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Window at the front of the 'Hall of the Animals' (Sala degli animali) in the Vatican's 'Museo Pio Clementino'.
The bust in the backlight is probably Pope Clement XIV.
Vatican Museums, Vatican City 19.08.2008
Gespiegeltes Rom
Fenster an der Stirnseite der 'Halle der Tiere' (Sala degli animali) im vatikanischen 'Museo Pio Clementino'
Die Büste im Gegenlicht stellt fraglich Papst Clemens XIV. dar.
Vatikanische Museen, Vatikanstadt 19.08.2008
The ceiling of the Map room (Gallery of Maps) at the Vatican Museum.
The Gallery contains 40 maps frescoed on the walls, which represent the Italian regions and the papal properties at the time of Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585). They were painted between 1580 and 1585 on drawings by Ignazio Danti, a famous geographer of the time (vaticanstate.va).
At night, The Vatican and St Peter’s Basilica attract a different - and definitely smaller - crowd, neither necessarily religious nor curious. The evening crowd is comprised primarily of photographers. On this particular evening, several were in attendance - tripods and gear at the ready - ready to get their shot.
During our visit to this area in the day, this main street (shown here) was full of people and police officers from various branches. It was nice to see it like this, quiet and uncrowded.
St. Peter's Square / Vatican
Leica c2, Agfa Chrome, dia scan (2001)
Album of Vatican: www.flickr.com/photos/tabliniumcarlson/albums/72157712682...
Women & Work - Inside the Vatican
“A Vatican magazine has denounced widespread exploitation of nuns for cheap or free labour in the Roman Catholic church, saying the male hierarchy should stop treating them like lowly servants. The article in the monthly Women, Church, World is remarkable for an official Vatican publication – describing the drudgery of nuns who cook, clean and wait on tables for cardinals, bishops and priests.
The article, based on the comments of several unnamed nuns, described how some work in the residences of “men of the church, waking at dawn to prepare breakfast and going to sleep once dinner is served, the house is in order and the laundry cleaned and ironed”. It said their remuneration was “random and often modest”. In many cases the nuns, who take vows of poverty, receive no pay because they are members of female religious orders and are sent to the residences of male church officials as part of their assignments. In the past most of the nuns working as domestic help in male-run residences or institutions such as seminaries were local nationals. But in recent years many have come from Africa, Asia and other parts of the developing world.
The author of the article wrote that what most saddened one of the nuns she talked to was that “they are rarely invited to sit at the table they serve”, instead being made to eat in the kitchen by themselves. One nun said she knew of fellow sisters who had PhDs in subjects such as theology and had been, with no explanation, ordered to do domestic work or other chores that had “no relationship to their intellectual formation”.
Only a handful of women hold senior positions in the Vatican hierarchy, including Barbara Jatta, who last year became the first woman to head the Vatican museums. Several nuns have senior roles in Vatican departments that look after religious issues.
Unlike his predecessors, Pope Francis lives in a Vatican guest house which is run like a hotel and takes his meals in the main dining room which is staffed by paid waiters. By contrast, the late Pope John Paul, who reigned from 1978 to 2005, had a team of five Polish nuns who ran his household in the papal apartments in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace. The household of former Pope Benedict, who resigned in 2013, was looked after by about eight female members of a lay Catholic organisation known as Memores Domini.”
Source: March 2018. Vatican magazine tells Catholic church to stop using nuns as cheap labour. Available at: www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/02/vatican-magazine-te...
“I don't want to go to heaven. None of my friends are there.”
― Oscar Wilde
Vatican city
Vatican state.
Edit 2022
“In the slaughterhouse of love, they kill only the best, none of the weak or deformed. Don't run away from this dying. Whoever's not killed for love is dead meat.”
― Rumi Jalalu'l-Din.
Vatican Museums
Vatican state
Edit 2022
This double helix staircase, so-called new Bramante Staircase from 1932, very smartly allows people to ascend without meeting people descending.
iPhone 8, Hipstamatic 352
Detalle de maqueta de la Basílica de San Pedro.
La Basílica de San Pedro puede alojar a 20,000 personas. Bernini, entre 1656 y 1667 y por encargo de Alejandro VII, planeó y llevo a cabo la construcción de la columnata de la Plaza de San Pedro. La fachada se inauguró en 1612.
Detail of a scale model of the Saint Peter's Basilica.
"The Constantinian basilica disappeared with time. Over 150 years passed from the decision of Nicholas V Parentucelli to enlarge and restore the ancient basilica to the completion of the Renaissance building with the façade (1612). [...] Work on the basilica was completed during the pontificate of Urban VIII in 1626, but it was only between 1656 and 1667 that Bernini, commissioned by Alexander VII, planned and constructed the great colonnade in Saint Peter’s Square with the 1st century B.C. obelisk in the middle. Originally set in the centre of Caligula’s Circus, where Saint Peter was martyred, it was moved to the present site in 1585 by Domenico Fontana, who was directed to do so by Sixtus V.", The Basilica.
