Musei Vaticani

Yesterday my good friend Liese and I got up early to explore the Musei Vaticani, or Vatican Museum. I'm not a huge fan of museums; I get overwhelmed by large collections of art, and would much rather see one or two pieces in a plain setting than hundreds and hundreds all at once. Nevertheless I wanted to see the Sistine Chapel, and it can only be entered through the museum, so I sucked it up, waited in the hour-long line, paid my 8 euro, and dove in.

The Musei is an easy place to get lost in, both literally and in mindset. Even inside the Vatican City I never imagined I would see so many pictures of Jesus, they go on for miles. While the collections are beautiful and invaluable I found myself most drawn to the courtyards. They afforded a place to breath I couldn't find within the museum itself, and they are actually quite beautiful and relaxing places despite the crowds. The day was sunny and warm, and one of my favorite moments was taking a break with Liese on a terrace in the sun to eat an orange.

I did manage to find a Dali painting I fell in love with, Angelic Landscape. The horses and angels are painted with simple but bold lines, and it was the most refreshing piece I saw all day.I also loved Bernini's frescos, and particularly how he painted himself into them. Touche, sir.

And then, finally, we were in the Sistine Chapel. I had always heard so much about the ceiling, and it was as brilliant as promised, but what I had never known before was that it's not just the ceiling but the entire chapel that is painted. The areas that aren't depicting Michaelangelo's wildest dreams are painted to look like draped curtains. The building is the largest work of art I have ever seen, and I wanted to stay long past the crick in my neck would allow.