Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast and Rome; the 20th Anniversary Trip
May 1st, 2018, 11:28 AM
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Climbing St. Peter’s Dome and Visiting the Basilica
Note: this post has been edited from the original on my blog where it's much longer and has tips for visiting St. Peter's, the dome, and some clarifying definitions of "the Vatican" vs. "St. Peter's" . If you want to see all that, plus photos, click on the link a the bottom of this post.
I’ve been to Rome many times and I’ve probably visited St. Peter’s every time. I’ve been underneath the church to see the Necropolis and inside the Vatican museum to see the Sistine Chapel. But oddly enough, I’ve never climbed up to the top of the dome until our last visit.
Our visit to St. Peter’s took place on a midweek morning in the summer high season. Because we were in the middle of a heat wave, we got up early so we could get there as close to possible to the opening time. We didn’t want to wait in line or climb in the heat. This turned out to be a very smart move as there was virtually no line when we arrived shortly after 8 am.
The entrance line and security are the same ones everyone must wait in to enter St. Peter’s. If you want to climb the dome, however, you veer right to where the tickets are sold for the dome entrance (look for the sign to the “cupola”). You can pay a little more to take the elevator up part way, saving yourself 320 steps in the process. But if you want to reach the very top of the cupola, you’re going to have to use foot power. We opted for the elevator because it was already hot, and only 2 euro more than taking the stairs the whole way.
Once out of the elevator you find yourself on a balcony which goes around the inside of the base of the dome. From here you really get an interesting perspective on the sheer size of everything. The letters in mosaic tile going around the base look small from the floor below but in reality are 6 feet high!
Ok, now it’s time to start climbing or you can go out onto the rooftop terrace which I will cover below. As you go up, the walkway and stairs get narrower and the outside wall leans inward, because duh, it’s a dome.
Eventually, you get to a very narrow spiral staircase. Once you reach the top you have access to completely walk around the outside for 360-degree views of Rome. From up high, you can see the entire piazza below. You can also see into the grounds of the Vatican Museums.
Now it’s time to walk back down to the roof terrace. On the roof level, there are restrooms, a gift shop, water fountains and a coffee bar where we had a drink and an ice cream. Check out the Apostles on the top of the facade. They are HUGE!
Once you are finished you can take the elevator back down or walk down the stairs. The exit lets you out right inside the basilica so make sure you take your time walking around inside. Look up at that dome from below, we were just there!
I’m really happy we got there early! The line to get through security wound around the entire piazza by the time we left.
Make sure you check out the photos and tips here: Rome Italy: Tips For Climbing St. Peter's Dome And For Visiting the Basilica
Note: this post has been edited from the original on my blog where it's much longer and has tips for visiting St. Peter's, the dome, and some clarifying definitions of "the Vatican" vs. "St. Peter's" . If you want to see all that, plus photos, click on the link a the bottom of this post.
I’ve been to Rome many times and I’ve probably visited St. Peter’s every time. I’ve been underneath the church to see the Necropolis and inside the Vatican museum to see the Sistine Chapel. But oddly enough, I’ve never climbed up to the top of the dome until our last visit.
Our visit to St. Peter’s took place on a midweek morning in the summer high season. Because we were in the middle of a heat wave, we got up early so we could get there as close to possible to the opening time. We didn’t want to wait in line or climb in the heat. This turned out to be a very smart move as there was virtually no line when we arrived shortly after 8 am.
The entrance line and security are the same ones everyone must wait in to enter St. Peter’s. If you want to climb the dome, however, you veer right to where the tickets are sold for the dome entrance (look for the sign to the “cupola”). You can pay a little more to take the elevator up part way, saving yourself 320 steps in the process. But if you want to reach the very top of the cupola, you’re going to have to use foot power. We opted for the elevator because it was already hot, and only 2 euro more than taking the stairs the whole way.
