United in Diversity: UNESCO Regional Heritage Within European Identity
UNESCO TRAIL ROME GUIDEBOOK UNESCO HERITAGE SITES Rome City Centre and Vatican Properties
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Trail 1: Colosseo, Fori, Colonna Traiana, Mercati di Traiano Trail 2: Carcalla, Circo Massimo, Appia Antica, Castel S.Angelo, Trail 3: Catacombe and paleo-Christian art Trail 4: Fontana di Trevi, TrinitĂ dei Monti, Pincio Trail 5: Vatican City: St Pietro, Musei Vaticani, Cappella Sistina
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UNESCO TRAIL 1: First Roman Walk Coliseum Coliseum, also known as Amphitheatrum Flavium, is the biggest amphitheater in the world. It is situated in centre of Rome. It could host 73.000 people. Coliseum is the most important monument of ancient Rome and it is also one of the Seven Wonders.
Obviously Colosseum is a World heritage Site of UNESCO in fact it was included in the group of Heritage site in 1980. The construction of the amphitheater started in 72 a.D by Vespasian and concluded by Titus eight years later, in 80 a.D. The structure was improved by Domitian in 90 a.D. The building is huge in fact the measure are impressive for the age in which it was built, the perimeter is of 527 meters, instead axes are of 187,5 and 156,5 m, it was high 52 m, now is 48,5 m. The structure clearly expresses the Roman architectural and constructive conceptions of the early imperial age, based respectively on the curved and enveloping line offered by the oval plan and on the
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complexity of the construction systems. Arches and vaults are chained together in a tight structural relationship . The name "Coliseum" spread only in the Middle Ages and derives from the popular deformation of the Latin adjective "colosseum" or, more likely, from the proximity of the bronze statue of Nero that rose nearby. It was used for venationes (hunts), ludi gradiatorii (fights between gladiators), damnatio ad bestias (executions with beasts) and before the renovation of Domitian the arena was flooded and naval battles were held, called Naumachie.
Roman Forum The forum was the main square of the Roman city, there people met, assemblies came together and religious activity took place. The Roman Forum is the first forum built by Romans, it was built on a previous swamp. it is located between Palatine Hill and Capitolium Hill. Although it is surrounded by other forums, the Roman one was the most appreciated by citizens. Now the forum is a miserable accumulation of ruins, the fault must be attribuited to Roman themselves, that in Christian Age dismantled the buildings piece by piece to perfect new churches and palaces. The most ancient building is the Comitium, built during the 6th century BC, was the seat of political activity. Near that area, basing on the legend, Romulus died.
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During that century, the Regia, seat of Pontifex Maximus, the Curia, seat of senatorial assemblies, the Temple of Vesta were edified.
During the 5th and 4th centuries BC Temples of Saturn, Castor and Pollux, Concordia and Divus Iulius were built. In 78 BC Romans built the Tabularium, under the present Senatorian Pallace. There citizens used to store magistrates' lists, peace treaties and plebiscites (referendums). Now you can only see three of the ancient eleven arches in the lower part, framed by doric semicolumns. In the 2nd century BC they built four basilica (Porcia, Aemilia, Sempronia and Opimia). The only one that survived is the Aemilia one, Basilica Opimia was razed and the Porcia and Sempronia ones were replaced by the huge Basilica Julia. At the end of the Sacred Road there's the monumental arch of Titus. It is the most ancient arch built in Rome until now. Edified between 80 and 85 AD by the will of Domitian in the memory of his predecessor. It represents the triumphs of Jerusalem and apotheosis of Titus, carried by an eagle to the sky.
Trajan’s Column It is a Roman triumphal column in Rome, that commemorates Roman emperor Trajan’s victory in the Dacian Wars.
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was erected 110-113 AD, designed by master of Trajan. The Column was placed toward the northernmost point of the forum, acting as the focal point of the entire forum complex. It was surrounded on three sides by two flanking libraries and the Basilica Ulpia. The structure is about 30 metres (98 feet) in height, 35 metres (115 feet) including its large pedestal. The narrative band expands from about 1 metre (3.3 feet) at the base of the column to 1.2 metres (3.9 feet) at the top. The column is adorned with a frieze continuously winding around the shaft 23 times, which recounts the war against the Dacian population. The story of the war is treated according to a chronological and logical order, as well as rich details; the themes that are narrated in the frieze are: the departure, the construction of roads, bridges and fortifications, the speeches of Trajan to the troops, the battles, the looting, the victories. Like a war diary, it tells about the suffering, the days spent in hunger and battle; moreover there is a lot of respect towards the vanquished enemies, not only the Chief Decebal but also for the fallen soldiers. The frieze, in which about 2500 figures were counted, has been realized like a scroll that runs around the shaft of the column whose vision was facilitated by the sight that one could have from the terraces of the two libraries and the Basilica Ulpia,placed on the sides of the column.
