I still cannot forget the shock of my first visit to St. Peter's Basilica

[Italy/Vatican Travelogue (2)] I still cannot forget the shock of my first visit to St. Peter's Basilica

After finishing the tour of the Vatican Museums, I headed straight to St. Peter's Basilica.

Usually, to enter St. Peter's Basilica, you have to wait in a long line outside, but museum visitors can enter the basilica directly using a corridor that connects to it. (*This system existed when I visited in 2019, but unfortunately, it is no longer available.)

This is that long line. It only shows this much in the photo, but the line continues much further back.

Being able to skip this is extremely helpful.

St. Peter's Basilica. This is the headquarters of Roman Catholicism.

As a holy site for over a billion believers, it is a basilica that boasts unparalleled solemnity.

On the roof, the saints are looking down at us—or rather, looking down over all of Rome.

I was surprised as soon as I entered.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it.

"What is this space...!"

A solemnity that takes your breath away.

The thickness of the pillars is also extraordinary.

And each one is decorated with huge sculptures, paintings, and altars.

I arrived at the central altar.

I even forgot to breathe at the overwhelming sight.

I was left speechless.

What is this... what on earth is this place...!

I have never seen a church like this.

What is that tall black sculpture in the front?

What is that golden stained glass visible in the back? What about the bronze statue beneath it? And is the area beside the altar a wall? Or a pillar?

I just don't understand any of it.

I have never seen a church built with such a composition.

As expected of the Vatican. It is a world that goes far beyond my imagination...!

Actually, I hadn't done any preparation for visiting St. Peter's Basilica at all.

I had spent so much time studying the history of Christianity and the Bible that I couldn't get around to researching each individual church.

I could have guessed that St. Peter's Basilica would be magnificent.

That is precisely why I had strangely underestimated it, thinking, 'I'll understand it when I see it. It's bound to be amazing.'

Thinking back, it is strange that I had never carefully looked at the interior of St. Peter's Basilica, not even in photos, let alone videos.

However, that is exactly why the shock of seeing this basilica for the first time was so immense.

Having no prior knowledge worked in my favor here. Because I knew absolutely nothing, I felt a shock that struck my entire being.

I realized once again that there are emotions you can only experience precisely because you know nothing.

But at the same time, I still think.

That I might have enjoyed it even more if I had prepared in advance.

This means this, and this was built with this purpose in mind.

There is so much that becomes visible only by knowing those things.

Those discoveries bring the excitement of 'I see! So that's what it is!'

Should you know in advance, or should you not? This is a dilemma.

On the golden stained glass shining beyond the black pillars and the baldacchino, though hard to see in photos, a dove representing God is depicted.

It was of unbelievable beauty and solemnity.

It is truly the headquarters of the Catholic Church.

It is overwhelming...

Even seeing such massive decorations and the golden altar, strangely, the thought 'this is luxurious...' did not come to mind.

I simply thought this:

'This is... one of the pinnacles achieved by humanity.'

The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are the same.

The wisdom of humanity is gathered here.

I was genuinely moved by that fact.

It far exceeded my imagination.

I had not expected it to be this magnificent.

And inside this basilica is the Pieta, said to have been created by Michelangelo when he was 24 years old.

A work that fully demonstrates Michelangelo's talent as a sculptor.

For me, this became the most memorable thing in all of the Vatican.

Mary's expression, sad yet filled with compassion.

And the expression of the deceased Jesus. His limp body.

The lightness of the robes, as if the marble had lost its mass.

I cannot take my eyes off it... it is too beautiful...!

I just kept staring at this statue, completely absorbed. During that time, my mind was almost blank. I couldn't think of anything. Nothing came to mind.

The Pieta statue in my field of vision was my everything.

And when I suddenly came to my senses, 15 minutes had passed.

Was I so captivated that I lost consciousness for fifteen minutes?

I was genuinely surprised that this is what it means to be enthralled by art. During that time, it was as if I had almost lost consciousness.

In the end, I spent nearly an hour staring at this statue in a trance.

And every time I came here, I continued to be captivated by this statue.

I couldn't even believe it myself.

I was made to vividly feel the overwhelming power of art and beauty.

When I left St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square was right before my eyes.

It makes you feel the sheer scale of the Vatican.

Speaking of the Vatican, the Swiss Guard is also famous.

Just as I had heard, they were incredibly handsome.

It seems it is true that only the chosen ones can stand here.

St. Peter's Basilica was far more beautiful than I had imagined.

A place that makes you feel the wisdom of humanity, that is what I think.

It was a truly wonderful place.

St. Peter's Basilica is so famous as a pilgrimage site or a tourist destination.

In the next article, I would like to introduce what kind of building St. Peter's Basilica, which I introduced this time, actually is and what kind of history it has gone through.

To be continued

Click here for the previous article

"Around the World Journal" Click here for the summary article of all posts

Related articles