July 2010 • For a taste of hell on Earth, try visiting the Sistine Chapel on a Saturday afternoon in July. (For a double dip of hell, stop by Trevi Fountain afterward for a gelato.) The relentless hordes helped to highlight a jarring juxtaposition of the sacred and profane in this holiest of cities—starting with the sloppily dressed tourists who snapped illicit photos of Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes while officious guards took turns shushing the crowd. Mamma mia.
July 2010 • For a taste of hell on Earth, try visiting the Sistine Chapel on a Saturday afternoon in July. (For a double dip of hell, stop by Trevi Fountain afterward for a gelato.) The relentless hordes helped to highlight a jarring juxtaposition of the sacred and profane in this holiest of cities—starting with the sloppily dressed tourists who snapped illicit photos of Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes while officious guards took turns shushing the crowd. Mamma mia.
St. Peter's Basilica
Funerary mosaic, 2nd century A.D.
St. Peter's Basilica
Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums
Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
Sistine Chapel
Wedding party, St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica
