Home » Vatican City Italy » Rome & Vatican City

June & July 2005

Rome & Vatican City

Jeremy Koh
2005-11-05 11:48:59

Displayed times (last time: )

short walk from here. In fact, we could already see St. Peter's Square and Basilica. Soon we arrived at St. Peter's Square. It was an impressive sight. The classical style of the piazza is expressed in the colossal Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which frame the trapezoidal entrance to the basilica and the massive oval area which precedes it. At the centre of the oval is a 13th century BC Egyptian obelisk which was moved to Rome in the 1st century. We proceeded to the right side of the Square to join the long queue to enter Vatican City. At the border, we had to pass through the usual border checks- X-ray machines, security guards, etc. By entering the Vatican City, we were actually leaving Italy. This is because the Vatican City is the smallest independent nation state in the world. However, there was no need for passports.

Upon entering the Vatican, we kept to the right and joined the queue to enter the Vatican Grottoes, a crypt under St. Peter's Basilica known as the Tomb of the Popes. Before entering the crypt, there's a fountain where you can fill up your bottles with the cool, refreshing water. Having had our fill of the cool water, we entered the grottoes. Underground, we passed by the tombs of various Popes, but sad to say, I must admit I don't know half of who these people were. Within the grottoes, there were many security guards who made sure we did not wander where we were not supposed to. Soon, we arrived at the tomb of Pope John Paul II. He had passed away on the 2nd of April, just slightly more than two months ago. There were guards next to his tomb to tell people to move on because clearly his tomb was the one which attracted most attention. As a result, most people were unable to spend much time in front of his tomb. I barely had enough time to snap a picture and look around at his tomb before the ushers hurried me along. His tomb was very simply designed. He had requested that he not be placed in an elaborate ...