St. Peter’s Basilica is simply a masterpiece of the Renaissance world.  Walking up the 570 steps to the top of the dome is as if you were bringing yourself closer to God.  The entirety of Vatican square could be seen from the top, which accentuates the perfect symmetry difficult to visualize from standing at its base.  Also from the top we were able to see the building where the Pope lives.  Within the Basilica were many examples of the power of the church in the fifteenth century.  The church was so voluminous that the décor within not only added to the richness of the place, but made the sheer size of the place comprehensible to behold.  My favorite work of art that resided within St. Peter’s was the very first work of Michelangelo, a piece that puts the then professional artists to shame.  It was a contrapposto piece where Mary held a dying Jesus in her lap, a very intimate scene between mother and son, the strength of the immortal and the ephemeral nature of man.

Learning about the Pope’s symbol, the seashell, was the perfect way to wrap up our tour.  The story essentially went like this:  A priest walks along the beach and finds a young boy digging a hole.  The priest asks the young boy “why are you digging a hole?”  The boy responds “so I can fill it with the entire ocean.”  After the priest explains to the boy that this task was impossible, the boy reveals himself to be the Lord.  The Lord says: “you are a wise priest, but your teachings are but a small part of my glory.  You have dug a hole as I have, bringing out knowledge and wisdom to the beach, but when the time comes, I will wash upon your world and fill these holes, wash away the mounds and seashells and, after the world is reformed, take them all to eternity.”  Essentially, the tale compares something like St. Peter’s to the smallness of a seashell; beautiful but a mere fragment of the big picture.  After being in one of the largest works of man in the world, the power and significance of God as described in the story is put in a perspective few can comprehend.

After this we went to the Castle Sant’Angelo.  This castle was built in ancient Rome, rather than in the Renaissance, so it certainly is a piece to behold.  As Rome entered a state of decline, they had to build fortresses to protect themselves.  This fortress was originally built as a home for Hadrian, then latter for Rome to protect itself from its enemies such as the Visigoths, and even later than that as a museum for Christian art and relics.  The structural integrity of Roman architecture is mind-blowing, as after so many years of cultural change and erosion major landmarks can remain standing taller than many buildings.  Also, it was very neat seeing the similarities with modern architecture through the use of concrete securing stone and brick.

After this we ate dinner.  I had spaghetti with bacon.  After the past three days I now can formulate an opinion on Roman food.  I once ate at my friend Rey’s house for his birthday dinner, his Italian grandparents cooking an abundant, multi-coursed meal.  The food was unbelievable in its quality.  Here in Rome, that is the sort of food they have here every day all over! The food here, if I dare say, is almost equal in its grandeur to the buildings of the ancient world.