Vatican by Claire

 Vatican

by Claire

Today, we left the country! We left Italy and entered Vatican City. To get there, we had a scenic (and very windy) walk across Ponte Sant'Angelo, also known as the Bridge of Angels. The view from the bridge was amazing, as all the views in Rome are.

After lunch, we waited in a line to enter the St. Peters Basilica. Here, something happened that I know I'll remember for a long time. When a woman tried to cut the line, Cecelia, our amazing tour guide, blocked her by literally stepping in front of her, refusing to let her pass. I loved seeing her boldness and she was just so cool! Inside, the basilica was breathtaking. The architecture and art was astonishing, and observing the huge scale of everything around me, I let myself "shrink" into the moment. One of the most impressive facts that Cecelia shared with us is that there aren't any paintings -- only mosaics.

Afterward, we walked to the Vatican Museums. The museum is huge and it would have been impossible to see everything in one visit, but I loved everything from the Galleria degli Arazzi (Gallery of Tapestries) to the Galleria delle carte geografiche (Gallery of Maps) and finally into the Sistine Chapel.

Last year, when I came to Rome, one of my most vivid memories was staring at the famous The Creation of Adam for nearly 40 minutes until my family reminded me that we'd miss dinner if we didn't leave. Getting to see it again felt incredibly meaningful. As I stared up at the barely apart fingers of Adam and God, I felt a lot of emotions hit me. Their fingers are so close, almost touching, but they never actually will. In that moment, I felt like I was Adam and my past self was God: I have many vivid memories yet I'll never be able to relive or return to them -- the fingers will never touch.

Standing there, in the same spot, staring at the same painting, I felt so connected to my past self. The moment was truly special. I felt a sense of melancholy realizing how time passes, but also a deeper awareness of who I've become and how I've changed. 

This time, I also paid more attention to the rest of the ceiling and to the Last Judgement, which is an immense fresco featuring many figures in dynamic poses. I found Michelangelo's self-portrait quite intriguing as he portrays himself as empty and exhausted, adding a very vulnerable and human layer to the work that made him feel more relatable and not so distant.

When we left the Sistine Chapel, I felt quite sad because I knew it will probably be a long while until I see those fingers again. So of course, at the gift shop I bought a few souvenirs -- a magnet, pencil, and tote bag -- that all had the Creation of Adam on it. Now, I can carry this moment home with me. We ended the visit by walking down the beautiful spiral staircase and heading to dinner. It was such a wonderful day filled with unforgettable memories. I feel so lucky to have experienced it all.