Piazza San Pietro, 00120. Città del Vaticano, Ciudad del Vaticano.
St. Peter's Basilica by night. There is so much history associated with this wonder, that I could not do it justice with a short description here. Completed in 1612 it took over 150 years to complete.
We had visited during the day, but I wanted to see it at night.... I'm glad I made the walk back to see this without the throngs of people.
Interesting reading can be found:
www.vaticanstate.va/content/vaticanstate/en/monumenti/bas...
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. As we made our way around the basilica, I stopped to photograph its lovely Choir Chapel.
The chapel is so-named because the Liturgy of the Hours is celebrated there. The centerpiece of the chapel is the magnificent Altar of the Immaculate Conception, shown here. The mosaic altarpiece was created after a painting by Pietro Bianchi and was completed in 1740. Beneath the altar, a granite sarcophagus contains the remains of St. John Chrysostom and the relics of St. Francis and St. Anthony. To the left of the altar, the paschal candle stands on a black and white marble column with a porphyry base, in accordance with Paul VI's wishes.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the Choir Chapel, which allows for a much better view than the photos I took from behind the barricade.
An informational placard provided a few additional details on the chapel:
CHOIR CHAPEL
At the Center
Altar: The altar table surmounts a Roman basin of gray granite stone containing the relics of St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church (+407 A.D.). On August 24, 2004, Pope John Paul II authorized the donation of some of these relics to the Patriarch of Constantinople, His Holiness Bartholomew I.
Mosaic decorative cycle representing The Immaculate Virgin with St. Francis of Assisi, St. Anthony of Padua, and St. John Chrysostom was completed in 1740. It was modeled after an original painting by Piero Bianchi. Beneath the pavement lies the sepulcher of Pope Clement XI (1700-1721).
To the Left and Right
Wooden choir of three rows of stalls, designed by Giovan Battista Soria and Bartolomeo de'Rossi, is decorated with Old and New Testament scenes, and figures of the Evangelists, Bishops, and Prophets. It is still used for prayer services by the Vatican Chapter.
Vault and Wall Decoration
Decorative cycle, decorated in gilt stucco and representing scenes from the Old and New Testament, was designed and executed by Giovan Battista Ricci of Novara and his pupils in 1626.
Dome of the Vestibule
Mosaic decorative cycle representing God the Father with the twenty-four elders was designed by Marcantonio Franceschini in 1716.
''Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you'' (Luke, 1, 28)
© Aerofototeca Nazionale - ICCD
LOCATION:
Roma (Lazio, Italy)
AUTHOR:
5th Combat Mapping Squadron (United States Army Air Force)
DATE:
22/05/1944
QUOTE & FOCAL LENGTH:
27.000 feet (piedi), 24-inches (pollici)
COLLECTION:
Mediterranean Allied Photographic Reconnaissance Wing (MAPRW)
CODE:
RAF_1944_150_937_4054_109570_0
Click here to see other World War II aerial photos of Italian cities
If you want high-resolution digital images, please contact us at ic-cd.aerofototeca@beniculturali.it
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. The mammoth scale of the interior and rich decoration are simply breathtaking; you almost don't know where to look.
Mike took this side-angle shot that shows both the papal altar and the apse behind it. Gian Lorenzo Bernini's gilded bronze baldachin towers over the papal altar, while the basilica's dome soars above it all. The baldachin was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII and designed by Bernini between 1624 and 1632; it stands about 95 feet tall. Beneath the altar, the Tomb of St. Peter lies below. In the apse, Bernini's Cathedra Petri -- or ''Throne of St. Peter'' -- frames an oval alabaster window depicting the Holy Spirit. The four piers supporting the basilica's dome contain niches that feature sculptures of saints associated with the basilica's holy relics; to the right of the baldachin, you can see a statue of St. Helena holding the true cross and holy nails.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour that includes panoramas of both the altar and the apse, offering stunning views of the baldachin and throne.
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. The mammoth scale of the interior and rich decoration are simply breathtaking; you almost don't know where to look...but be sure to look up, particularly when you're standing beneath the basilica's impressive dome.
This photo shows a view of the dome soaring above the papal altar; you can also see the barrel-vaulted ceilings of the north and south transepts on either side. The dome was designed by Michelangelo, who began working on the basilica in 1547. After he died (in 1564), his pupil Giacomo Della Porta oversaw the project until its completion in 1590. Michelangelo's dome later served as a model for St. Paul's in London, Les Invalides in Paris, and the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour that includes a panorama as seen from the papal altar; if you shift the view upwards, you can see the dome high above.
