nice, but the train tickets and a couple other items were not. It did suck that we would have to miss out on a few things in Rome and heading to Pompeii, but the sooner he got better, the sooner we could be out exploring Rome together.
After having a couple days of rest, Mike was starting to feel much better. While he wasn’t 100%, he really didn’t want to miss out on what the day held for us. We’d gotten up early and caught a taxi to take us to St. Peter’s Basilica. I’d booked a tour that would allow us to do the dome climb and take us to explore the basilica. I guess you could say that climbing church domes is kind of a thing we like to do. We’d gone to the roof of St. Paul, climbed the Duomo in Florence, went to the roof top of the Duomo in Milan, and would now be adding St. Peter’s to the list. It was an exciting time for us.
We got to the meeting point early and got something to drink while we waited. Mike wasn’t sure he was going to be able to do the dome climb, but we knew we could at least take the elevator up to the rooftop and enjoy the view of Rome and of Vatican City. While we were waiting, I received a notification that our Underground Tour of the Colosseum was canceled for the next day. Having just over 24 hours notice made me panic a little. The underground tour was something I spent a lot of time trying to book and knew it was a possibility it would be canceled. Fortunately, I was able to still get tickets to the Colosseum without a tour. It gave me a bit of relief, but was still very disappointing.
Once we checked in with our guide, we made the journey to the line for security. Since it was early in the morning, there really was no wait and after a few minutes, we were heading to the line for the dome climb. I’d made sure to pay extra to take the elevator up since I wasn’t sure how either of us would be faring after all the walking we’d done over the past several days.
The guide pointed out various things about the outer parts of the basilica and explained what the dome climb would entail while we waited in the line. We explained to the guide that we wouldn’t be doing the dome climb portion and would only be taking the elevator to the roof. She was extremely nice and said it wouldn’t be a problem and said she would make sure to tell us where to meet her. Since our group was a fairly large size, only a few at a time could take the elevator, some did elect to take the stairs. Once we were in the elevator, it was a short ride up.
Despite not being at the dome level, the view was pretty amazing. From here you’re able to look down into the basilica and up to the dome. The people below looked so small. I felt as if I wasn’t even in the same space as those below me. The walls along the path to the roof and climb to the dome level were beautiful. There isn’t another way to describe what I was looking at. It really is something you need to see for yourself. Even if you don’t want to climb the steps to the dome, I really recommend heading to the roof level.
The view from the roof was amazing. You could see so much of Rome and Vatican City. The gift shop on the rooftop was small, but we did pick up a few things to take back for friends and ourselves. The one thing I really wanted to do was send a postcard back home. I purchased a postcard and a stamp from the nuns that run the shop. On the rooftop there is a mail slot that you can put mail to send back home that will have the postmark of the Vatican Post Office on it.
The tour guide came over to us and pointed out a few of the things you could see from the rooftop. The roof of the Sistine Chapel, Papal apartments, and some of the gardens were within our view and we wouldn’t have known it. After spending a few more minutes enjoying the details of the exterior of the dome, we made our way down into the basilica. I knew that we would be heading down to view the interior of the basilica, but when you’ve never been there before, it is really hard to be prepared for what you’re about to see.
The vast footprint of the basilica isn’t obvious until you’re inside on the ground floor. From the outside in the piazza you can only see the front façade of the grand basilica, hiding the true enormity of the basilica. We followed the tour guide through the mass crowds of people trying to take in everything there is to see about the basilica. I could’ve probably spent a few days exploring everything inside. The walls, dome, statues, and even the floors are something to behold.
Following the tour guide through the vast crowds was a bit challenging. It was a good thing we had receivers with headphones, otherwise we would’ve missed everything she said. Even with it being not too late in the day, the basilica was starting to fill with people and other tour groups. Michelangelo’s Pieta, Bernini’s Canopy, and even the bodies of two popes, one covered in wax and the other in a bronze casing that protects his body from decomposing, are just a couple of the amazing things to see in the basilica.
The tour led down into the crypt where most of the Popes are buried. This isn’t the same place where you see where Saint Peter is buried, but it is very fascinating. There are not just popes here, but the remains of three queens, which was a fact our tour guide pointed out as we explored the area beneath the basilica. It was pretty crowded in this area too, but you come out on the side of the basilica. This is where the tour ended. I found the guide to be really friendly and informative. While we could’ve done exploring on our own, it was nice to have someone there to explain things and answer questions we had.
Since we still had time before our next entry, we headed back into the basilica to explore on our own. There was a lot of the basilica to see. There was a service going on in one of the chapels and in others people were praying. Each area was unique, almost as if you were in a separate church. While walking around and taking in as much as we could, we came across a part that looked very interesting. This was the Treasury Museum, which wasn’t free (cost €6 per person) but you could see some amazing pieces of Vatican history. It was definitely worth it to visit and explore. If you have the time, I do recommend it. There is a gift shop where you can purchase Vatican gifts to take home. We purchased a few things to take back to friends and family before heading out of the basilica to explore the square.
Out in the square there is actually a lot to take in. They had started setting up chairs for the following day in the square, so some of the area was blocked off. In the middle of the square is an obelisk that dates back to Ancient Egyptian times. One really interesting thing that many people overlook in the square is actually a plaque in the ground. This plaque marks the spot where Pope John Paul II was shot during an attempted assassination in 1981. It is easy to miss if you don’t go looking for it.
