SPQR Fellowship

Monday was a spectacular day. I was so inspired by what I saw and experienced.

Since it was a Monday, and most of the museums are closed, I had planned to tour several churches throughout the day. The first thing I wanted to do, however, was to go to the Vatican to get a ticket to attend a papal audience on Wednesday. I went there right away in the morning to ensure that there would still be tickets available, but it was sure crowded! I had to stand in the line for people wanting to enter St. Peter’s Basilica in order to reach the bronze doors from which you request tickets. The line was wrapped quite far along the edge of the colonnade, but surprisingly, the wait was only about half an hour. To get tickets, one has to walk up the stairs and ask the Swiss guards. I was somewhat unsure if this was the right place, because there was only a small opening in the gates, and everyone was standing behind the gates taking pictures of the guards. I asked two different people, who assured me that you just walk up. I’m sure I has in several photos at that point. Luckily, I was able to get a ticket!

I hadn’t been planning on visiting St. Peter’s Basilica on Monday, however, since I had already stood in line, I decided to go in again. I spent several hours admiring the glory and grandeur of the architecture. Bernini’s glowing dove in the apse is magnificent. Every little detail, etc. of the entire Basilica is incredible.

After touring the inside, I decided to climb to the top of the cupola. What a climb! There were 551 stairs to the top! On the way up, you are let into the inside of the cupola, where you get to see the mosaics up close. Then, the further you climb, the walls actually slant and you certainly feel the curve of the dome! I was a bit tired at when I reached the top, but the view was completely worth it! You could see all of Rome, and get a bird’s-eye view of St. Peter’s Square. It was amazing!

The next highlight of the day was the  Gesu Church. I had read that there was a tomb of St. Ignatius of Loyola receiving his call, but that you can only see the statue if you are there at 17:30, because there is a painting in front of it that lowers only at that time. The timing was right, so I decided to go inside the church. It was incredible. Not only does the church have a beautiful ceiling and several small chapels, but the revelation of the statue was quite a spectacle.

At 17:30, music began playing (it was a recording, but still beautiful), and then there was a lot of speaking (in Italian, so I’m not sure exactly what it was) but then different areas of the alterpiece were lit. The last area to be lit was the painting covering the statue. What a difference the correct lighting makes for the paintings. The entire painting came alive! The vivid colors made it much more beautiful. Finally, the painting lowered, and the statue was revealed. A few minutes later the entire church came alive with lighting throughout the area. All of the paintings and frescos were seen in their true glory and it was an experience that I will never forget! The entire process took about 15 minutes, and then after an hour, the painting quietly and subtly rose once again.

I have always been interested in light and architecture, and witnessing this event inspired me greatly. To feel the effects of different lighting in a space, and the way that it makes one fully appreciate everything the art and architecture has to offer was superb!

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