Sedes Petri
Come see the world's greatest collection of art as we travel over more than 2,000 years worth of history. Many don't realize that Michelangelo was a third-order Franciscan, and highly knowledgeable for a man of his time. You will learn how this child-prodigy forever changed the face of anatomical representation, and why the Sistine Chapel still stands as one of the world's greatest artistic achievements (see below). Concerning the ancient sculptures, you will have the opportunity to see the 'Belvedere Torso,' and here the story of why Michelangelo fell to his knees upon seeing it for the first. Your guide will dive into the history of the world famous 'Laocoon' sculpture, the discovery of which gave birth to the Vatican Museums in 1506. We will see the Apollo Belvedere, which inspired Michelangelo and Bernini alike. Later, we will see the famous and wonderful work of the great Raphael, done in his twenties, including the tapestries he designed portraying the life of Christ. We will also pass two red porphyry sarcophagi, famous for holding the body of Constantine's' mother and daughter, Saints Helena and Costanza. Not only will we be covering the symbolisms of the pieces, but also delving deeper into the pertinent philosophical and theological issues. The tour concludes with a visit to the largest church on Earth, St Peter's Basilica, shrine to the Apostle's tomb. We will explore the wonders of art, architecture and faith, that went into what was the greatest construction project in European history.
The greatest cultural building on Earth
Arguably nobody in history ever combined a perfect philosophical understanding of beauty, a perfect artistry, nor a more profound theological work of art until the Sistine Chapel was unveiled in 1512. Working in the period where humanism was being promulgated, along-side the mor
e sensual esthetics, Michelangelo created something that can really only be called the 'beautification of forms.' Enamored with pagan sculpture, he translated the 'ideal' into a Christian setting, but even beyond this, the painting itself is a textbook on the anatomy of the human form. It has been used and re-used as a storehouse of ideas by artists everywhere. But few realize the heartaches he suffered for it; there are countless letters and poems expressing the challenge of the undertaking and his desire to be home. What is even more amazing is that he was called back to the Vatican when he was in his 50s to begin his other Sistine masterpiece—the Last Judgment. On the tour we will give you a thorough understanding of the scenes and the different periods of the Sistine frecoes' construction.