At the top of the column was the statue of Trajan lost in the Middle Ages and replaced in 1587 (at the time of Pope Sixtus V) with the present statue of St. Peter.
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Trajan’s Market It is a large complex of ruins in the city of Rome,located on Via dei Fori Imperiali, at the opposite end to the Colosseum. Trajan's Market was probably built in 100-110 AD by Apollodorus of Damascus,an architect who always followed Trajan in his adventures and to whom Trajan entrusted the planning of his Forum, and inaugurated in 113 AD. The entire monumental area was discovered by the archaeological diggings of the period between 1926 and 1934, according to the recovery project by senator Corrado Ricci. It is considered to be Rome’s first “shopping centre”. The complex, made of red brick and concrete, had six levels in which there was once up to 150 different shops and apartments. It were the lower levels, however, that was the center of activity. There, merchants sold a variety of goods to the average Roman citizen, including wine, oil, fruits, vegetables, and other grocery items. These shops were called "tabernae" and were barrel-vaulted cubicles with small windows and a large opening to the street. In total there were more than 150 tabernae in the complex. They were often decorated with mosaics depicting the wares in the shop. Customers paid with special tokens that they bought before they started shopping.
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Within these places, there were some architectural elements and statutes also used in the Caesar, Augustus, and Trian's forums. During the Middle Ages the complex was transformed by adding floor levels, still visible today, and defensive elements such as the Torre delle Milizie, the "militia tower" built in 1200. A convent, which was later built in this area, was demolished at the beginning of the twentieth century to restore Trajan's Markets to the city of Rome.
UNESCO TRAIL 2: Second Roman Walk Circo Massimo The Circus Maximus is an ancient hippodrome and mass entertainment venue located in Rome. Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest circus in ancient Rome. The site is now a public park and retains little evidence of its former use. However even nowadays it is used for political manifestations and popular concerts. The Circus Maximus site was first used for public games and entertainment by the Etruscan kings of Rome. Certainly, the first games were staged at this location by Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth Roman King (of Etruscan origins) of Rome. Chariot racing was the most important event at the Circus. The track could hold twelve chariots, and the two sides of the track were separated by a raised median called the "spina" (spine). Statues of various gods were set up on the spina, and Augustus erected an Egyptian obelisk on it as well. At either end of the spina was a turning post called a "meta" (goal), around which
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chariots made dangerous turns at speed. On the spina, there were rotatable metal dolphins that were turned down to mark laps around the course. The Circus still entertains the Romans; it is often used for concerts and meetings. the Italian World Cup winning National Football Team held there victory celebration, when over 700,000 people packed the park.
Via Appia The Appian Road is the first and most famous of the ancient Roman roads, running from Rome to Campania and southern Italy. Via Appia was begun in 312 B.C. by the censor Appius Claudius Caecus. At first it ran only 132 miles (212 km) from Rome southsoutheastward to ancient Capua, in Campania, but by about 244 B.C. it had been extended another 230 miles (370 km) southeastward to reach the port of Brundisium (Brindisi), situated in the “heel” of Italy and lying along the Adriatic Sea. From Rome southward the Appian Way’s course was almost straight until it reached Tarracina (Terracina) on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The road then turned inland to the southeast to reach Capua. From Capua it ran east to Beneventium (Benevento) and then southeastward again to reach the port of Tarentum (Taranto). It then ran east for a short distance to terminate at Brundisium. The Appian Way was celebrated by Horace and Statius, who called it "longarum regina viarum", or “queen of long-distance roads.” As the main highway to the seaports of southeastern Italy, and thus to Greece and the eastern Mediterranean, the Appian Way was so
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important that during the empire it was administered by a curator of praetorian rank. The road averaged 20 feet (6 metres) in width and was slightly convex in surface in order to facilitate good drainage. The road’s foundation was of heavy stone blocks cemented together with lime mortar; over these were laid polygonal blocks of lava that were smoothly and expertly fitted together. The lava blocks formed a good traveling surface, and one that proved to have extraordinary durability over the centuries. The first few miles of the Appian Way outside Rome are flanked by a striking series of monuments, and there are also milestones and other inscriptions along the remains of the road. It is visible today and many significant tombs and architecture line its borders. It was this Via Appia Antica road that many events took place. It might be most famous for its role in the slave revolt lead by Spartacus in 73 B.C. After the Roman army subdued the insurrection they crucified more than 6000 slaves and lined the Appian Way for 130 miles with their bodies. The Appian Way is also lined with tombs of ancient patrician families of Rome. Among the tombs one will find the Christian catacombs, San Sebastian, San Domitilla, San Callictus, and the most impressive, the tomb of Cecilia Metella. Walking along this road is rich in history and vision, a good starting place is at the gate of San Sebastiano. The Appian Way is so rich in history and significance and is really is a valuable experience. It is said to be the road in which Peter had his vision from Christ and headed back to the city of Rome to be persecuted.
