As part of the “Waking the Vatican” tour, one can enjoy the Sistine Chapel with a few dozen other visitors. This is a marvelous experience, seeing the work of Michaelangelo in an almost private moment. As large as the chapel is, it does feel private. Here’s a video showing the chapel.
Amazing. Seriously. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend this experience. Do your homework about the art and history of the place in order to get the most out of it. Linger as long as possible.
It had been 13 years since my last visit to Toledo, Spain. Far too long. Of course, I had to see the Cathedral, which has had some sprucing up since my last visit. It’s hard to capture this structure’s exterior in a single photo. Here is one attempt:
And that’s really only a small part. There’s a massive tower:
But as you can see, the closeness of the other buildings makes it a challenge to get a fair perspective.
In my next post, I’ll show some of the interior, which is equally impressive and ornate. Check back soon!
As mentioned in the previous post, here are some details from Segovia’s Cathedral. There are a number of ceremonial objects on display, including these vestments:
There there are statues from various periods:
Which show the change in style, technique, and taste in how they’ve evolved:
You’ll also find some equipment from the period when the cathedral was built:
Thus, the cathedral is a sort of living history museum while at the same time a functioning religious site. There are literally hundreds of things to see and experience here, so take your time.
Segovia’s Cathedral stands atop the hill in the old town, fronting a plaza that has an excellent market.
Like many historical structures, the cathedral has been repaired and reconstructed lately, which I was glad to see because the last time I was here I could not get inside.
The towering columns are clean, showing the master stonework. The detail photo below reveals the remnants of paint that once adorned the columns.
There’s plenty of gold leaf around the pipe organ as well:
Note the people in the photo above, which provide scale to the size of this structure. I’ll post again about some of the art in the cathedral. Check back soon!
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