The commentary for the following post (everything in quotation marks) was written the day it took place (February, 24th, 2007), because it was such a great day that I felt like recording it right away before I forgot anything... it is ridiculously long, but it is the sort of detail that I could have put into every single day of spring break and our Northern Italy trip. We ended up revisiting most of the places I visited on this day during one of our history classes, and this was written before I had the benefit of Professor Higgins' historical knowledge, so read if you dare.
"Today was hands-down one of the best days of my stay here in Rome… classes are done for spring break and I don’t leave for London and Paris until tomorrow, so I was able to spend most of the day doing some of the things I’ve been meaning to do around the city since I got here. I had an idea of some of the places I wanted to hit, but I ended up playing a lot of it by ear… I saw a wide variety of Rome’s churches, from St. Peter’s, the biggest in the world, to Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, which could fit inside a single one of St. Peter’s piers. I also saw some of Michelangelo’s and Bernini’s greatest work, scattered across Rome. It was a truly incredible day."
"St. Peter’s Basilica opens at 7 AM, so I decided to wake up at 6 AM and get there as soon as I could in order to beat the crowds. I had been there the Sunday before and it was a madhouse, so I thought I’d try to get in and out before the flood of tourists descended on St. Peter’s. From the Campo, it only takes about 15 minutes to get there walking at a leisurely pace, so I left at about 6:45 AM. The morning sky was cloudy and gray, but I was fairly elated about the day ahead. I wove my way through some quiet Roman alleyways down to the Tiber, passing Palazzo Farnese on the way, and headed north along the bend in the river. I crossed to the opposite side at Ponte St. Angelo, the pedestrian bridge leading directly into Castel St. Angelo, the huge round fortress just off the Tiber."
One of Bernini's angels on Ponte Sant'Angelo.
"Turning to the left at the end of the bridge reveals Via della Conciliazione, the street leading directly into St. Peter’s Square and the basilica beyond. It was glorious at that time of the morning… no tour buses, only a few cars threatening to run me down as I crossed into the square... the square was basically deserted except for me, several small groups of nuns, and some other die-hard tourists that were willing to wake up early to get here."
St. Peter's at the end of Via della Conciliazione.
St. Peter's Square at 7 AM.
Bernini's collonade and the papal apartments.
The statues on the roof of St. Peter's.
"There was absolutely no line to get through security… a marked change from 10 AM on Sunday, when me, my family, and 10 billion of our closest friends were all trying to get in. It was about 7:15 AM when I climbed the stairs up to the portico and entered the church."
The central balcony on the facade of the basilica.
The enormous atrium... one heck of a front porch.
"I’ve only been here twice before, so entering the church still takes my breath away… your eye immediately goes up, and you are left to wander around in a daze… like stunned cattle or Britney Spears. In my Rick Steves Italy guidebook, it says the following: 'To call it (St. Peter’s Basilica) vast is like calling God smart.' I can’t really put it any better than that. Seeing so much open space enclosed by such an unbelievably opulent building… it is too much to ever take in. The nave is 715 feet long… two football fields, and then some. It could eat CUA’s Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception whole and still have room for tiramisu at the end (you can see the marking in the middle of the floor noting where the Basilica stacks up, in terms of nave length.) The length of the basilica and St. Peter’s is somewhat comparable, but the opulence of the basilica doesn’t hold a candle to 'The Ultimate'… every square inch is coated in marble and gold, and the soft light filtering through the windows plays off the interior beautifully. The basilica also lacks St. Peter’s gargantuan side aisles, which makes it about twice as wide as CUA’s basilica. This place has to be seen to believed."
The marker for CUA's basilica on the floor of St. Peter's.
"Michelangelo’s Pieta is immediately on the right when you walk in, behind bulletproof glass, and that’s where I went first. For the first time ever, it was just me and the statue… it is absolutely breathtaking, and I was finally able to take it in without fighting with tourists to see it. I was also finally able to take some decent pictures of it, much to my surprise."
One of St. Peters' side aisles.
One of the side domes in the basilica.