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Terme di Caracalla Caracalla's baths is one of the most magnificent examples of imperial baths of Rome, still holding for much of their structure. They are located in Piazzale Numa Pompilio. They were ordered by Roman Emperor Caracalla on Aventino, between 212 and 217. For their implementation was created in a 212 special branch of Acqua Marcia, one of the aqueducts of ancient Rome, the Aqua Antoniniana. The complex was to be concluded around 217. Terme di Caracalla could accommodate more than 1,500 people. In its broadest extension, including the fence, the building measured 337x328 meters and the central part 220x114 meters, (the calidarium alone arrived at 140 meters). The orientation was not centred on the axes, but made the most of sun exposure. On the background, a crushed exedra , with stairs, hid the huge tanks, placed in a double row and with a maximum capacity of 80,000 litres. On the sides of it there
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were two rooms used as libraries, of which only the right one is conserved. The gap between the fence and the main building was occupied by green areas. The complex had a complex network of subterranean areas, where there were sitting rooms, service rooms allowing a practical management of the spa completely hidden in the eyes of visitors. Under one of the exedra at the north-west was installed a mitreo, (a temple for the cult of the Eastern God Mitra) the largest found in Rome, accessible from outside the fence.
Castel S. Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a tomb and a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle when a second row of walls was erected around the original building. Now it is a museum and one of the most famous landmarks in Rome. It perfectly symbolizes the long, complex stratifications of history and art in the Eternal City of Rome. The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 and 139 A.D. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, it had a garden on the top and a golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed here a year after his death in Baiae in 138, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138. In the following years, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed
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here, the last recorded deposition being Caracalla in 217. The urns containing these ashes were probably placed in what is now known as the Treasury room, situated deep within the building. Hadrian also built the Pons Aelius, (now Ponte Elio or Ponte S. Angelo), a bridge on the Tiber facing straight to the mausoleum – it still provides a scenic approach to the castle from the centre of Rome and the right bank of the Tiber and is renowned for the Baroque additions of statuary of angels holding elements reminding of the passion of Christ. From the 14th century onward the Popes converted the structure into a castle; Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St. Peter's Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo. It was to be used in case of siege to make the Pope escape from the Vatican. The fortress was the refuge of Pope Clement VII from the siege of Charles V's Landsknechts during the Sack of Rome (1527), in which Benvenuto Cellini described his adventures while running on the ramparts and shooting enemy soldiers. Pope Leo X built a chapel with a fine Madonna by Raffaello da Montelupo. In 1536 Montelupo also created a marble statue of Saint Michael holding his sword in memory of the plague, which was put on the top of the building to surmount the Castle. This gave the castle its modern name of Castel S. Angelo.
