Time is a curious creature here in Rome. In the blink of an eye, it can stretch and shrink with stories of its magnificent past that reverberate through the ancient cobblestones, ruins and majestic edifices that are a salute to the religions, reigns and violence the region has seen; and then, in that same blink, it can stand entirely still during the afternoon siesta when much of Rome seeks shelter from the oppressive heat – except for foolish tourists (like us) who don’t want to miss a minute of this fascinating city.
While it’s obvious to look at the Vatican as the catholic hub of the world, I think it’s far more exciting to look at its history through the prism of art. In fact, the beauty of the Vatican – the awe-inspiring paintings of Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica with its grand Baroque architecture and the papal quarters that boast some of the magnificent Raphael brush strokes – can be told through the rivalry of these two great men of Renaissance. It was the early 1500s. Raphael was younger than Michelangelo by about 10-odd years and was an up and coming artist in his twenties already making waves in the art circles. And Michelangelo was an established sculptor who brought the realism and beauty of the human form to the Carrara marbles he touched. The story goes that the Pope of the time commissioned Raphael to paint his private quarters and Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel. Raphael obviously thought he’d received the higher honor. In the meanwhile, Michelangelo was horrified by the papal proposition: “Me, a sculptor – commissioned to PAINT??!!” Legend has it that Michelangelo ran away to Florence for two years – maybe to think about it – before returning to Rome (Vatican) and taking up the offer.
When you enter the Sistine Chapel you are not allowed to take pictures. But when you tilt your head to look up at the ceiling – your eyes tracing the vivid colors and images of the Creation, Adam and Eve to pictures of Noah’s Arc – you know you are looking at the cornerstone of Renaissance art. In simple terms, what Michelangelo introduced was 3D to a very flat form of art – a very common concept today, but revolutionary in those times. If you are ever in the “walled” country of Vatican, don’t be contended looking just at the Sistine Chapel. Sneak into the papal quarters and you will be delighted by the Raphael’s creations as well (see some pictures below). Mural after mural extols the greatness of Constantine, the first “Christian” Roman Emperor, the bloody battles he fought and of course stories from the Bible.
But step away from Vatican into the ruins of ancient Rome, you will experience the hypocrisy of its very existence. While Constantine is celebrated for establishing a Christian kingdom, keep in mind the grandeur of Rome came at the downfall of Paganism. Some of the amazing Pagan temples you will still see standing in the Forum were architectural marvels that have withstood the test of time – even before the birth of Christ. The reason the Colosseum and the Forum are in a state of disarray today is not because of natural ravages or some major calamity. It was one religion trying to decimate another and its very existence. Ask the locals and they will tell you that the large bronze door and Bernini’s central bronze pillars you will see at St Peter’s Basilica were ripped out of Pagan temples and buildings. The gold finishes on the moldings and ceilings were plunders from their Pagan past. And the millions of holes you will see on the Colosseum walls are the fingerprints left by the Romans trying to reuse large iron nails that held the Colosseum together.
If you stand inside the Colosseum, letting your mind wash you through time in to a pre-Christian past, you just might hear the blood-thirsty roar of the poor Romans cheering on gladiators and exotic animals, and booing them if there wasn’t enough gore. This was their entertainment. The papacy systematically put an end to such gladiatorial entertainment – but the hunger games were not really over. With a new religious order, persecution just became subtler and confined to more secret quarters. And then you blink your eyes open you realize time has not really changed after all.
The Peacock Plumes 