Last Day in Rome

This morning at 8:00 AM, I met Father Mark Haydu at the Porta Sant' Anna of the Vatican. He's the director of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums, whom I met just a few weeks ago. He's the one whowas kind enough to arrange the wonderful "Patrons' Tour" for me this morning, and it was even more impressive that he was the guide, and I was the audience of one. Altogether he gave me about two hours of his time, out of a very busy schedule. His worldwide responsibility is to try to gather support, by developing local groups of patrons, to finance the preservation and restoration of great works of our artistic and faith heritage at the Vatican Museums. The Calfornia Chapter has been particjularly active and generous for many years.

First we went to the Sistine Chapel, where we were virtually alone. He described something of the recent cleaning and restoration work, but concentrated more on the person and history of Michelangelo, and the revolutionary creativity and dynamism, interwoven with symbolism, manifested in his work. It's hard for us today to appreciated how jarring he imagery was on his contemporaries because we are so used to it, perhaps much like Beethoven in the music world.

Here's a promotional video of Fr. Mark giving a little taste of the tour.



Then, after a chat over coffee in his office, he gave me a private tour of of the recent Santa Rosa Necropolis excavations. this video is a lot more informative than the last one, and gives a really good description of the excavations.



I was able to video Fr. Mark's tour, which is a lot more extensive. I hope I'll have an edited version fairly soon to show. After this, I spent a couple of hours by myself wandering the Museums. Unfortunately, the tour of the tomb of St. Peter was not available. Another time, I guess. I'm also disappointed that the newly discovered fresco portrait of St. Paul at the virtually unknown Catacomb of St. Thecla is in the process of stabilization and can't even be opened for a private tour. Another time for that one too. (Wanna come? I'll start a list.)

So, I had a nice "last meal" in a sort of rustic trattoria somehwere along the Viale Giulio Caesare, and came back to the hotel for a nap. Took a last walk around the area, and had a little dish of gelato, then came back to write this. Now it's time for bed. Got a long way to go tomorrow.