Walking from past the Castel Sant' Angelo which provided protection for the Vatican. We followed the ancient raised pathway from the Castel to the Vatican used to protect the Pope. This Vatican Corridor was used in 1494 by Pope Alexander VI Borgia when King Charles VIII of France invaded Rome. And in 1527 Pope Clement VII took refuge in the Castel during the sacking of Rome by the Constable of Bourbon.
What would Rome be without an hour plus wait in a line for the Sistine Chapel. Fortunately, the line moved quickly and we were inside in short order. Pictured are a few walls in the Raphael Rooms.
Up top is The School of Athens centered around the debate for truth between the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. Also in the painting are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and other contemporaries.
At the bottom is the Dispute over the Holy Sacrament representing the triumph of religion and spiritual truth. The consecrated host is at the center of the painting.
No photography allowed in the Sistine Chapel. Actually, no talking was allowed either, but with the crowded room and the ceiling and walls so spectacular there was much discussion. So much so that a guard had to clap and announce silence. And there were several illegal pictures taken.
All the way to the Sistine Chapel and back to the front of the Vatican Museum was room after room of frescoes. It took 40 minutes to walk one way and that was with very little stopping. Each room had a different ceiling and wall design. These pictures depict the frescoes.
