I’m not Catholic and figured visiting the Vatican would be a waste of my time.
The saints, popes, and gaudy paintings of Jesus suffering would be lost to me. I grew up Protestant and our Jesus has risen. Besides, there’d be a lot of people there and I don’t do crowds. I’d read of lines winding throughout and around Saint Peter’s Square to catch a glimpse of the holy grounds now that a new (and popular) pope had been installed. I get the pilgrimage. I even respect it. It’s just that my trip happened to fall during the height of pilgrimages. Once again, no thanks. I’ll check out the Roman Colosseum instead.
But my wife insisted. “You can’t go to Rome and not see the Vatican.”
Sure I could.
“You don’t know what you’re missing. There’s so much history there, and not just of the Catholic faith – of the early Christian faith. Our faith.”
Hmm… It was in a losing battle.
“But what about the crowds. I hate crowds.” I can insist, too.
“Then lets sign up for one of those private tours.”
Travel Tip – Avoid the crowds when visiting the Vatican by booking a VIP Skip the Lines Tour. WELL WORTH THE EXTRA MONEY AND EARLY WAKE-UP TIME. We booked ours through Dark Rome. Don’t visit the Vatican without booking this tour.
The Dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica
I was partway wrong about the Vatican.
I was really glad I went. The museum showed a history dating back before the church to the Etruscans and housed paintings from artists of all corners of the world. There was so much Michelangelo, Raphael, and Caravaggio that it actually got repetitive, but never boring.
Then there was the Sistine Chapel. To describe one of the Catholic’s most holy places as awe-inspiring may sound like a clichéd description, but awe-inspiring it was. The details. The stories. The vivid, bright colors. And to imagine these are all frescoes on a ceiling! I was pained but understood why I couldn’t take pictures.
Saint Peter’s Basilica demanded even more grandeur. The enormity is absolutely mind-blowing. (Yeah, I know that’s another clichéd term, but visit the Vatican and see if you can come up with something different as you stand there staring up with your jaw dropped on the ground.)
The letters in the dome are several stories high. Everything in the basilica is made of marble, gold, or bronze. Mosaics flank the altar. Michelangelo’s Pietá and Bernini’s Baldacchino are works not to be missed. For a creepy history, glance into the many coffins where relics of saints and popes can be seen in mummified form or step below the basilica into the papal burial grounds.
Travel Tip – If you want to tour the Necropolis of Saint Peter where his remains were said to be found in the 1940s, book this months in advance. We tried 60 days out and were denied access.
The Enormity of Saint Peter’s Basilica
But there were still crowds.
Please be warned that the people are almost enough to ruin the experience. I was saddened by how disgraceful many of tourists were in one of Christianity’s most holy of places. They took photos when the signs said no photos. They made a raucous when the Catholic Church wants silence for the sanctity of the chapel. They paused for funny photos with relics and coffins making weird faces.
I understand that not everyone is Catholic or Christian, but where is the respect for the Christian faith? When I was in Thailand temple hopping, tourists respected the rules and religious beliefs of the Buddhist faith. Nobody paused to take a humorous photo rubbing Buddha’s belly. But still, my wife was right. Visiting the Vatican was a must even with the people.
Travel Tip – While many may get away with breaking the No Photo rules when visiting the Vatican, you must adhere to the Vatican’s dress code. Neither men nor women are permitted into St. Peter’s basilica if they are wearing sleeveless shirts or any kind of shorts. If you are not sure if your shirt is suitable, bring a shawl with you. Women, if you are wearing a skirt, it must cover your knees. No hats are permitted either.
Saint Peter’s Square in Vatican City – That is the line of tourists waiting to enter
When we left the Vatican around 2pm and were famished!
We headed north from Saint Peter’s Square to Borgo Pio where there are plenty of choices for restaurants of all price ranges and tastes. We settled for a small, family run restaurant on an alley off of Borgo Pio – away from the backpacker and tour bus crowds. From the outside, the restaurant didn’t look like much, but the simplicity of our wood fired pizzas contained pure culinary genius.
We shared a pizza margherita and a vegetarian pizza with eggplant, squash, and mushrooms, along with a half carafe of wine. I am remiss that I did not capture the name of the restaurant or any photos of the food, but we were exhausted and starved by this point. Food and wine were the only things on our mind.
Travel Tip: Pack some granola bars from home if you’re planning to spend a large gap in time between meals. We normally bring a box with us in our suitcase. I could not have made 7am – 2pm visiting the Vatican without a snack. Yes, there is a cafeteria in the Vatican, but why pay high prices for bad hotdogs when there are plenty of good restaurants in the surrounding neighborhoods.
For more on the Vatican, check out The Wandering Gourmand’s gallery below! And please share your impression from visiting the Vatican in the comments below!
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