Introduction

I’m in Rome for one reason alone, and that is to catch a glimpse of the Sistine Chapel with its frescoed ceiling that was created by Michelangelo over a period of four years. It was completed in 1512 and remains one of the most significant pieces of art in Christendom. Perhaps to level the reader’s expectations I should point out that photography inside the Sistine Chapel is strictly verboten.

This trip was prompted mainly by that fact that I have always wanted to see this masterpiece, together with the enigmatic Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica. I figured with parts of the globe still reeling from the pandemic, this might be my best chance.

The pictures I’m posting here can hardly to justice to the oppulence and grandeur of the Uffizi. What becomes immediately clear, though, is that this place was built to impress – a poignant reminder to the visitor of the incredible power that the Catholic Church once held and that it still exerts.

From the museum I head across the square to the entrance to St. Peter’s, the beating heart of the Vatican.

The sheer opulence of St. Peter’s is hard to put into words and testifies to the mastery of its architects – Michelangelo, Bramante, and Maderno. I think the best I can do to describe it, is as a place where mere mortals come to touch the divine.

The Pietà is a marble statue carved by Michelangelo that depicts the Virgin Mary at Mount Golgatha, holding the lifeless body of her son Jesus. The sculpture sits in a quiet corner just off to the right of the entrance to the Basilica.

I am not at all a religious person. Even so, it would be a lie to claim that I am not profoundly moved by the sculpture and the power of its sad silence. I don’t take a picture of the Pietà, simply because I do not think a photograph could ever do it justice.

Conclusion

Hands down, this trip was one of the best ideas I ever had, though I say so myself. And the visit to the Vatican alone made it worth it. It also makes you realise the unbridled talent and creativity of Michelangelo, which has fundamentally shaped and influenced the iconography of Christianity and the Catholic faith.