{"id":2075,"date":"2020-02-25T09:15:24","date_gmt":"2020-02-25T09:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/?p=2075"},"modified":"2020-02-26T12:41:08","modified_gmt":"2020-02-26T12:41:08","slug":"a-guide-to-vatican-city-through-the-eyes-of-michelangelo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/a-guide-to-vatican-city-through-the-eyes-of-michelangelo","title":{"rendered":"A guide to Vatican City through the eyes of Michelangelo:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If it\u2019s a piece of art, it\u2019s Michelangelo\u2019s. It was not for nothing that\nhis peers envied this prolific painter and sculptor for being the gifted one: Michelangelo\u2019s\nawe-inspiring artworks can be found across Europe, in miniature paintings in\nshop fronts, in imitations at residences, across the internet and on city\npavements. But to truly marvel at the magnitude of his art works, one must do\nso in person. Take a tour of the Vatican, a repository of history which houses\nsome of the greatest pieces by the master. Listed below are the many places\nwhere Michelangelo\u2019s greatness can be observed and appreciated in Rome.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sistine Chapel Ceiling<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Sistine Chapel<\/a> tops the list of must-visit places in Rome primarily for its exquisitely painted frescoes. Michelangelo\u2019s masterpiece, the nine scenes painted from the Book of Genesis on the ceiling of the Chapel, was paid for by Pope Julius II and it is an artistic rendition unparalleled in history. The best known scenes of this fresco are The Creation of Adam and The Hand of God.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sistine Chapel Altar Wall<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another of Michelangelo\u2019s iconic works \u2013 The Last Judgment \u2013 can be seen\non the altar of the Sistine Chapel. The painting illustrates the Resurrection of\nChrist and God\u2019s final judgment. It took the 67-year-old Renaissance artist\nnearly four years to complete. The Chapel is open on weekdays and tickets can\nbe booked at the Vatican Museum website.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Piet\u00e0, St. Peter’s Basilica<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A world admired Renaissance art piece by the master is The Pieta. The iconic sculpture depicts Mother Mary, after the crucifixion, clutching Jesus in her arms as he dies. Shielded by a glass enclosure to prevent vandalism, The Pieta, installed in a chapel in the St Peter\u2019s Basilica, is made of white Carrara marble and it is perhaps the only art piece Michelangelo<\/a> chose to sign.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statue of Moses, Basilica of San Pietro<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At\nthe centre of a massive funerary for Pope Julius II sits the regal sculpture of\nthe prophet Moses, complete with his flowing locks and the Ten Commandments\nheld in his right hand. Cut into a single piece of Carrara marble, the\nsculpture is extremely lifelike, so much so that, legend has it, Michelangelo\nhimself was fooled by it. In fact, it is said that he struck at the statue\u2019s\nknee with a hammer when it did not respond to him. Entry to the monument is\nfree.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piazza del Campidoglio, Capitoline Hill<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The piazza, or town square, on Capitoline Hill was designed and conceived by Michelangelo; along with all of the other accolades, he was also a revered architect of his time. The whole monument is centrally located, just outside the Senators\u2019 palace \u2013 also designed and conceived by Michelangelo to give the whole ensemble symmetry. The area is open to visitors free on all days, while the Capitoline museums cost a nominal fee. While there might be many more places to visit on tours of the Vatican<\/a>, <\/strong>one might find it useful to check for the travel time and time spent on waiting in queues when planning local trips. The best Vatican city tours<\/a><\/strong> are those that successfully marry pre-planning and unplanned ambling.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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