the Vatican. There is an impressive and sprawling forecourt- the‘ circular’ St. Peter’ s Square( the pun intended)- surrounded by tall, imposing colonnades on either side( see the picture above).
Clockwise from top left: St Peter ' s Square with Basilica in the rear( Credit- Elissa Jenkins, Pinterest); The balcony from where the Pope addresses the gathering below( credit- Wikipedia); Michelangelo ' s Pieta( Credit- Wikipedia)
St Peter’ s Basilica in Vatican is one of the largest churches in the world and the holiest of Catholic shrines. Some have called it the‘ greatest of all churches of Christendom.’ The present basilica was redesigned and built after demolishing the old basilica that stood there, constructed in the 4th century by Emperor Constantine. Started in 1506, the new basilica took 120 years to be fully completed to its present form. Several architects contributed to the design and construction of the basilica, including Michelangelo who revamped the works of architects before him and is credited with the design of the striking dome of the basilica, which is the tallest in the world and dominates the skyline of Vatican.
The basilica is at the burial site of Saint Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and traditionally believed to be first Pope and Bishop of Rome.
The interior of the basilica is breath-taking in its grandeur. Richness and variety have been added over the centuries by many outstanding sculptors and artists, and when you go around you are essentially walking down history. Four huge columns support the enormous dome, and in each there is a niche with giant statues by the greatest of Roman sculptors. I had to crane my neck to view these statues towering over me. The altar is right under the dome. One could go up to the top of the dome using stairs. There is a narrow viewing gallery with railing, on the exterior, near the top of the dome. I could command a beautiful view of entire Rome from that height. I walked on the terrace of the Basilica, stood overlooking the sprawling St Peter ' s Square and took snaps.
Inside, near the entrance of the basilica, in the north side, is Michelangelo’ s masterpiece,‘ Pieta.’ I consider it as one of the greatest sculptures ever chiselled out of marble. See the image above. It shows Jesus, sprawled almost lifeless, on the lap of his mother Mary after his crucifixion. The workmanship on the listless limbs of Jesus and the robes of Mary is marvellous and sublimely natural. Marble, in the hands of the great sculptor, appears to be so supple and ductile. Vatican has a strong stamp of Michelangelo- the painter of Sistine Chapel, the architect of the dome of the basilica and the sculptor of Pieta, all unparalleled in their beauty and classicism. Without doubt he was the city’ s greatest citizen of all time. He is one of my two heroes- multifaceted geniuses- the other being Leonardo Da Vinci.
Christmas 1983
On Christmas Day 1983, I set out from my hotel in the morning to feel the atmosphere in the city. Back home in India I was used to a lot of music, noise and activity right from the morning on any festival day. Here in Rome, I was walking down and there was not a single soul on the streets. No activity;
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