A day in Vatican City!

No passport needed to hop over to another country - we spent time visiting Vatican City!

On Sunday, we had free time in St. Peter's Square. Each Sunday, the Pope comes out on his balcony to speak to the people. During our structured free time, many students chose to see the Pope speak, while others spent time visiting the Basilica. In addition to being the largest Basilica in the world, St. Peter's Basilica holds the famous Pieta by Michelangelo. The students were able to marvel at Michelangelo both inside and outside the Basilica because he also designed the dome!  In the square, the architecture of Bernini was a highlight as well as sculptures and statues.

We also had time a few days later to visit the Vatican Museums with our amazing art teacher, Georgio. While there, he was able to give us many tips and stories about different sculptures and art pieces in the museum. He made the ceilings and maps come to life through vivid storytelling before taking us to the incredible Sistine Chapel. While photos are not permitted and silence must be observed, before we entered he told us things to look for both on the painting of The Last Judgement and the ceiling- Michelangelo's masterpience. After our Vatican Museum visit, students were able to visit Castel Sant Angelo, originally a mausoleum for the Emporer Hadrian, where. the students were happy to have views over the entire Eternal City.