FRI - Today, we joined a guided tour of the world's smallest independent state (since 129 AD) - Vatican City. With an area of only 110 acres, the Vatican City - walled and separated from Rome - is the centre of the Roman Catholic where the Pope resides.
Built by Emperor Nero, this city has a population of only 826 pax (of which 420 are the Pope's Swiss Guards). Known to be a cruel emperor who enjoyed torturing people, it was also here that Peter was tortured and crucified. But Peter requested not to be crucified the same way as Jesus was crucified. So, Nero had Peter flogged and tortured, before crucifying him upside down. It was believed that St Peter was buried here in an underground tomb marked by a red rock (the city of Rome was build over its ancient city over many centuries).Today was also interesting as we visited some of the sites here that were filmed in the movies Pink Panther 2 and Angels and Demons (there were some Angels and Demons guided tours, but very pricey). See if you can spot them...
Constantinople was the first Christian Emperor and he legalised Roman Catholism as a universal religion. St Peter's Cathedral was subsequently built, with 13 statues on the roof - Jesus in the centre, Peter on his right, John the Baptist on his left, and the other 10 disciples (Judas Iscariot was not one of them).
In front of St Peter's Cathedral is an Obilix shipped in whole from Heliopolis, Eqypt. It is the oldest part of the construction in the Vatican City.
Surrounding the Obilix were four concentric rows of colonades, which was built radially in such a way that if you stand in the centre point, you will see the four rows of colonades as one. This is to explained that there is only one way to get to heaven, and that is through the Church (of course, we know that the only way to salvation is through Jesus Christ).
This was the Pope's residence before he was elected as Pope, just outside the Vatican City.
And this is the Pope's private residence in the Vatican City (in the building at the far end of the picture behind the colonade and the wall).
The Pope would be escorted from his residence to Castel Sant Angelo along this wall during times of emergency and evacuation. 
This real residence of the Pope is different from one with the balcony shown in Pink Panther 2 (which is this front balcony of St Peter's Cathedral above Sonya).
And St Peter's Place (Piazza Di San Pietro) in front (east) of St Peter's Cathedral (behind us) was where the public watched Detective Jacques Clouseau imitating the Pope and fell off the balcony, and also where one of the nuns fainted when Clouseau fell off the balcony. 
See if you can recognise these places in Pink Panther 2, and try to spot the Swiss Guards ...The Pope is guarded by 420 Swiss Guards, which are slightly more than half the total population in Vatican City. We were told that only single Swiss males can become the Swiss Guards of the Pope (so can't make this my second career). This was the gate shown in Pink Panther 2...
Are you both Roman soldiers? 
Pope Julius II - one of the most popular and influential Popes - comissioned Rafael and Michelangelo to decorate the Cathedral and the Sistine Chapel in renaissance style respectively. The highest point in the Vatican City and Rome is the dome of the Cathedral (there was an agreement that no building in Rome was to be higher than the Cathedral's dome). The interior of the dome was inscribed with the words
"TV ES PETRVS ET SVPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM. TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORVM"
which means "...you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church. ... I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven...." - Matthew 16:18-19 (depicted in one of Michelangelo's painting).
We visited the Vatican Museum. This is the Sistine Chapel's garden, with St Peter's Cathedral's dome (highest point in Rome) at the back,
and the view of Rome (go all the way and you will reach Colosseum). 
There were many beautiful scupltures by renaissance artists. 
This is the famous torso. 
There are only two bronze sculptures. This giant pine cone is one of the two ... 
the other one is the gold-plated bronze statue at the back ... 
The Vatican Museum was beautifully decorated. Just look at this dome ...
Code of Arms ... 
Crack in the ceiling ... 
Tapestry illustrating the killing of infants ordered by Herod when he found out about the birth of the King of the Jews, Jesus. 
Masterpieces by renaissance artists ...
The Sistine Chapel was lined with beautiful masterpieces.
The most impressive art pieces were the paintings by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. This is The Last Judgment.
