Phila Airport Parking Vacations

Rome may not have been built in a day, but you can spend several days sightseeing around Rome. There is no other city like this history-filled, beautiful city. There is no wonder why Rome was ranked #2 in the 2004 Conde Nast Traveler’s Choice Awards. It was only ranked higher by Florence, which is in the northern part of Italy.

The population of Rome numbers almost 3 million people. The summertime climate is hot and dry, while the wintertime climate is mild and rainy. Except for a few specific countries in Europe, passports are a necessity to enter this country. If you are not staying for more than 90 days, then you do not need a Visa, either. October to March are the off-peak months and if you want to have a relaxing time without having to fight the crowds, then these months are the ones that you want to travel.

If you are more into the artistic side of Rome, then you will want to venture out on foot. This will allow you to take side trips into shops. Taking a private guided tour is another great way to see all of the local artistic hangouts. Ask around to see how you can make the best of this artistic side of this gem in Italy.

There are a few places that you do not want to miss in Rome. The Coliseum is one of these places and you can walk across the street and visit The Roman Forum, too. Touring these places on your own or with a guide can make a memory that you will never forget in this history filled locations.

The Pantheon is over 1800 years old and it has not changed in all of this time. It was built as the “temple to all gods” in 125 A.D. This concrete dome is the final resting place of many different people, including the painter, Raphael, and two different Kings of Italy. The building has retained much of the same feel and form as it had during the time of the Romans.

If you have visited all of the places in this article, then you will want to make at least one more stop. The Vatican is not to be missed, with its collections of books, artifacts, sculptures, and more that tell of the history of the Catholic Church. Don’t miss St. Peter’s Basilica and Michelangelo’s Pieta. The Sistine Chapel is not to be missed as well. We all know that this is one of the most visible pieces of art in Europe and possibly in the world. The Vatican is a part of Rome that you definitely do not want to miss.

Many different cafes and restaurants are around these locations, so you should not have an issue with finding somewhere to eat. You will want to wear shoes that are comfortable and try not to carry very much, so that you will be as comfortable as possible. Before you begin your jaunt, check with your hotel concierge to see if there are any discounts that you can use, too.

Even though the Sistine Chapel was named after the Pope who commissioned its construction, Pope Sixtus IV, the real fame of the chapel came to it much later when Pope Julius II commissioned an artist by the name of Michelangelo to take on the job of putting a painting on the 10,000 foot Sistine Chapel ceiling.

On your way to view the Sistine Chapel and its amazing ceiling, you’ll find many other amazing artistic delights. Nearby to the Chapel is the Vatican Museum – a marvel that should require you to spend at least 1 – 2 days exploring its treasures. Also, St. Peter’s Basilica (with its magnificent Dome) contains Michaelangelo’s “The Pieta” – another treasure of the great artist himself.

The actual chapel is not that large, at 135 feet wide by 44 feet tall. But it’s what is on the inside that makes all the difference, because the artwork this church holds is the envy of every major museum in the world. A major restoration project that was carried out between 1979 and 1999 was completed to assure that this beautiful chapel will be there for people to enjoy for generations to come.

In addition to Michelangelo, many renowned artists are on display in the Sistine Chapel. Botticelli’s art works are on display there including his well known “The Punishment of Korah” and the 1482 “Life of Moses”. But a few steps away, you can also view works by true masters of the Renaissance period such as Ghirlandaio, Perugino and Rosselli.

But it is that magnificent ceiling that will hold your eyes for as long as you can look up. When the Pope commissioned Michelangelo to do this work, all that was there was a bland display of painted stars. It took Michelangelo four long and hard years of intense labor to complete his masterpiece. But the outcome is stunning, as he transformed that ceiling into a magnificent nine-panel master art work that is beyond compare.

For subject matter, Michelangelo drew from various characters of the Old Testament including Noah, a variety of male nudes, Sibyls and of course, the world famous image of Jehovah himself reaching out to mankind through Adam to give life at the touch of his divine finger.

Rome has been prudent in caring for this masterpiece, most recently having it cleaned and restored in the 1990s. That restoration revealed the striking colors that the artist – who is considered the finest ever in art history – used to illustrate his master work. The author Goethe spoke well of the Sistine Chapel when he wrote:

“Without having seen the Sistine Chapel one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving.”

Michelangelo had to invent a special kind of scaffold that he would use for the four year time frame as the painting was created. The work was hard and dangerous and at times the paint itself almost blinded him. And the master had to develop and put to use many new innovations in painting never used before. One such invention was a completely new kind of plaster called intonaco which was capable of resisting mold and that held paint in place much better than previous designs. This plaster is still used by painters of modern times.

Michelangelo finished his master work in 1512 but in his mind, he was not done. Twenty years later he returned to the Sistine Chapel to paint one more installment of his vision. It was entitled “The Last Judgment” and it took the master from 1525 to 1541 to finish it. So be sure you look for that artwork as well. It will jump out at you when your eyes come down from the ceiling as it fills an entire wall behind the alter of the chapel.

An engrossing and yet controversial part of the painting is a rendering of St. Bartholomew, which is a self portrait that shows the saint’s skin being flayed. This drew a lot of criticism from people in high places as did his frequent use of nudes in all of his artwork. Michelangelo was such a force in the Italian artistic world that he won the fight to keep his artwork as he created it but sadly much later the paintings were marred when the genitals of the nudes was painted over.

For art lovers and those not well versed in art appreciation, seeing the Sistine Chapel is a moving experience. For sheer concentration of masterpieces and to see art that is on display in no other setting, the Sistine Chapel is a must for your next visit to Rome.