| Italy |
| Vatican City |
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| St. Peter's Basilica It was so overwhelming to be in the most significant place of the Roman Catholic Religion. It was my wildest dream to reach the place. Everything I see depicts a very deep & significant history. It was the highlight of my European tour. |
| Inside St. Peter's Basilica |
| The famous "Pieta" sculpture |
| The Sistine Chapel This is standing at the southwest corner of the old medieval section of the Apostolic Palace. It takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere, who had it built between 1477 and 1480. At present the entrance to the Chapel is through a small door behind the altar. You can see it in the photo on the right. The door is in the back of the room on the right. The chapel is still used for some papal functions and for the conclave, which originally assembled in the nearby Chapel of the Holy Sacrament. |
| The Vatican Museum |
| The Swiss Guards |
| The Coliseum & the Imperial Forum |
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| The Coliseum We had a tour inside. The structures is so gigantic with a very strange interior setup. It is over 160 ft high with eighty entrances, the Coliseum could hold upwards of 50,000 spectators. Public events such as gladiator fights, mock naval battles and wild animal hunts were held at the Coliseum. During the staged fights as many as 10,000 people were killed. Fighters were slaves, prisoners or volunteers. Spectators saw persecuted Christians killed by lions. After 404 AD gladiatorial battles were no longer held, but animals such as lions, elephants, snakes and panthers continued to be massacred in the name of sport until the 6th century. |
| The remains of the Imperial Forum |
| Impression: |