Sacred ground

7:23 AM

That day our main focus was Vatican which we visited for the first time but, when I refer to Rome as sacred ground, I do not have Vatican on my mind, at least not for the obvious reason. I refer to all the artists and geniuses who lived here and walked these streets, to all the paintings and sculptures, frescoes and monuments, architecture and museums, to history and endurance of the eternal city.

But before getting to Vatican, let me return a few millennia earlier in the past and begin today's story with the Etruscans, ancient Italian civilizations whose origins still remain a mystery but whose influence on the development of Roman culture is quite clear and manifest. It is known that Etruscan society was quite progressive, with their rectangular urban planning with cardo and decumanus, the way that they built roads and bridges and used arch and vault in architecture. Women were independent, educated and could own property, they could go out in public, attend banquets and participate in public life in general, which was unimaginable and shocking to other cultures of the ancient world.

The imprint Etruscans left on the Roman civilization, in form of government structure, religion, architecture and entertainment (gladiator fights), inspired us to visit Villa Giulia, or National Etruscan Museum, in Rome and take a closer look at the Etruscan art and artifacts preserved to this day. Permanent exhibition in this museum includes the magnificent Sarcophagus of the Spouses, a twin sarcophagus of the one in Louvre, which depicts married couple at a banquet together and represents another testimony of the way Etruscan society was organized and how, I would say, modern it was.

We took a walk towards Vatican passing by the Church of Santa Maria del Popolo and finally visiting Chigi chapel, designed by Raphael. Continuing our walk along Tiber river, we passed the Ponte Sant'Angelo, and soon found ourselves at Saint Peter's Square surrounded by impressive colonnade by Bernini.

Visit of the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, Saint Peter's Basilica and climb to the top of the Michelangelo's dome squeezed the last ounce of strength out of us. Especially the last mentioned activity! After this, I'll say venture, it became painful to stand or walk. I'm lying - it became painful to even lie, breathe or live! It was not the first time we brought ourselves in that position (nor the last time), but everything we saw and experienced - it was definitely worth the pain! Someone once told me that, if you wan't to explore Vatican museums in much detail, you need at least two weeks. But, we didn't have that much. We only had a few hours and we were forced to race against time, to run, observe, listen and absorb everything we can. Richness, perfection and beauty. Richness in spirit and history. The feeling after encounter with works of the greatest Raphael, tenacious Michelangelo, baroque Bernini or unique and mystical Botticelli - priceless. Impressions on what is stored and protected behind the walls of Vatican museums can hardly be put into words. Put on the simplest possible way - the place is a sacred ground.

Untill the next post,
Marija