An extremely rare photograph. The anti-unification of Italy.
Captain Olivier Le Gonidec de Traissan, was the godfather of my wife's great grandmother, Elisabetta. We are at the end of the reign of the Bourbons in Italy and in the period leading up to the taking of Rome by Vittorio Emanuele II.
Our Captain, who came from France, was in Italy as early as 1860 and fought in the battle of Castelfidardo. He was part of the elite corps the "zuavi" of the Papal army -- usually made up of Catholic volunteers of noble origins who defended the Pope.
He, rather oddly, after becoming an officer, stopped carrying a weapon; he went into battle with only a walking stick. An officer should lead his men and not partake in the fighting. He stated: "di non aver portato mai armi dopo il 28 agosto 1862, data in cui fu nominato tenente, né sciabola, né pistola. Portava semplicemente un bastone da passeggio, e diceva che un ufficiale ha altro da fare che battersi durante un combattimento: dirigere Ì suoi uomini".
Garibaldi attacked Rome in 1867, since Rome was part of the Papal States and, therefore, not yet the capital of the new unified Italian state. The city, the Pope more accurately, was successfully defended by a small group of foreign soldiers, mostly French. The cupola of St. Peter's is clearly prominent in the backdrop of the photo. My wife's family on her mother's side, originally from Prossedi, was heavily involved in the defense of the Papal States. The friendship with de Traissan was the result of these shared political interests.
In 1870, Napoleon III recalled his troops from Rome and shortly after the forces of Vittorio Emanuele entered. The Captain seems to have also been in the battle for Rome. Below I have linked to an article with rather grisly reports of battles by the Captain. He also published a book; described here: "Un dernier écho, à la veille de la Grande Guerre, a évoqué l'existence, tombée dans l'oubli, des zouaves pontificaux : O. Le Gonidec de Traissan, Souvenir des zouaves pontificaux (Le Corres-pondant, 1911).
He finished his life in France as a Parliamentarian. More information below.
The photographer was well-known and active in Rome from 1860 to about 1880.
Photograph by Michele Mang, Roma, Piazza di Spagna 9.
See the dedication below: "Al mio compare Gaetano Gabioli." There is also a link to the photo of Elisabetta.
On our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. We explored the interior of the basilica in the morning, then returned in the afternoon (after touring the museums) to climb to the top of Michelangelo's famous dome.
Visitors have the option to climb 551 stairs from ground level to the observation area atop the dome (at the base of the lantern), or pay a slightly higher ticket price to take an elevator to the roof/base of the dome and ''only'' have to climb 320 steps to reach the observation area at the base of the lantern. We chose the latter option.
After exiting the elevator, we took a brief stroll along the gallery at the inner base of the dome and snapped a few photos before commencing our climb to the top. Mike took this close-up shot of the mosaics decorating the inside of the dome, and you can also see through the center opening into the lantern above. The text surrounding the opening reads ''S. Petri Gloriae Sixtus PP V A MDXC Pontif V'' (''To the glory of St. Peter, Pope Sixtus V in the year 1590, the fifth of his pontificate'').
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour that includes a panorama as seen from the papal altar; if you shift the view upwards, you can see the dome high above.
On our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. We explored the interior of the basilica early that morning, then headed to the museums for our 10:30 a.m. guided tour. After the tour, we departed the Sistine Chapel through the exit door at the rear right, which allowed us to return to the basilica without going through security again.
When we arrived at the basilica, we joined the queue to purchase tickets that would allow us to access the roof and Michelangelo's famous dome, which was completed in 1590 (26 years after his death). Visitors have the option to climb 551 stairs from ground level to the observation area atop the dome, or pay a slightly higher ticket price to take an elevator to the roof/base of the dome and ''only'' have to climb 320 steps to reach the observation area at the base of the lantern. We chose the latter option.
After exiting the elevator, we took a brief stroll along the gallery at the inner base of the dome and snapped a few photos before commencing our climb to the top. I took this shot facing across to the opposite side of the dome and the apse below. The text running along the lower edge of the dome reads ''Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam mean et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum'' (''Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven''). If you look closely toward the lower center of the photo, you can see Bernini's Cathedra Petri -- or ''Throne of St. Peter'' -- which frames an oval alabaster window depicting the Holy Spirit.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour that includes a panorama as seen from the papal altar; if you shift the view upwards, you can see the dome high above.
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I had a guided tour of the Vatican Museums. Among the stops on our tour was the Gallery of Maps, which features 40 map frescoes along the walls. But even more impressive than the maps were were the richly decorated ceilings; I took several photos of the ceiling frescoes as we made our way along the gallery. You can find more details and photos on the Ceilings in Europe blog.