Once out of the elevator you find yourself on a balcony which goes around the inside of the base of the dome. From here you really get an interesting perspective on the sheer size of everything. The letters in mosaic tile going around the base look small from the floor below but in reality are 6 feet high!
Ok, now it’s time to start climbing or you can go out onto the rooftop terrace which I will cover below. As you go up, the walkway and stairs get narrower and the outside wall leans inward, because duh, it’s a dome.
Eventually, you get to a very narrow spiral staircase. Once you reach the top you have access to completely walk around the outside for 360-degree views of Rome. From up high, you can see the entire piazza below. You can also see into the grounds of the Vatican Museums.
Now it’s time to walk back down to the roof terrace. On the roof level, there are restrooms, a gift shop, water fountains and a coffee bar where we had a drink and an ice cream. Check out the Apostles on the top of the facade. They are HUGE!
Once you are finished you can take the elevator back down or walk down the stairs. The exit lets you out right inside the basilica so make sure you take your time walking around inside. Look up at that dome from below, we were just there!
I’m really happy we got there early! The line to get through security wound around the entire piazza by the time we left.
Make sure you check out the photos and tips here: Rome Italy: Tips For Climbing St. Peter's Dome And For Visiting the Basilica
May 21st, 2018, 07:16 AM
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Three Palace Museums in Rome
Because this wasn’t our first time in Rome, we had the opportunity to visit some of the smaller museums first-time visitors usually skip in favor of the big sightseeing hotspots of the Forum, Colosseum, and Vatican Museums. These three museums all had a common thread; they were all in former palaces (palazzos) belonging to a wealthy or noble family.
The first was the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj near Piazza Navona. The palazzo houses the private collection of a noble family. It was started in 1651 by Pope Innocent X Pamphilj. Inside there is artwork by such masters as Caravaggio, Velázquez, Brueghel el Viejo, Bernini, and Rafael. The Gallery of Mirrors (top photo) was brought from Venice and was designed around 1730.
Nearby is the famous Cat Street (via della Gatta). Make sure you check out the ancient marble cat on top of the corner of the building!
Next up was Galleria Corsini, located across the river just north of Trastevere. The building was constructed in 1511 by Cardinal Raffaele Riario and later became when it became the residence of Queen Christina of Sweden in the mid-1600’s. In 1736 it became the home of the wealthy Florentine Corsini family after Lorenzo Corsini became Pope Clement XII. Finally, in 1883, the property and the entire collection were donated to the Italian State. The gardens behind the palazzo are the Botanical Gardens of Rome. We did not have time to visit them.
Directly across the street from the Galleria Corsini is the Villa Farnesina. The villa was built in the early 1500’s and eventually owned by the Farnese family. In the 1920’s it was taken over by the Italian state and turned into a museum.
In all, we enjoyed checking out these jewels. None were crowded, even in the high summer season. If I had to recommend just one, I’d probably say go see the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj which felt the most like a place that had been lived in.
This post is better seen than read. Please check out the photos of each of these beautiful buildings and their artwork here: Three Palace Museums in Rome
Because this wasn’t our first time in Rome, we had the opportunity to visit some of the smaller museums first-time visitors usually skip in favor of the big sightseeing hotspots of the Forum, Colosseum, and Vatican Museums. These three museums all had a common thread; they were all in former palaces (palazzos) belonging to a wealthy or noble family.
The first was the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj near Piazza Navona. The palazzo houses the private collection of a noble family. It was started in 1651 by Pope Innocent X Pamphilj. Inside there is artwork by such masters as Caravaggio, Velázquez, Brueghel el Viejo, Bernini, and Rafael. The Gallery of Mirrors (top photo) was brought from Venice and was designed around 1730.
Nearby is the famous Cat Street (via della Gatta). Make sure you check out the ancient marble cat on top of the corner of the building!