A statue of St. Peter whose foot has been rubbed completely smooth by pilgrims.
"From there, I wandered back up the nave towards Michelangelo’s dome and the baldachin beneath… wow. Sunlight streaming through the dome windows, soft chants flowing from somewhere I couldn’t place, the oil lamps at the base of the baldachin… unbelievable. The right wing of the transept was closed for a service, so I wandered around the left side, trying to take good pictures in the low light of the church. The apse with Bernini’s Throne of St. Peter in Glory was also closed off, but I got to see it from a distance, with its golden light shining through at the end of the nave."
Bernini's baldachin above the main altar.
Michelangelo's central dome.
"After a while of roaming around the basilica, I went back out on the portico and took a left to get in line for the trek up to the dome, but to my surprise, there was no line. There are two ticket options: the 4 euro option, with no elevator, and the 7 euro option, with the elevator. I chose the 4 euro option, and it didn’t end up being so bad. The elevator only takes you up to the roof anyway, beyond that there are still another 300 steps up the dome to the observation platform at the lantern. The first stairway is wide enough to ride a horse up, and it spirals up around the circular elevator shaft until you exit onto the roof. From there, you cross to Michelangelo’s dome, looming above you, and climb a set of stairs into it."
"Some are extremely narrow spirals that I was hard pressed to squeeze through, and at some places, the walls slant with the shape of the dome, so you are forced to walk at an angle… I swear it was like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory for a little while. Part of the way up, you go into the interior of the church, inside the dome… where my fear of heights comes roaring to the surface. Being able to look down onto that huge open space below was both exhilarating and horrifying at the same time."
"From there, the path went back into the inside of the dome, where the stairways got progressively more strange, until finally, you arrive at the top. It was an overcast day and not the clearest, but it was still an amazing view. Looking down on the immaculately landscaped Vatican gardens, the huge museum complex, the papal apartments… in the words of Stanley Hallet, 'fanTAStic.' .” Seeing St. Peter’s Square from above was unforgettable. As was the walk down from the dome… that’s definitely hard on the ol’ knees."
The vast Vatican Museums and papal apartments.
The Vatican's auditorium building, where I believe the pope holds his papal audiences... surprisingly modern.
St. Peter's Square... wow.
"At roof level, I wandered out towards the statues at the front of the basilica and was a little disheartened (but not too surprised) to find that there is a souvenir shop and a drink stand on top of St. Peter’s… knowing that takes a little of the magic away, but I guess its convenient, if you don’t mind paying 5 euro for a thimble-full of water."
Probably one of the saddest pictures I've ever taken... a souvenir stand in the shadow of Michelangelo's dome.
The statues I had seen from the piazza below, which were much larger than I had expected.
The domes of St. Peter's.
"The exit stairs bring you back down into the basilica, on the left side of the entrance. I exited as the basilica became more crowded, at about 9:30 AM, and made my way out into the square. As I exited, I saw Lauren and her friend Kate, which I definitely wasn’t expecting… one of those 'Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world…' moments."
A shot from the piazza of where I had just been taking pictures from.
Another one of my "I was here" shots.
"From St. Peter’s I decided to head towards Quirinale Hill on the other side of Rome in order to see a couple interesting churches, including one that I am doing a report on for history. I crossed Ponte St. Angelo again and took a right on Via Panico. At the corner of Via Panico and Via dei Coronari, I had a croissant and a cappuccino at a bar because I needed something to pick me up after ascending and descending about 10,000 stairs. Walking into the bar with my camera bag and my backpack on, the bartender had me pegged immediately… 'Cappuccino?' he asked. It’s times like that when I want so badly to explain to them that I actually live here, and that while I might do touristy things I don’t consider myself a tourist most of the time… grrrr.
