Today was a very interesting day at the Vatican. I read about tours that are offered to the Necropolis, or 'Scavi', and was able to get a ticket. These tours are only offered to 250 people per day, compared to the 17,000 who regularly visit St Peter's and the Vatican Museum. The first photo is the Office of Excavations, Ufficio Scavi.
You can't take pictures in 2 areas of the Vatican - the Necropolis, as it is a sacred site, and the Sistene Chapel, as the Vatican couldn't afford the cleaning in the '80s and a Japanese group paid the $2 billion to have it cleaned in exchange for a copyright in perpetuity on the images inside. Fair enough.
The Necropolis is an archaeological site that was excavated in the '40s and '50s, and consists of some of the tombs dating back to before the first century CE. They are located 2 levels below the Basilica, which was street level during that time. The Romans would not bury their dead within the City so created this Necropolis. When Constantine had the first church built on that site in the third century CE, it was built on top of the Necropolis - including the tomb of St Peter.
This tour was an architectural tour, not a religous one, which surprised me. The docent, who works for the Vatican Museum, explained that St Peter's tomb had been unmarked but known to Christians, who were still persecuted before Constantine. Tombs in the Necropolis first contained mostly pagan symbols, but as time passed, more and more Christian symbols began to be included, and these increased in numbers the closer one got to the tomb identified as St Peter's. It was an unmarked but long venerated site.
For several reasons, archaeologists are certain that this is the tomb of St Peter. The altar of all churches that have been on this site are directly above it. They are also convinced that the bones are those of St Peter. One of the reasons cited is that the feet are missing, and it is known that St Peter was crucified upside down. It was common to cut people from the cross after crucifiction, so cutting the feet off is consistent with that.
Also now accepted by archaeologists and the church is that the remains of St Peter were removed from his tomb in the third century when the first church was built and hidden in a wall directly behind the tomb.
The tour went through a section of the Necropolis, which included the original streets now 2 floors below ground. Various Necropoli could be viewed, including amazing outside detail, frescoes, marble tombs and other artifacts. The 'steets' are so narrow that you have to pass single file. It is stunningly intact after being buried for centuries.
The tomb of St Peter was not a Necropolis but a small cave. After identification, the bones were replaced in a plexiglass box and set beside the wall where they had been hidden. All this could be viewed.
I have to admit, this was a highlight of Rome.
The next 4 photos are examples of some of the amazing art that is just scattered through the Vatican, almost as afterthoughts.
The last set of photos were taken... climbing St Peter's dome. Because my legs and hips and knees and back aren't quite killing me. Yet. It was there. I had to climb it.
There is an elevator that mercifully takes you part way. You come out onto a roof and have some interesting views of the Piazza, then continue by stairs that are located between the inside dome and the outer dome. The first set brings you out onto a catwalk on the inside of the cupola, part way up, with incredible views of the Basilica and the art on the ceiling that is hard to appreciate from the ground. Then continue... 320 steps, the last on such a small circular staircase that they provide a rope for a handrail so that the crowd, all muttering "Why am I doing this?" don't plunge to a messy death. Check out the views.
That was pretty much it for me at the Vatican. Except as I was leaving, I realized that I had totally dodged their security on my visit. Everyone entering the Museum or Basilica are searched and have their bags scanned.
When you enter the Scavi, you have to present your email confirmation and identification. I was given my ticket without giving my ID, as was everyone else I saw obtaining their ticket. The tour ends in the Crypt, below the Basilica, and the exit takes you out. Knowing that, from my visit on Tuesday, and not wanting to line up for hours to get into the Basilica again, I went out the entrance, which got me right into St Peter's. I walked around for a half hour, lined up for the Cupola visit, then left. In total, I was there for 4 hours and was top to bottom and had never been through a security check. I figured it was something I should tell the security guys about, but couldn't get the attention of the first 2 I encountered, and the third guy coudn't speak english. The Swiss Guards wouldn't come over to talk to me and I couldn't get behind their barrier. So basically I breached every security rule at the Vatican and couldn't get arrested. Don't blame me is some clown blows it up!
That's the story of Vatican 2. And of course there was gelato. Enjoy the pics.
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