The focus for today has been on early Christian Rome. Among other
things, we visited St. Peter's Cathedral (Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel), the
Christian catacombs, and St. Paul's Church Outside the Walls.
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This is St. Peter's Cathedral. We spent a lot of time
here, but they do not allow the use of cameras within the Sistine Chapel. |
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We received permission to enter a long hallway painted by
Raphael. The general public is not allowed here, but it has a
wonderful collection of paintings that portray various stories from the
Old Testament. Here is a painting about Lot's family escaping Sodom
& Gomorrah (notice his wife, who has turned into a pillar of salt). |
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A very large painting that Raphael created here is the
School of Athens. It contains many important thinkers from
Greece. Here is a close-up of one figure that Sara will appreciate -
Pythagoras - since she has been using his theorem to solve right triangle
problems in Algebra. |
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This a a reconstruction of an Etruscan chariot - the Vatican
Museum has the world's greatest collection of Etruscan artifacts.
BYU arranged to have many of these items brought to Provo for a display
several years ago. |
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This is a bronze Etruscan statue. They were very
skilled at working in bronze. |
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Here is our tour group, exiting from the Vatican Museum and
taking a brief rest. |
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This is St. Paul's Church Outside the Walls. It is a
basilica dedicated to St. Paul, and has within his burial spot. |
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This is the front area of St. Paul's Church Outside the
Walls. The statue at the bottom is of St. Paul, while the paintings
reflect Christ, with Peter and Paul at his left and right, and the four
gospel authors (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) below them. |