Anyway, the food and drink was good (not as good as Magnolia at Campo di Fiori, but good enough) and I continued on my way, east on Via dei Coronari, a street that is lined with antiques shops and other things that I don’t need/can’t afford, but look really nice. I knew that if I just continued walking straight I would end up at Via del Corso, which I’m familiar with, but I didn’t no how long it would be, so at one point, I thought, 'where the hell am I?' This was followed five seconds later by looking to my right and seeing Piazza Navona laid out in front of me, then to the left to the see the street that leads to Old Bear restaurant and Dave’s apartment, and directly ahead to the road that leads to the girls’ apartment. I have found that eventually, all the roads in Rome eventually dump you out at someplace familiar, which enables you to go from extremely confused to knowing exactly where you are in the blink of an eye.
From Piazza Navona, I crossed over to the Pantheon and then to Via del Corso, swung by the Trevi Fountain (jam-packed with tourists, including a couple rednecks in shorts and camo baseball caps, which made me smile) and climbed Quirinale Hill… Rome may look flat in its present state, but there are still some significant hills, as I found out. I rounded Palazzo Quirinale and climbed up to Piazza Quirinale, where I had never been before. From there I went down Via del Quirinale to Bernini’s Church of Sant’Andrea al Quirinale. I’m just realizing how many times the word 'Quirinale' appears in this paragraph, and it is truly ridiculous."
A view of St. Peter's from Quirinale Hill.
"Anyway, Sant’Andrea is the building I am presenting for history class, and more specifically, the following question: “How did Bernini integrate architecture, painting, and sculpture in Sant’Andrea al Quirinale?” I have been reading up on the church, but thought it would be a good idea to see it for myself and get a feel for it. The church is referred to as the “Pearl of the Baroque”, and despite its relatively small size, it is considered one of Bernini’s architectural masterpieces."
The entrance to Sant'Andrea.
"It is a Jesuit church with an oval plan to fit the small and irregular site. You enter on one of the long curves of the oval, and the main altar is directly opposite the entrance. The interior is extremely rich, without being gawdy and over-the-top, in its ornamentation. The church uses rose-colored marble extensively, and it is beautiful with its streaks of white. Though not a particularly bright day, the church was still awash with light from the numerous windows ringing the dome."
"As for the answer to my question, what was unclear and vague in the books I read became immediately apparent upon entering the church. You can immediately see the cohesive genius in all aspects of the church: the painting of St. Andrew being crucified above the main altar, looking up at the stucco statue of Andrew at the base of the elliptical dome, who appears to be ascending into heaven, marked by a lantern through which golden light pours. It is a pretty brilliant effect that ties everything together, and is beautiful in its execution. I didn’t understand the explanation of this when I researched it, but upon seeing it, it makes perfect sense."
"Also, above the painting at the high altar is a small hidden dome, through which natural light can flow through, accentuating the sculpted bronze rays that stretch from the dome down to the painting. This integration of architecture, painting, and sculpture is known as bel composto, literally “beautiful composition”, and Bernini was a master of it. This church is a stunning example of what great things can be born when disparate elements are linked by a single guiding vision; namely, Bernini’s artistic genius. Apparently, out of all of Bernini’s works, this church was the one that gave him the most happiness later in his life… and if I designed something like this, I think I’d be damn proud of it too."
The main altar of Sant'Andrea, with a painted depiction of Saint Andrew's crucifixion.
How much is that Ferrari in the window?
"From Sant’Andrea I headed down the street to Santa Maria della Vittoria. More famous than the actual church is the work of art that lies inside: Bernini’s The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, the centerpiece of the Coronaro Chapel. If you’ve read Angels and Demons (damn book), this is the church where the Fire sequence takes place… from the book, I had an entirely different vision of what this church looked like inside. After being there, the whole sequence of events that takes place seems slightly ridiculous… but I digress. The church is extremely lavish in its decoration, a veritable explosion of angels, gold, and marble. It is not as brightly lit as Sant’Andrea, and has a more traditional layout, but both are similarly small… then again, after St. Peter’s, what doesn’t seem small?"