Michelangelo depicted Heaven at the top of this masterpiece 
with Jesus Christ The Judge and Virgin Mary in the centre. 
a self-portrait of himself (Michelangelo) as St Bartholomew holding his own skin (St Bartholomew was skinned alive ... a statue of him in Milan Duomo), 
and St Simon, Dismas, St Blaise, St Catherine and St Sebastian. 
At the bottom left of the painting, Michelangelo depicted the dead who made it into the Book of Life rising to Heaven, while those who did not make it go to Hades (below Heaven) at the bottom right corner. 
Minos, a fellow who criticised Michelangelo's work as pornographic with many nude bodies, was depicted by Michelangelo as Judge of the Underworld, naked with a snake coiled around Minos's body and biting his penis. A great humiliation, Minos pleaded with the Pope to have him removed from the painting (guess it did not happen). 
This great masterpiece of The Last Judgment was painted on one end of the Chapel. The surrounding walls were also painted with 12 paintings telling the stories of Moses's Journey To Egypt (by Sandra Botticelli) ... 
Life Of Moses (by Sandro Botticelli) ... 
The Crossing Of The Red Sea (by Biagio D'Antonio) ... 
The Handing Over Of The Tablets Of The Law (by Cosimo Rosselli) ... 
The Punishment Of Korah, Datan, Aburon (by Sandro Botticelli) ... 
Final Events From The Life Of Moses (by Bartolomeo Della Gatta & Luca Signorelli) ... 
The Baptism Of Christ (by Pietro Perugino) ... 
The Temptations Of Christ (by Sandro Botticelli) ... 
The Calling Of The First Apostles (by Domenico Ghiralandajo) ... 
The Sermon On The Mount (by Cosimo Roselli) ... 
The Handing Over Of The Keys (by Pietro Perugino & Luca Signorelli) ... 
and The Last Supper (by Cosimo Rosselli & Biagio D'Antonio, not Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Support shown in the movie Da Vinci Code, which is in Milan) ... 
Completing Chapel was Michelangelo's famous painting of The Creation on the ceiling of the Chapel, 
depicting stories found Genesis such as (view from far end) The Beginning, Creation Of The Sun, Creation Of The World, Creation of Adam (background of God is the shape of a human brain), Creation Of Eve Out Of Adam (Adam in deep sleep), Serpent Tempting Adam & Eve In The Garden Of Eden, etc. See if you can spot them ...
A sculptor and not a painter himself, compared to Rafael, Michelangelo's masterpieces were truly impressive and amazing.It was evening by the time we came out of St Peter's Cathedral (and we missed our lunch!!!). Our Vatican City tour was educational and simply amazing! This is the Holy Door, which will only be opened for great celebrations.
St Peter's Cathedral at night. 
The words inscribed below the cornice of the fascade read"IN HONOREM PRINCIPIS APOST PAVLVS V BVRGHESIVS ROMANVS PONT MAX AN MDCXII PONT VII"
which means "Paul V Borghese, Supreme Roman Pontiff, in the year 1612, the seventh of his pontificate, erected in honor of the Prince of Apostles".
We bought some postcards and Vatican City stamps and mail it back to our home (this is one of the "must do" ... to get a Vatican City stamp and mail).
One foot in Vatican City and the other in Rome. 
We had dinner at a pizzaria that promised complimentary soup for the set meals, but the soup never come. Sigh!
At night, we walked along Tiber River
to the shopping area from Santa Maria del Popolo to Via del Corso. The street was decorated with red, white and green lights, just like the Italian flag. It was unimaginably packed. 
We also soaked in the atmosphere with the crowd at the Spanish Steps,
had gelato, 
and chilled out at the Trevi Fountain. 
Michele and I threw the coins at this fountain 18 years ago, and viola, we were back. Sonya and Ethan did theirs too. We hope to be back again one day!
Little Thing To Remember: Rome was the only place we had 2 rooms during this trip.
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