Later Pope Paul III built a richly decorated apartment, to ensure
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that in any future siege the Pope had an appropriate place to stay. The Vatican State also used Castel Sant'Angelo as a prison; Giordano Bruno, for example, was imprisoned there for six years. Executions were made in the small interior square. Castel S. Angelo was also quoted in numerous literary and musical works. As a prison, it was also the setting for the third act of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca from whose ramparts the heroine of the opera leaps to her death. It was also quoted by Dan Brown in his novel Angels and Demons
UNESCO TRAIL 3: Early Christianity The Catacombs In the first century Rome's Christians did not have their own cemeteries. If they owned land, they buried their relatives there, otherwise they resorted to common cemeteries, where pagans too were buried. In the first half of the second century, as a result of various grants and donations, the Christians started burying their dead underground. That is how the catacombs were founded. With the passage of time, these burial areas grew larger by gifts or by the purchase of new properties, sometimes on the initiative of the Church itself. With the edict of Milan, promulgated by the emperors Constantine and Licinius in February 313, the Christians were no longer persecuted. Nevertheless, the catacombs continued to function as regular cemeteries until the beginning of the fifth century, when the Church returned to bury exclusively above ground or in the basilicas dedicated to important martyrs. When the Barbarians invaded Italy and came to Rome they destroyed and sacked many monuments, including the catacombs. This is why, at the beginning of the 9th Century, the Pope ordered to move the relics of Martyrs and Saints from the catacombs to the city churches, for security reasons.
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After this moment, the catacombs were no longer visited and were almost completely abandoned to the point that in the Middle Ages people didn't even know where they were. Centuries later, a large research operation to explore the catacombs started and was lead by Antonio Boso. In the following years most of Rome's Catacombs were explored. The early Christians lived in a mainly pagan and hostile society. During Nero's persecution (64 A.D.) their religion was considered "a strange and illegal superstition". The Christians were mistrusted and kept aloof, they were suspected and accused of the worst crimes. They were persecuted, imprisoned, sentenced to exile or condemned to death. Unable to profess their faith openly, the Christians made use of symbols, which they depicted on the walls of the catacombs and, more often, carved them on the marble-slabs which sealed the tombs.
The first Christians were very fond of symbolism. The symbols were a visible reminder of their faith and could be understood only by the faithful, thus avoiding being caught. The term "symbol" refers to a concrete sign or figure, which, according to the author's intention, recalls an idea or a spiritual reality. The main symbols are: the Good Shepherd, that represents Jesus (the shepherd) leading the believers (the sheep) through the path of faith, the "Orante" (he who prays), the monogram of Christ, that is formed by interlacing two Greek letters X (chi) and P (ro) which are the first letters of Christòs (Christ) and the fish (the Greek word for fish “ichthys” was an acronym for Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior).
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The Catacombs of Saint Callixtus They are situated along the Appian Way, after the Church of Quo Vadis. Tens of martyrs, sixteen pontiffs and many Christians were buried in them. They were named after the deacon Callixtus who, at the beginning of the third century, was appointed by Pope Zephyrinus as the administrator of the cemetery and so became the official cemetery of the Church of Rome. They are formed by 20 km of underground passageways organised into 4 levels, for a depth of almost 20 m. The area covered by the catacombs of saint Callixtus is of about 15 hectars. Other symbolic pictures are:
the anchor, meaning hope
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a ship, which stands for the church: it reminds of St. Peter’s boat.
In the picture below you can see an example of the interiors of the catacombs: the corridors are narrow (they can be even just one metre wide!) and on the walls are visible the spots where the people used to be buried in. Everything used to be decorated, but unfortunately only little parts of the original decorations has survived until now.
UNESCO TRAIL 4: Reinassance and Baroque Piazza Navona The square was built on the former Stadium of Domitian, erected by Emperor Domitian in 86 AD.
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The stadium was known as 'Circus Agonalis' (competition arena). It is believed that over time the name changed to 'in agone' to 'navone' and eventually to 'navona'. The main attraction of Piazza Navona is the trio of fountains that adorn the square. The central and largest fountain is the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. The design of the fountain was first commissioned to Borromini, but it was ultimately handed to his rival Bernini. The fountain features four figures, each representing a river from a different continent: the Nile, Ganges, Danube and Rio de la Plata. The statues are at the base of a rock supporting an Egyptian obelisk. The two other fountains on the piazza are the Fontana del Nettuno at the northern end and the Fontana del Moro at the southern end of the square. Another highlight at Navona square is the church of Sant'Agnese
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in Agone. It was commissioned in 1652 by Pope Innocent X and built on the site where according to legend, St. Agnes was stripped naked, but miraculously saved from disgrace by extraordinary growth of hair. The front facade of the Baroque church was designed by Borromini.
