Rome, Italy - Vatican City and Museum

 Vatican City

Vatican Museum

 Biblical Paintings

Laocoon & His Sons

Hallway of Statues

Roman sculpture in gilded bronze of the 2nd Century (Hercules?)

Former Vatican Courtyard

Titus Bath

St Peter's Basilica with the Dome in the background

St Peter's Basilica close up

Ceiling of the walkway where the Pope walks to St Peter's Basilica

Pope's

 

Michelangelo's Pieta

This is one of the most famous works of art in St Peter's.  The Madonna and the dead Christ.

Pinecone Courtyard

 The pinecone metal sculpture was originally part of a fountain dating back to the 2nd century A.D., the bas was taken from the baths of Septimus Severius and the 2 peacocks either side were taken from the Emperor Hadrian's villa in Tivoli.  There are many examples of Ancient Rome throughout the Vatican museums.  Also, the Vatican was quite fond of collecting art and other valuables.

Sphere within a Sphere

This sculpture is placed right in the center of the courtyard, and it is a spectacular piece of modern art.  The Sphere within a Sphere was created by Arnaldo Pomodoro.  The Sphere is over 40 feet in diameter and depicts a smaller sphere inside a larger sphere symbolizing how the religious world related to the world we know it today