2016 ITALY Vatican 10 - This and That in the Vatican

Pope Julius II founded the museum in the 16th century. There are over 70,000 items with only about 20,000 on display at any time. There are 54 galleries (many with multiple rooms) and over 3.5 miles of corridors representing over 2,000 years of humankind history.

Everything is so beautiful and meaningful and interesting. Well, I took almost 400 photos that day (although many were dupes). I usually take two of the same shot, hoping to get one good one. I probably irritated a few folks with all my clicking, but I just couldn't help myself. It was like an obsession to hold on to these memories in a vivid way.

So here are some pix of this and that. A few are unidentified, but all are beautiful.

Mosaics --

FYI-There is a mosaics school in the Vatican to teach the craft and to keep all its mosaics and micro-mosaics (unusually small pieces) in tip-top shape.

Greeks fighting centaurs and sea monsters in the Round Room.

Black and white mosaic horses. I think this was also in the Round Room in a ring along the outer edge.
"Athena"

"Christ Giving Keys to the Kingdom of Heaven to Saint Peter." This is actually a small micro-mosaic piece.

Domes and Ceilings --

I don't recall any ceilings that were left unadorned. Each unique, many telling a story, all spectacular in their own way. This first one is in the Round Room patterned after the Pantheon (but much smaller in scale). It even has the oculus, but this one is not open air.

Another dome, but with octagon detail.


Colorful frescoed dome. This one features "Apollo and Muses" (center) in the Room of Muses.


Ornate carved and gilted ceiling.
Next are several frescoed ceilings (Sistine Chapel coming later). The title I found for this is "Casino di Belvedere" and it has to do with the coat of arms of Pope Julius III. Oddly there are two young men instead of young cherubs, which may be commentary on his sexual preference they say. In any case, this style of fresco is about as plain as it gets in the Vatican!

Hall of the Immaculate Conception ceiling.

This one was in the Map Gallery. It is the "Vision of Constantine" depicting the battle of Ponte Milvio.

This is the ceiling of the Gallery of Candelabra, named for the huge marble candelabra located there. Wish I knew what the painting is about. I'll keep researching.

The "Triumph of Christianity" in the Constantine Room.

Tapestries --

There are two major collections displayed down one long gallery. Tapestries on the left represent the life of Christ and were woven in Flanders (current day Belgium) in the 1500s. These weavers were the best of their time. The series on the right was done by local weavers in Rome about 150 years later and depicts the life of Pope Urban VIII. You can definitely see the quality difference.

They are made of gold, silver, wool, and silk threads. They are huge in size, floor to ceiling and width to match. It took at least nine years to weave just one of the Flanders tapestries. Not only are they beautiful but helped to keep a room warmer (or cooler in summer).

"Resurrection of Christ." He "keeps his eye on you" as you walk past, our guide pointed out. The illusion works!

I liked the lions on this "Justice, Faith, Charity" tapestry.

Don't know what these next two were about, but animated, emotional, and colorful. Again, I'll keep researching.

 

To be continued...