Il Pincio The Pincian Hill, one of the most romantic and picturesque places in the Capital, is a Roman hill (although not one of the Seven Hills) offering a breathtaking view of the Piazza del Popolo and the city. It is part of the Villa Borghese and is within the Aurelian Walls. The balcony overlooks the Piazza del Popolo and the Villa Medici. The site was coveted by ancient Romans, who built villas and gardens (horti) here. The name “Pincian� comes from one of the families that settled here: the Pincii. In ancient times, the slopes of the hills were also used as a burial ground. The current neo-classical layout was commissioned by Napoleon. It is the work of architect Giuseppe Valadier, who in 1816 also created the majestic Piazza del Popolo. The architect wanted to connect the Piazza to the hillside, so he carefully planned the route of the two curves that lead up the hill and meet at the scenic balcony.
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He also planned the most suitable type of vegetation, creating a splendid setting with palms and evergreen trees. Valadier was thus able to blend the urban elements – the piazza – with the natural elements of the Pincian Hill gardens. It was the first public garden in Rome, and today it is one of the most popular sites. It is no coincidence that Valadier chose the Pincian Hill, the highest point of the city, to build his private residence; the Casina Valadier is also neo-classical. However, the architect died before getting a chance to live there, and the building was converted into a café, where the view out over the city can still be enjoyed to this day.
Trinità dei Monti The monumental staircase of 136 steps, commissioned by the cardinal of Tencin, was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XIII on the occasion of the Jubilee of 1725, thanks to the French loans of 1721-1725. After generations of long and heated discussions on how the slope on the side of the Pincio was to be urbanized, the final solution was by De Sanctis: a grand staircase decorated with many garden terraces, which in spring and summer is beautifully decorated with flowers. The sumptuous, aristocratic staircase, placed at the end of a long road axis that led to the Tiber, is designed so that approaching the stage effects increase gradually. In fact, typical of the great Baroque architecture was the creation of long, profound perspectives with culminating scenes or drawings of a monumental character. In front of Trinità dei Monti, towards the end of the eighteenth century, Pope Pius VI raised the Obelisk Sallustiano in imitation of the Egyptian obelisks.
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Fontana di Trevi The fountain dates back to ancient Roman times, since the construction of the Aqua Virgo Aqueduct in 19 B.C. that provided water to the Roman baths and the fountains of central Rome. It’s said that the Aqua Virgo, or Virgin Waters, is named in honor of a young Roman girl who led thirsty soldiers to the source of the spring to drink. The fountain was built at the end point of the aqueduct, at the junction of three roads. These three streets (tre vie) give the Trevi Fountain its name, the Three Street Fountain. In 1730 Pope Clemens XII held a contest to design a new fountain. Many important architects participated, but in the end Nicola Salvi won the rights to design the fountain. However Salvi never saw his fountain completed. The first water came out of the fountain in 1743 but it wasn’t until 1762 that a different Pope, Clemens XIII, officially completed and inaugurated the new Trevi Fountain, 11 years after Salvi’s death. The fountain is mostly built from travertine stone, a name that means “from the Tiber” in Latin. A mineral made of calcium carbonate formed from spring waters, especially hot springs, the likely source was the city of Tivoli, about 22 miles from Rome. During construction many men were injured and a few died when working with enormous stone, including a stonecutter who was crushed by a large block of travertine in 1734. The Trevi Fountain stands a massive 85 feet tall and is almost 65 feet wide. With water pumping out of multiple sources and the large pool in front, the fountain spills about 2,824,800 cubic feet of water every day! No need to fret though, today the water is recycled (meaning unlike the ancient Romans you’ll have to drink from the nearby drinking fountains instead!). Roughly €3,000 is thrown into it every day as people follow the tradition of throwing coins over their shoulders. The legend holds that a coin thrown into the fountain will ensure a return to Rome.
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This tradition also dates back to the ancient Romans who often threw coins in water to make the gods of water favor their journey or help them get back home safely. (Throw in a second coin if you’re seeking love – even a third for wedding bells!) What many don’t know is that the coins are collected every night and given to an Italian charity called Caritas. Caritas, in turn, use the money for a supermarket program giving rechargeable cards to Rome’s needy to help them get groceries. Perhaps for just that reason, it’s illegal to fish out coins from the fountain. In 1996 the fountain was turned off and draped in black crepe to honor actor Marcello Mastroianni after his death. Mastroianni starred in La Dolce Vita, a movie whose most famous scene was filmed in the Trevi Fountain, making the fountain more famous than ever. In 2007 the fountain wore a different color after a vandal dumped a liquid substance into the fountain turning the water red. This caused water that fell from the fountain to be red as well, since it uses a closed circuit water system.