Next up was Galleria Corsini, located across the river just north of Trastevere. The building was constructed in 1511 by Cardinal Raffaele Riario and later became when it became the residence of Queen Christina of Sweden in the mid-1600’s. In 1736 it became the home of the wealthy Florentine Corsini family after Lorenzo Corsini became Pope Clement XII. Finally, in 1883, the property and the entire collection were donated to the Italian State. The gardens behind the palazzo are the Botanical Gardens of Rome. We did not have time to visit them.
Directly across the street from the Galleria Corsini is the Villa Farnesina. The villa was built in the early 1500’s and eventually owned by the Farnese family. In the 1920’s it was taken over by the Italian state and turned into a museum.
In all, we enjoyed checking out these jewels. None were crowded, even in the high summer season. If I had to recommend just one, I’d probably say go see the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj which felt the most like a place that had been lived in.
This post is better seen than read. Please check out the photos of each of these beautiful buildings and their artwork here: Three Palace Museums in Rome
May 21st, 2018, 07:53 AM
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Kristina, enjoying your report! I'm returning in October for a few nights & have added some of your restaurants to my list. Palazzo Doria Pamphilj is also on my list, very glad to read your description.
Jul 8th, 2018, 06:01 AM
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Hello- below is the last post from my trip. Yes, it's taken me a while to complete. 
Four Churches Called Santa Maria and a Museum Called MAXXI
There are over 900 churches in Rome and while we were there we probably visited ten. Of those, four were named after Santa Maria. There are many others with that name so it certainly can get confusing. We like to visit churches, not because we are typically religious but because they are usually places to find a bit of quiet in the tourist chaos, beautiful architecture and history, and in Italy, often great works of art.
The Pantheon is arguably one of the most famous buildings in Rome and it is by far one of my favorites. Its appearance in the middle of the historic district when one emerges around a corner from some small street never fails to delight and surprise me. It’s so graceful and yet so ancient. For a building that’s almost 2000 years old, it’s held up surprisingly well considering it’s been in continuous use all that time, first as a temple and then a church, dedicated to, you guessed it, Mary. Its official name is Santa Maria and the Martyrs. This is still a working church with a mass held on Sundays, so please be respectful inside. It’s not just a tourist destination.
The hole in the center of the dome is called the Oculus and is open to the elements 24/7. Yes, sometimes it rains inside the church.
Admission is free and you can see the hours they are open on their official website.
I’ve always loved the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Ever since we first visited it in 2008 and learned about the connection to St Catherine and her missing head, it’s had a soft spot in my heart. It’s also located right around the corner from the Pantheon and has this nifty statue of an elephant with an obelisk on its back (what IS that?) out front.The church also has an unusual sky blue ceiling.
Note: My sister-in-law, who is a professor of ancient Roman history, sent me this, regarding the statue in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva:
When they were digging the foundations for Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in 1665, they found an Egyptian obelisk, probably one of Augustus’ acquisitions from his conquest of Egypt back in 33 BCE. The Pope wanted to re-erect it. Meanwhile, Bernini (That Bernini) had elephants on the brain ever since being one of the first Romans to see one in 100 years, from a parade in 1630. Elephants were African, obelisks were African via Egypt, so he, or more likely his assistant, put them together. There’s also a claim that he was inspired by a popular 15th-century romance novel called “Poliphil’s Dream of the Love Battle,” in which Polophil encounters an elephant made of stone carrying an obelisk. The Romans call it “Minerva’s chicken.”
At the top of the stairs next to the “wedding cake” (the Vittorio Emmanuele monument), near the Forum, is the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. It’s at the top of the Capitoline Hill so of course there’s a good view from up there. This was previously the location of a Roman temple of Juno Moneta and later a Byzantine abbey.
The stuccoed figures in the image below (see original post) were designed by Bernini and the three bees are the heraldic symbol of the Pope. It has a wood compartmented gilded ceiling from the mid-1500’s.
Finally, the last “Maria” is the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere which has gorgeous 12th and 13th-century mosaics in the nave. The 22 giant granite columns came from the ruins of the baths of Caracalla.
