Exploring the Vatican Museums

July 22, 2010

On Thursday morning, our group met at the entrance to the Musei Vaticani, the Vatican Museums, at 8:20 to begin an 8:30 tour. Imagine the irony of a group of Baptists from the southeastern United States meandering naively through the displays and exhibits chronicling the history of Catholicism. Contrary to that stereotype, I was pleasantly surprised at how eager, inquisitive, and knowledgeable our group turned out to be.

The galleries were filled with art, sculptures, and shrines from a variety of periods beginning with the time of Christ and continuing through the contemporary era. We spent a good three hours surveying the treasures, some of us following a printed guide and others listening via headsets to an audio tour guide.

Similar to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. the Musei Vatacani is a collection of museums where an avid student of history could spend days observing and investigating. Of the variety of exhibits, three areas were more significant to me than the others. First, the Gregorian Etruscan Museum contains relics from a period in Italy’s history that lasted roughly from 800 B.C. until just after 500 B.C. Etruci was in the general area where Tuscany is today, but the culture influenced all of Italy and especially the emergence of Rome. The Etruscan style of government seems to have begun as a theocracy, shifted to a monarchy, and by the 6th century transitioned to an oligarchal democracy, eventually giving rise to the Roman Republic.

Etruscans also were appreciative of art and music, and utilized several musical instruments, including a variety of pipes, percussion instruments, and stringed instruments including the lyre and kithara. It is also worth noting that the Etruscans were a monogamous in marriage and, unusual for their time, Etruscan wives were invited to socialize publicly alongside their husbands.

Second, the Pinacoteca is the gallery where many of the larger pieces of historical art are displayed. Two paintings captured my imagination. One is The Transfiguration by Renaissance artist Raphael. It is commonly believed that the painting was left unfinished by Raphael but was completed by his student, Guilio Romano in 1520 shortly after Raphael’s death. In the darkened room, the image of the transfigured Christ seemed to glow with spiritual energy as onlookers past and present stood with awe and astonishment.

After tearing myself away from this powerful presentation, I made my way to one of the final viewing rooms to see Adam and Eve in the Garden by Austrian painter Wenzel Peter. Centered around Adam and Eve enjoying the pleasures of the garden prior to the fall, over 200 animals from all over the world roam about freely, seemingly without predatory instincts, across a paradisiacal landscape.

The third monumental stop for me on the tour, and the most popular at the Museo Vaticani, was the Sistine Chapel. Known for its multiple frescoed paintings, I discovered the sequential artwork of the chapel to be an inspiring collage of notable scenes from the Bible. Michelangelo painted 12,000 square feet of the ceiling panels. The ceiling panels in the dome include depictions of Adam and Eve, the Garden of Eden, the Great Flood, and The Last Judgment. In addition to Michelangelo’s work, the Chapel also includes paintings by Bemini, Raphael, and Botticeli.

At the conclusion of our tour, several in our group commented that we had sensory overload. More than one said, “I wish I had paid more attention in my World History class.”

A local member of the parish who was volunteering as a guide was overheard in English to say, “The museum is not about history. The Vatican tells a story with many parts and that story is still alive today.” Even those of us who practice our Christian faith with Baptist convictions came away appreciating the story and heritage we share with the Catholic side of our spiritual family.