"The Coronaro Chapel is on the left side by the front altar, all you have to do is follow the crowd of people. Due to the relatively large amount of people in a relatively little space, combined with the low lighting conditions, it was difficult to get a good shot of the statue, so I took several to make sure that I got a presentable one. The statue is even more lifelike than the pictures make it out to be… it is truly incredible what Bernini with a block of stone. It is also another example of Bernini integrating architecture and sculpture, as a hidden dome above casts natural light on the statue, much like at Sant’Andrea. Pretty breathtaking, all in all."
"From there, I went back towards Sant’Andrea and Piazza Quirinale to stop at Borromini’s San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. The church lies adjacent to Rome’s own four fountains intersection, which is much like the one in Palermo, only in a smaller scale. The guidebook said that the church was tiny, and they were right, but it felt more spacious because of the largely white interior and abundant natural light. It was oval-shaped, but unlike Sant’Andrea, you enter at the short curve of the oval, with the high altar at the opposite short curve. It wasn’t as lavishly decorated as the other churches I had visited, and looked downright austere compared to Santa Maria della Vittoria."
"However, the curving walls made for an awesome effect, and the dome is nothing short of brilliant. To maximize the feeling of loft and height in the dome, Borromini reduces the size of the coffers as they climb towards the lantern, tricking your eye with this visual illusion to make the dome feel much more tall than it is in reality. It isn’t an unprecedented practice, as it can be seen in the Pantheon which came over a thousand years before, but the San Carlo coffering pattern is much more intricate: a complex weaving of Greek crosses, hexagons, and octogons. I distinctly remember seeing the image of this dome in history and thinking… “wow.” After the main space, I wandered around the rest of the church and ended up in the crypt… rather strange, because it was basically an empty series of rooms… apparently there is a space for Borromini, but his body was not placed here."
Another shot of the amazing dome.
One of the four fountains adjacent to San Carlo.
"After leaving San Carlo, I walked down Via dei Quattro Fontane, down to Piazza Barberini, passing Palazzo Barberini on the way. On a traffic island in the center of the busy piazza is Bernini’s Fontana del Tritone, with Triton spraying a stream of water through a conch shell. As I was taking pictures of the fountain, I got asked by an attractive Italian couple to take their picture in front of the fountain… apparently they didn’t trust me or something, because they checked the picture as soon as I turned my back… oh well. I stopped at a bar across the street from the fountain, at the corner of Quattro Fontane and Via del Tritone, and got a tramezzino and a Snickers bar. I took the tramezzino with me and was sad to find that there was some sort of chicken or tuna in it… I couldn’t really tell, but after I choked down the sandwich, I washed it down with my Snickers and everything was good. Then I made my way down Via del Tritone, stopping in some clothing stores before I got to Via del Corso, crossed it, and took Via dei Pastini towards the Pantheon. I decided to buy a shirt I liked in a store I had been in before, and didn’t feel too guilty about it since it was only 10 euro. Piazza della Rotonda in front of the Pantheon was jammed, but I decided to stop inside anyway, pretty much because its there, and because it is amazing. Have I mentioned how awesome it is to live in Rome?"
"From there, I took the road on the east side of the Pantheon to Piazza della Minerva, in the center of which is… another Bernini work. This is one of his more fanciful ones: an elephant with an obelisk on his back. At the same piazza is the church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which I had never been in before, but passed several times. In the spirit of spontaneity, I decided to go inside."
"If you thought that it was impossible to find a Gothic church in Rome, you would be incorrect… it was pretty surprising to find, but nice to see good old pointed arches and stained glass windows again. It was quite dark inside, but punctuated by bright points of light, from the windows and hundreds of candles, very moody and atmospheric… yay for Gothic architecture. St. Catherine of Siena is buried here, her tomb is right up at the main altar. There were a series of beautiful tombs and chapels here, including one that is attributed to, you guessed it… Bernini."
St. Catherine's tomb and the main altar.
A beautiful area for prayer.
Piazza della Minerva, with Bernini's elephant and the Pantheon in the background.
After that point, as I recall, I walked back to studio to unload the pictures from my camera and start writing the account of the day. If you made it all the way through this entry, you deserve some sort of medal, plus my undying gratitude for making the half-day I spent posting this entry not be in vain.