Il Pantheon The Pantheon is a peculiar temple built by Agrippa and Emperor Augustus between 27 and 25 BC and later rebuilt by Emperors Domitian and Hadrian. It was dedicated to all the gods, this is the meaning of the word Pan-Theos.
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Its peculiar structure was imitated in many other places of the Roman Empire (also in Istanbul, former Costantinople, in the dome of Agia Sophia) without success‌ The building is circular with a portico of eight large granite Corinthian columns. A rectangular vestibule links the porch to the rotunda, which is under a coffered concrete dome, with a central opening (oculus) to the sky. Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.[3] The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43 metres (142 ft).[4] It is one of the best-preserved of all Ancient Roman buildings, in large part because it has been in continuous use throughout its history, and since the 7th century, the Pantheon has been used as a church dedicated to "St. Mary and the Martyrs" . In modern times it was used as a tomb for the kings of Italy and it is adorned with fine paintings by well known artists. Also Raffaello Sanzio has got a shrine here.
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UNESCO TRAIL 5: The Vatican City The Vatican State is an independend state within the boudaries of the city of Rome. Its head of state is the Pope, it has its government, its laws, its stamps and coins (within the Euro).
Basilica di San Pietro The papal basilica of San Pietro is an Italian Reinassance Church, designed by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The construction of the present basilica began in 1506 and was completed in 1626. HISTORY The site of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome was originally the Circus of Nero and a cemetery. In 306 AD, Emperor Constantine became the first Christian emperor of Rome. He decided to erect a basilica on Vatican Hill at the supposed location of St. Peter’s tomb. Construction started in 319 AD and was completed around 349 AD. The basilica stood for over 1,000 years, however it had started to deteriorate and due to serious concerns that it may collapse, Pope Julius II concluded that it was beyond repair and that it would have to be demolished and rebuilt. The construction of the present St. Peter’s was started on the 18th April 1506 under Pope Giulio II and was finished in 1626, during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII, while the square in front of St. Peter’s was finished in 1667. It is however a reconstruction since on the same site, before the present basilica there was another one, dating back to the 4th century built by the Roman Emperor Costantine I on the place where, according to the tradition St. Peter, one of the apostles of Christ, was buried after his crucifixion.
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It was in this Basilica, that on Christmas Eve in the year 800 Charlemagne, king of France, was crowned emperor of the Sacred Roman Empire. Since the year 1300 many pilgrims have come to the Basilica to visit the tomb of St. Peter. With the neglect of Rome, between 1309 and 1377, a period during which Rome was no longer a capital city, the basilica suffered many problems of conservation. The disappearance of the Constantine basilica and the building of the new one were a long process. starting from the decision taken by Pope Niccolò V to restore and enlarge the old basilica, assigning the work to Rossellini in the 2nd half of the 5th century. All this work took 150 years. During these 150 years many famous artists have taken part to the work: from Raffaello Sanzio to Michelangelo, who also designed the cupola. The works on the Basilica were finished during the pontificate of Pope Urban VIII in 1626, and between 1656 and 1667 Pope Alexander VII asked Bernini to design the project for the piazza with a colonnaded portico and a central obelisk. There are two levels below St Peter’s Basilica; the first level is known as the Vatican Grottoes, and is a large underground graveyard where the tombs of 91 Popes are buried. The holy door in St Peter’s Basilica is only opened for Jubilee Years, which is once every 25 years. They are usually cemented shut to prevent them being opened.
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La Pietà Michelangelo’s “Pietà”, considered the most beautiful sculpture in the world, can be seen inside St. Peter’s. It is behind a bullet proof glass after a madman tried to damage it in 1972, crying “I am Jesus Christ!”
