Vatican City
Vatican City is an interesting little 'country' in the middle of Rome. It is a city-state, the only one of its kind that I have seen. The central authority here is the Roman Catholic Church. It comprises mainly of the Vatican Museum, St Peter's Basilica (designed by Brunelleschi) and St Peter's Piazza (designed by Michelangelo). St Peter's basilica is one of the most overdone pieces of architecture I have come across. The inside of this basilica is covered with gold, statues, painting and enormous pillars with an equally enormous dome. It is very exciting to see this church but at the same time it is a gross manifestation of the power the Pope commanded over the Catholic community during the Renaissance Era and after.
The major things I saw:
- Sistine Chapel
- St Peter's Dome
- Vatican Museum Staircase
- The massive Baldachin
- School of Athens - Raphael amongst other famous paintings
- The Vatican Piazza with its unique architecture