Journey to Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo

We took the train from Naples all the way to Rome. After checked into our Hotel, we took a taxi straight to the Vatican.This was our second time but the girls' first time. As you know that Vatican is a country of its own.

Though its population numbers only in the few hundreds, the Vatican—home base for the Catholic Church and the pope—makes up for them with the millions who visit each year. Embraced by the arms of the colonnades of St. Peter's Square, they attend Papal Mass, marvel at St. Peter's Basilica, and savor Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling.

We joined a walking tour to visit the Vatican Museums. The seemingly endless line waiting for entry here can be intimidating, but the reward—a vast collection of masterpieces, including the Raphael Rooms—make it worth it. The agony, not the ecstasy, of it all is summed up in Michelangelo's sublime Last Judgment and Sistine ceiling.
 
We entered the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Frescoes. - Last Judgement - was definitely masterpiece indeed! It was really impressive.

Images from northrup.org

We would not miss the infamous St. Peter's Basilica. The Pieta and Dome from Michelangelo -Tomb of St. Peter - Bernini's Baldacchino - View of Pope's Residence, St Peter's Square and more.--They were equally awe-striking!

Every year, millions of pilgrims flock to the world's most important Catholic church, as art lovers marvel at Michelangelo's cupola, Bernini's papal altar, and the vast nave. The burial site of its namesake, St. Peter's took such Italian masterminds as Raphael and Bramante more than a century to complete.
After we were done with the Vatican, we bought a few souvenirs along with postcards. We then decided to write something for us to remember and sent them from Vatican to home. 

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We had dinner at nearby where the Castel Sant'Angelo is located while waiting for it to open. The girls had so much fun playing the hockey game. 

Finally the time we had been waiting had finally arrived. As we stood in line waiting to get in. We took few photos of the surrounding area. It had the great view of the Tiber river. We were lucky to catch the sunset over the Tiber river. Check out our photo. It is fabulous! 

Thought to give you a little bit of overview of the castle. This castle, originally constructed as a mausoleum for Roman emperor Hadrian, this cylindrical building, which towers over the city's skyline, alternately served as a fortress, a castle, and papal prison.

Images from devwijewardane.blogspot.com

By the AD 2nd century, the Imperial tomb that Augustus had built along the Tiber was nearly full of emperors and their families. The Emperor Hadrian decided to start over and build himself a grand new tomb across the river in AD 130, and every emperor from Hadrian to Septimius Severus was interred inside. 

The tomb was a massive round structure, which it turned out made a great base for fortifications, and by the Middle Ages the tomb had gradually become Rome's greatest castle, and eventually, the papal military stronghold.
We took the walk along the massive brick cylinder is connected to the Vatican by a raised viaduct, its tunnel once used by troops and the pope to spirit back and forth in secrecy and safety. 

Please let me out!!!

How was the journey? Did you enjoy it? If you ever visit the Castel Sant'Angelo, please don't let that girl out ... :-)

Until next stop,
Journey of Life