Michel's Masterpiece

Today was our last day in Rome and I must admit that I very sad at the prospect of leaving the Eternal City the next morning. So far Rome had been everything I had hoped -- its holiness nurturing my soul and its beautiful history and art nurturing my mind.

Today would be no different as we began our day at the Vatican Museums, composed of never ending rooms of classical Greek and Roman statues, ceramics, and tapestries. We learned that very few bronze statues still exist in Rome. So the example displayed in this room was more significant that one might have thought.

As with most tours, the best was saved for last. This time, in the form of the Sistine Chapel, where we continued to experience the greatness of Michelangelo.

Once more I stood speechless staring at paintings I had previously only read of in books. Not only was the artistry magnificent, but so was the historical significance of the space. This was the chapel where the College of Cardinals meet in conclave, which our guide told us means "lockable room," to elect the Supreme Pontiff, the leader of the Catholic Church.

Perhaps because it was summer, maybe because supervision in the chapel seemed too casual, photographs were being snapped everywhere. With some reservation, Dad did likewise.

Although I could have starred at the ceiling forever, our tour guide ushered us out back into Saint Peter’s to give us free time for the rest of the afternoon to shop and get lunch or even to climb to the top of the church’s dome!

My dad and I along with a small troop from the choir jumped at the chance to see the spectacular view from the top of the Basilica. Here's a shot on our way up, while we were still inside. You just cannot appreciate the familiar stained glass shown here, unless you have seen what surrounds it! Dad's getting pretty good with his new camera. No?

We made our way up the long, winding, and even slanted steps. Finally, when it seemed like we had been walking forever, we reached the top and took plenty of pictures of the view looking over Vatican City, an absolutely breathtaking sight.


What or who goes up, must however, come down, and we soon found ourselves back in the church itself. We took still more pictures before getting some lunch and making some purchases along St. Peter's Square!

Thanks to Dad's pervious visit with Fr. Joe and the Villanova Pellegrinaggio, he was able to point out two important features in the square. First, was the stone which marks the spot where Pope John Paul II was shot. (At one time, the marker had been a simple red stone.) Secondly, he called our attention to the a mosaic that John Paul had installed after his recovery. It's a window dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God - significant because it symbolizes John Paul's contention that it was her protection and intervention that saved his life.

Then we made our way to the Basilica of John Lateran. We discovered that the buildings adjacent to the church were actually used in earlier time days to house the pope for a time.

We saw clearly the umbraculum, an historic symbol of the Roman Church and the authority of the pope over it. The insignia only appears on papal basilicas.

The interior of the basilica was as incredible as any we had seen. The statues of the twelve apostles lined the nave of the church, six on a side. The altar was spectacular. Tradition holds that the crypt above holds the heads of Saints Peter and Paul.

Next on the agenda were the Catacombs di San Callisto. We made our way underground through the winding corridors of tombs. It was an eerie and dark maze of earth, a perfect setting for a haunted house in which anyone could easily get lost, if not for our excellent tour guides. One of the highlights of the tour was certainly the grave of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of music and a very important inspiration for our choral group.

Soon we were back into the light, taking a break for some dinner before getting ready for our last presentation in Rome. As in the States, we saw "outdoor dining" everywhere there was a square in Italy. To our surprise, we were actually going to get a chance to try it out. Ours was another dine and dash routine. Even though we had our concert attire on the bus, we needed time to dress and rehearse before the performance at the Chiesa Nuova. Still, the cool breeze was refreshing and the pasta, as always, hit the spot.

As it turned out, our late evening concert served up a few unusually stressful wrinkles. First, many of us had "over done" - using free time to use up rather than conserve energy. Second, our guests for the evening included ACIS and Encore "brass." Third, a college choral director "visitor" was on hand to "see a signature CCVA performance." Fourth, tapestries, which hung almost everywhere in the church, sucked up the sound from both our instruments and voices. Rehearsal was, how do you say, tense. Could we rise to the challenge? St. Peter's and Mary Major seemed like rolling out of bed, just now. This was not going to be easy.


Rally we did, however. Another large crowd was responsive and appreciative. But there was a lesson to be learned here. Some of us might have tried to see a little too much Rome today, and for the rest of the trip, no running up steps when an elevator is available! It had been an exhausting day - really.

We headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep before saying Arrivederci to Rome the next morning.