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I Musei Vaticani The Vatican Museums are Christian and art museums located within the city boundaries of the Vatican City. Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello are some of the most famously and visited parte of the museums. There are 54 galleries and because of that, it is one of the largest museum in the world. The Vatican Museums trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased in the 16th century: Lacoon and his sons was discovered on 14 January 1506, in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti, who were working at the Vatican, to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased It is a complex of different museums which are: - Collection of Modern Religious Art - Sculpture museums including Museo Pio-Clementino, - Museo Chiaramonti - Museo Gregoriano Egiziano
Helicoidal Stairs in the Vatican Museums
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La Cappella Sistina The Sistine Chapel is the best-known chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. Its fame rests on its architecture, evocative of Solomon's Temple of the Old Testament and on its decoration, which has been frescoed throughout by the greatest Renaissance artists including Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, Botticelli. Under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted 1,100 m2 of the chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. He resented the commission, and believed his work only served the Pope's need for grandeur. However, today the ceiling is widely believed to be Michelangelo's best achievement. The Sistine Chapel is best known for being the location of Papal conclaves. At the time of Pope Sistus IV in the late 15th century, this corporate body comprised about 200 people, including clerics, officials of the Vatican and distinguished laity. There were 50 occasions during the year in which it was prescribed by the Papal Calendar that the whole Papal conclave should meet. The walls are divided into three main tiers. The lower is decorated with frescoed wall hangings in silver and gold. The central tier of the walls has two cycles of paintings, which complement each other, The Life of Moses and The Life of Christ. They were commissioned in 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV and executed by Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, Perugino and their workshops. The upper tier is divided into two zones. At the lower level of the windows there is a Gallery of Popes painted at the same time as the Lives. Around the arched tops of the windows there are areas known as the lunettes which contain the Ancestors of Christ, painted by Michelangelo as part of the scheme for the ceiling. The ceiling, commissioned by Pope Julius II and painted by Michelangelo between 1508 to 1511, has a series of nine paintings showing God's Creation of the World, God's Relationship with Mankind and Mankind's Fall from God's Grace. On the large pedantries that support the vault are painted twelve Biblical and
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Classical men and women who prophesied that God would send Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind. The next picture shows the number of paintings visible when entering into the Sistine Chapel‌..
Michelangelo's complex design for the ceiling was not quite what his patron, Pope Julius II, had in mind when he commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Twelve Apostles. A further commission to Michelangelo to decorate the wall above the altar with The Last Judgement, 1537-1541. The most famous detail of Michelangelo’s masterpiece is in the centre: it represents God creating Adam.
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In the area called Stanze di Raffaello it is possible to see the famous painting called the School of Athens, where the Philosopher Aristotle, from which our school takes its name, is portraited.
San Paolo Fuori le Mura The Basilica of St Paul is The Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, commonly known as St. Paul's Outside the Walls, is one of Rome's four ancient, papal, major basilicas, along with the basilicas of St. John in the Lateran, St. Peter's, and St. Mary Major. The basilica is within Italian territory and not the territory of the Vatican City State, but the Holy See owns the Basilica, and it is part of the UNESCO heritage Sites within the Vatican State. The basilica was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I over the burial place of St. Paul, where it was said that, after the Apostle's execution, his followers erected a memorial, called
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a cella memoriae. In 386, Emperor Theodosius I began erecting a much larger and more beautiful basilica with a nave and four aisles with a transept. The graceful medieval cloister of the monastery was erected between 1220 and 1241 and it is worth a visit, together with the byzantine mosaics in the apse. According to tradition, St. Paul's body was buried two miles away from the place of his martyrdom, in the sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, which was owned by a Christian woman named Lucina, and it and quickly became a place of veneration.[b] St. Paul's tomb is below a marble tombstone in the basilica's crypt, at 1.37 metres (4.5 ft) below the altar. The tombstone bears the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART ("to Paul the apostle and martyr").
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This booklet is the result of the activities of students and teachers from four European schools who collaborated in the development and implementation of the Erasmus+ Project
United in Diversity: UNESCO Regional Heritage Within European Identity Project 2018-1-MK01-KA229-047177
“Sv.Kliment Ohridski” High School Dimitar Vlahov 71 6000 Ohrid Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Liceo Scientifico Statale “Aristotele” Via dei Sommozzatori, 50 – 00143- Roma Italy Stredni zdravotnicka skola a Vyssi odborna skola zdravotnicka, Plzen, Karlovarska 99 Karlovarská 99 32300 Plzeň Czech Republic Szerencsi Szakképzési Centrum Tokaji Ferenc Gimnáziuma és Szakgimnáziuma Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Endre út 18-20. 3910 Tokaj Hungary Images are original materials or borrowed from Wikimedia Commons.
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