Rome (Roma), Italy: the Vatican Museums & Piazza di Spagna - 27 September 2007

After over an hour's wait in line to enter the Vatican Museums, we finally reached the entrance at 11 AM only to be pleasantly informed that it was a free museum day for all. Woohoo! Another blessed day! :) I'm satisfied now that I've seen the Raphael Rooms and the ceiling and altar wall frescoes in the Sistine Chapel (by Michelangelo). They were truly masterpieces.

After the museum visit, we took the Metro to Piazza di Spagna and like the rest of Rome, it was teeming with tourists and touts. I wondered how the locals tolerated the constant barrage of crowds. After Piazza di Spagna, we decided to return to the apartment early to rest - the continuous traveling and sightseeing were starting to hit us. It was a good call too as it started to rain later in the day. We had a very satisfying Korean dinner at Hana Ristorante (€67.87). :)

Above left: Chinese breakfast (only €6 for the 3 of us)

Above right: the Sleeping Satyr or Faun with a Flute

Above right: One of Raphael's Renaissance tapestries

Above right: Apparition of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Above left: The Battle of Vienna by Polish painter, Jan Matejko

Above: Hall of the Immaculate Conception (Sala dell'Immacolata Concezione)

Above: Hall of the Immaculate Conception (Sala dell'Immacolata Concezione)

Above right: The Battle of Milvian Bridge fresco in the Stanza di Costantino (Room of Constantine - one of the four Raphael Rooms, which were originally papal apartments)

Above left: Encounter of Leo the Great with Attila fresco by Raphael in

the Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus), one of the four Raphael Rooms

Above right: The Disputation over the Most Holy Sacrament by Raphael in the

Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura), the most important of the four Raphael Rooms

Above left: School of Athens by Raphael, also in the Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura)

Above left: The Parnassus, also in the Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura)

Above right: Fire in the Borgo in the Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo (Room of the Fire in the Borgo), another one of the Raphael Rooms

Above left: The Battle of Ostia, also in the Stanza dell'Incendio di Borgo (Room of the Fire in the Borgo)

Above: The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums

Above: Piazza di Spagna

Above: Korean dinner at Hana Ristorante

Next post: Rome (Roma), Italy: Campo di Fiori, Basilica Sant'Andrea della Valle, Pantheon, Piazza del Popolo, & Fontana di Trevi

Previous post: Rome (Roma), Italy: Vatican City & Piazza Navona