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. While the basilica is known for its grand central dome designed by Michelangelo, it also features a number of smaller chapel domes, including six oval cupolas along the sides of the nave.
This photo shows a view of the cupola over the Pietà chapel. The mosaic within the cupola depicts the Mystery of the Cross and its attendant salvation; it was designed by Pietro Berrettini, known as Pietro da Cortona, and Ciro Ferri, and was completed in 1677. The corbels depict Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jeremiah.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour of the Pietà Chapel; if you pan the view upward, you can see this cupola overhead.
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. Upon entering the nave, visitors will find a pair of holy water fonts on the first pier on the left and right side.
This photo shows a view of the right (north) pier, which features a statue of one of the basilica's founder saints -- St. Teresa of Jesus -- above a holy water stoup (font) supported by marble cherubs. The statue of St. Teresa, founder of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, was sculpted by Filippo Della Valle in 1754. The basin was created by Giuseppe Lironi and Giovanni Battista de Rossi.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour that includes a panoramic view of the nave; if you pan to the right, you can see this statue and font, as well as their counterparts on the opposite pier.
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. Upon entering St. Peter's through the Holy Door, or Porta Sancta, visitors can see the basilica's beloved Renaissance masterpiece -- the Pietà -- in the first chapel on the right. We took photos with several different cameras (iPhones and Canon), but none of them quite do this work justice.
Michelangelo sculpted the piece from Carrara marble and completed it in 1499. It is reputedly the only work the famed artist ever signed. Sadly, the sculpture suffered major damage when a mentally disturbed man attacked it with a hammer in 1972. After restoration work was completed, the statue was returned to the chapel and placed behind a bulletproof acrylic glass panel.
The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour of this area of the basilica, which allows viewers to see the Pietà and the bricked-up Holy Door to the chapel's right.
An informational placard provided a few additional details on the sculpture and chapel:
PIETÀ CHAPEL
At the Center
Marble sculpture representing the Pietà dates to 1499. The work was assigned to Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was then 23 years old, for the purposes of decorating the tomb of Cardinal Jean de Bilhères-Lagraulas. One should observe the silent dialogue between the two faces: it betrays suffering, hope, a longing ...
Vault and Wall Decoration
Decorative cycle in fresco technique, dated 1632, represents The Exaltation of the Cross and Eight Episodes of the Passion, and was designed by the painter Giovanni Lanfranco.
Area Across
Mosaic decorative cycle of the cupola, dated 1677, represents The Angels Pointing Out With the Cross the Chosen Ones and was designed by Pietro Berrettini, known as Pietro da Cortona, and Ciro Ferri. To the right: The bottom part of the Holy Door, marked by a golden cross which is venerated by the faithful.
... He was pierced by our sins ... through His wounds we are healed ... (Isaiah, 53, 4,5)
On the morning of our second day in Rome, Mike and I visited St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) in Vatican City. Upon entering St. Peter's through the Holy Door, or Porta Sancta, visitors can see the basilica's beloved Renaissance masterpiece -- the Pietà -- in the first chapel on the right.
Michelangelo sculpted the piece from Carrara marble and completed it in 1499. It is reputedly the only work the famed artist ever signed. Sadly, the sculpture suffered major damage when a mentally disturbed man attacked it with a hammer in 1972. After restoration work was completed, the statue was returned to the chapel and placed behind a bulletproof acrylic glass panel.
We took photos with several different cameras (iPhones and Canon), but none of them quite do this work justice. In this photo, I attempted to zoom in with my Canon camera, but the bulletproof glass makes it difficult to focus on the statue. The Vatican website offers a 360-degree virtual tour of this area of the basilica, which allows viewers to see the Pietà and the bricked-up Holy Door to the chapel's right.
An informational placard provided a few additional details on the sculpture and chapel:
PIETÀ CHAPEL
At the Center
Marble sculpture representing the Pietà dates to 1499. The work was assigned to Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was then 23 years old, for the purposes of decorating the tomb of Cardinal Jean de Bilhères-Lagraulas. One should observe the silent dialogue between the two faces: it betrays suffering, hope, a longing ...
Vault and Wall Decoration
Decorative cycle in fresco technique, dated 1632, represents The Exaltation of the Cross and Eight Episodes of the Passion, and was designed by the painter Giovanni Lanfranco.
Area Across
Mosaic decorative cycle of the cupola, dated 1677, represents The Angels Pointing Out With the Cross the Chosen Ones and was designed by Pietro Berrettini, known as Pietro da Cortona, and Ciro Ferri. To the right: The bottom part of the Holy Door, marked by a golden cross which is venerated by the faithful.
... He was pierced by our sins ... through His wounds we are healed ... (Isaiah, 53, 4,5)