And in another direction from the churches, we went full modern to check out the MAXXI museum. This is the National Museum of Art of the 21st Century (hence the XXI in the name). Closed Mondays.
As much as we love ancient history and art, we love the new and modern stuff too. The exhibits here change so what I have in my photos may no longer be shown, but I still think it’s worth a trip out of the center, especially if you enjoy modern art.
This post is best viewed in the original, with lots of photos. Rome Italy- 4 Churches Called Santa Maria and a Museum Called MAXXI
Thank you all for following along!
Four Churches Called Santa Maria and a Museum Called MAXXI
There are over 900 churches in Rome and while we were there we probably visited ten. Of those, four were named after Santa Maria. There are many others with that name so it certainly can get confusing. We like to visit churches, not because we are typically religious but because they are usually places to find a bit of quiet in the tourist chaos, beautiful architecture and history, and in Italy, often great works of art.
The Pantheon is arguably one of the most famous buildings in Rome and it is by far one of my favorites. Its appearance in the middle of the historic district when one emerges around a corner from some small street never fails to delight and surprise me. It’s so graceful and yet so ancient. For a building that’s almost 2000 years old, it’s held up surprisingly well considering it’s been in continuous use all that time, first as a temple and then a church, dedicated to, you guessed it, Mary. Its official name is Santa Maria and the Martyrs. This is still a working church with a mass held on Sundays, so please be respectful inside. It’s not just a tourist destination.
The hole in the center of the dome is called the Oculus and is open to the elements 24/7. Yes, sometimes it rains inside the church.
Admission is free and you can see the hours they are open on their official website.
I’ve always loved the church of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. Ever since we first visited it in 2008 and learned about the connection to St Catherine and her missing head, it’s had a soft spot in my heart. It’s also located right around the corner from the Pantheon and has this nifty statue of an elephant with an obelisk on its back (what IS that?) out front.The church also has an unusual sky blue ceiling.
Note: My sister-in-law, who is a professor of ancient Roman history, sent me this, regarding the statue in front of Santa Maria Sopra Minerva:
When they were digging the foundations for Santa Maria Sopra Minerva in 1665, they found an Egyptian obelisk, probably one of Augustus’ acquisitions from his conquest of Egypt back in 33 BCE. The Pope wanted to re-erect it. Meanwhile, Bernini (That Bernini) had elephants on the brain ever since being one of the first Romans to see one in 100 years, from a parade in 1630. Elephants were African, obelisks were African via Egypt, so he, or more likely his assistant, put them together. There’s also a claim that he was inspired by a popular 15th-century romance novel called “Poliphil’s Dream of the Love Battle,” in which Polophil encounters an elephant made of stone carrying an obelisk. The Romans call it “Minerva’s chicken.”
At the top of the stairs next to the “wedding cake” (the Vittorio Emmanuele monument), near the Forum, is the church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. It’s at the top of the Capitoline Hill so of course there’s a good view from up there. This was previously the location of a Roman temple of Juno Moneta and later a Byzantine abbey.
The stuccoed figures in the image below (see original post) were designed by Bernini and the three bees are the heraldic symbol of the Pope. It has a wood compartmented gilded ceiling from the mid-1500’s.
Finally, the last “Maria” is the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere which has gorgeous 12th and 13th-century mosaics in the nave. The 22 giant granite columns came from the ruins of the baths of Caracalla.
And in another direction from the churches, we went full modern to check out the MAXXI museum. This is the National Museum of Art of the 21st Century (hence the XXI in the name). Closed Mondays.
As much as we love ancient history and art, we love the new and modern stuff too. The exhibits here change so what I have in my photos may no longer be shown, but I still think it’s worth a trip out of the center, especially if you enjoy modern art.
This post is best viewed in the original, with lots of photos. Rome Italy- 4 Churches Called Santa Maria and a Museum Called MAXXI
Thank you all for following along!
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