After taking in the square and being really happy we were not currently in the line to enter the basilica (it was wrapped around the square), we left the area and grabbed a light snack. We had about 30 minutes before our entry time to the Vatican Museums. We didn’t realize how far of a walk it really was around the wall that surrounds the Vatican, but it was pretty cool to see how large the wall is. The walk took about 15 minutes and there was no line since we had already booked tickets. Just getting through security was the only line and it was pretty quick. Instead of carrying out bags around, we put them in the baggage check then proceeded to exchange our voucher for actual tickets. There were no lines for either the bag check or the tickets. Once done with that, we made our way into the museum.
I hadn’t done much research beforehand about the museum, so I really had no idea what we were walking into. The vast amount of people didn’t hit us until we reached the first room. It was packed with people and you barely had room to move without bumping into someone. It made me wish I’d booked an early morning tour with a group instead. The museum seemed to have a bit of everything. As we walked through the rooms there was a lot to see. They had it marked out so if you wanted to head straight to the Sistine Chapel and skip seeing all the amazing things, or you could visit each room.
We made our way through rooms filled with sculptures, a hall filled with tapestries that would take up the wall of a room in my house as they were massive, that tell different stories of the Bible. Along the way there would be something that I would have to stop and take a moment to admire the work and craftsmanship that went into creating these magnificent works of art. There was so much more that we didn’t get to see, but we really wanted to get to the main reason we came to the museum, the Sistine Chapel.
Going through the vast rooms with groups of people on tours or just venturing on their own, we made our way through. We came to the Borgia apartments where there was some contemporary art, most of which didn’t hold any appeal to either of us, but there was one painting that did interest me. I’ve been a fan of Vincent Van Gogh since I was a child, so seeing a Van Gogh painting in the Vatican Museums was a really exciting moment for me as it was the first time I’d ever seen one in person.
Continuing along the path to the culmination of the museums, we dodge people and admire works of art until we see the door ahead, the entrance to the Sistine Chapel. It is at this point that we put our cameras away, or at least put the lens caps on, since photos or video are not allowed. It was a bit difficult to enter as many people were also wanting into the chapel. Since it was in the afternoon, the space was very crowded with guards yelling for people to move and telling people no photos. With all the people, the guards herding everyone, and the fact it was rather warm in there with all the people, it didn’t make for a very enjoyable experience. There wasn’t a moment to stand in one spot and just look up at the ceiling that took Michelangelo four years to complete. Yet, just being inside a space I never thought I would visit was amazing.
Once a few more minutes passed, we knew it was time to leave the chapel. Coming out of the chapel, we came to an area where you can purchase items. I got a few things for people as well as a couple things for myself. I couldn’t resist a canvas bag and a print of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. After we finished our shopping, we started to make our way to the exit. This is another part I was excited for. Before reaching the exit to the museums you go down the Bramante Staircase. This one isn’t the original, but the design is unlike any staircase I’ve seen. Walking down it was so easy since it isn’t your traditional staircase.
We were starting to get hungry so I did some research and found a restaurant not too far away. The reviews were good, so I figured why not. We reached Cantina e Cucina pretty quickly. It was pretty busy inside, but there were a number of tables available. Within a few minutes we were seated and gazing over the menu. I picked this restaurant based on the reviews of cacio e pepe, as it was one dish my husband really wanted to have in Rome. We shared a crispy roman artichoke. It was a first for me and I loved it. For a main course, I ordered the lasagna and my husband ordered the cacio e pepe. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere. At the end of the meal the server brought over cups filled with grappa. I’d never had it before, but it was definitely something to remember.
Since it was still early, we knew there was another place we wanted to try to get to. Nearby is the Santa Maria in Monserrato degli Spagnoli, which is a Spanish church in Rome. After a nice ten minute stroll, we arrived at the church. The reason for wanting to come here was not because we speak Spanish, because we don’t, but it was to see the place where Rodrigo Borgia, also known as Pope Alexander VI, is buried. My husband loves history and the Borgia family played a big part in some of the history of Italy, plus we watched the tv show, The Borgias, and wanted to see the final resting place.
Once we were inside of the church, we spent a few minutes searching to find the site where his remains are. The one question that my husband really wanted answered was why he was buried here and not at St. Peter’s Basilica like many of the other popes. Fortunately, there was a young man there that spoke English and was able to answer the questions my husband had. Back in the time Borgia lived, people would come from all over on pilgrimage, the issue being that services were given in Latin, which most people didn’t speak. Therefore, other churches came about that had services in other languages. Since Borgia was from Spain, it made sense that he would be in the church where people from Spain would go for services.
After visiting the church, the day began to take its toll on us. Fortunately, we were able to get a cab pretty quickly and head back to our apartment. With Mike feeling a bit better, there was hope that the next day would go smoothly, but we both needed to rest and hope that no other surprises came our way.
This is just a sample of what is in the Treasury Museum. 
My first time seeing a mummy was at the Vatican Museum. It was an interesting experience. 
One of the rooms as we make our way through the Vatican Museums 
The Hall of Maps inside the Vatican Museum is something that you really have to see in person. 
My first time seeing a Van Gogh painting in person. 
Making our way down the famous staircase on our way out of the museum. 
This fried artichoke is something I would definitely order again. 
The cacio e pepe didn’t disappoint. 
This traditional lasagna is one of the best things I ate on this trip.
