Angels & Demons, Dan Brown’s book about a plot to destroy the Vatican, has been made into an international blockbuster movie starring Tom Hanks.  For over 10 years tourists in Rome have been supplementing their guidebooks with this story that features six of Rome’s most famous sites including the Vatican, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and numerous artworks by Bernini, one of Rome’s most famous artists.  Even if you are not a fan of or familiar with the book the explanations of the sites themselves provide a through overview of Rome at a fraction of the cost of a tour guide or book.

The story is about a secret society called the Illuminati that have reemerged after plotting for centuries to annihilate the Catholic Church.  The yarn winds through the streets of Rome as Harvard Professor Robert Langdon races to find a mega bomb planted somewhere in the Vatican by following a secret path called the Path of Illumination which is marked by some of Bernini’s greatest masterpieces.  Besides being a good story, Angels & Demons is a chance to visit some of Rome’s less famous churches and learn more about Catholic symbolism.

For only $2.99 on the iTunes Store you can download this app that provides all the history of the people and places while recommending some of Rome’s best gelato, pizza and restaurants that are nearby to each point of interest.  To save you the pain of a ridiculous bill for data charges we have provided an offline map in the app but we also recommend just grabbing a free paper map in Rome.

Have fun, enjoy your tour and please don’t hesitate to drop us a line to let us know what you think.

St. Peter's floor plan in the shape of a Latin cross

The Cross:  Sure this is an easy one because it is probably the most recognizable symbol in the world, but there are more than one kind and you will see it applied in the most interesting ways.  The Latin Cross is the one that we all know where the arms are about half the size of the leg and is associated with Jesus.  Obviously you will see this all over the place, but did you know that many churches are shaped like a cross?  St. Peter’s surely is, and that is no accident.  The Greek Cross is different from its Latin brother in that the arms and leg are the same length.  Usually this cross is associated with St. Andrew who was St. Peter’s brother.  St. Andrew was crucified in Greece, with the style of cross they used there, thus the name Greek Cross.

Man holding a sword:  This represents St. Paul the Evangelist.  The onetime persecutor of Christians was converted to Christianity by a vision of Jesus.  Paul then tirelessly traveled throughout the world at the time to spread the Good Word (gospels).  St. Paul was eventually executed for his beliefs in Christianity and because he was a Roman citizen law dictated that he be killed in a humane way, so he was decapitated with a sword.   You can always recognize St. Paul because he holds his sword and also he usually sports a straight beard.  For the most part when you see Catholic statues or paintings and the subject is holding something that looked like it could kill, then it was probably used to kill that person.  It is common practice to have the martyr hold the device that they were killed with and for St. Paul it was the sword.

Upside down cross:  In the same vein as St. Paul’s execution by sword is St. Peter’s execution by crucifixion.  Legend says that St. Peter was granted a final wish before his execution and he asked to not be killed in the same way as Jesus so his executioners obliged him by putting the cross upside down.  This method would have been a quicker death because of blood rushing to the head causing massive hemorrhaging as opposed to the suffocation inflicted with standard crucifixion.

Two Keys:  One gold, to open the gates of heaven; the other silver, to close the gates of heaven.  These are the whole reason why the Vatican exists because Jesus told Peter: “you are my rock, upon you I will build my church and give you the keys to heaven.”  Assuredly these keys are probably, after the cross, the most used symbols in Rome.  You will see them used in a bunch of different ways including crossed on coats of arms, which represent Popes, simply by themselves and directly in the hand of St. Peter.  The only person who will ever be represented actually holding the keys is St. Peter, all other Popes will only have them on their coats of arms to signify that they were or are the Pope.  Oh, as opposed to St. Paul’s straight beard St. Peter will always have a shorter curly beard.

The Gospels: The word “Gospel” comes from the Old English “God Spell” and generally means “Good news or good words”.  The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament that describe the birth, life death and resurrection of Jesus.  Since the late 100s tradition has each of the four authors Matthew, Mark, Luke and John have been associated with a winged living creature that are written about in the Book of Revelations.  The rational is that at the beginning of each Gospel one of the four winged living creatures that surround God on his thrown is alluded to: Mark is the winged lion, Luke the winged ox, Matthew the winged man (not an angel) and finally John is the eagle.  The reason why the lion is in so many places in Venice is because St. Mark is the patron saint of the city and the lion is his symbol.

Veil of Veronica or simply the Veronica:  On his way to be crucified a woman wiped the sweat from Jesus’s face and an image of his face remained in the cloth.  The Veronica has not really been seen in the last 100 or so years in the Vatican but at one time it was the most venerated of all the icons of Rome.  In 1527 when Rome was sacked the looters may have found the Veronica leading to its destruction.  During the subsequent century there were a number of counterfeits being passed around which leads to a lot of questions as to what if anything is still stored in St. Peter’s.  During the 1200s when the icon was at its most revered it was credited with a lot of miracles including healing blindness, raising the dead and most famously curing the Emperor Tiberius, the Roman Emperor at the time of Jesus’s execution, of seeping boils on his face.

The Holy Lance: After Jesus had been hanging on the cross for some hours a Roman centurion who we know as Longinus (in Latin, “Man with a spear”) stabbed Jesus in the side to insure that he was indeed dead.  The puncture released a blood and water gush that was dramatic enough, along with the other events of the day, for Longinus to proclaim that Jesus was the Son of God.  Volumes and volumes have been written on the Holy Lance and indeed there are a few different places that claim to have the true relic.  The reason why it is so important?  Because the legend is that whoever carries it will be invincible in battle.

The Trinity: According to Catholic theology The Father, Son and Holy Spirit are the three functions of a single God.  Churches consistently blend the trinity into architecture and artworks.  For instance, many churches will only have three doors: the church symbolizes heaven and the three doors represent the Trinity with the deeper meaning being that the only way to enter heaven is through The Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  In St. Peter’s the Trinity is blended into the main alter in a very interesting way.  The canopy that covers the alter has the dove hovering over the alter, on top of the canopy is a cross which represents Jesus and then all the way at the top in the dome you can see a red and blue swirl which is the Father.

The Dome: Starting with the Pantheon, also in Rome, the use of the dome is meant to represent the heavens.  In St. Peters, the main dome, which was done by Michelangelo, floats hundreds of feet above the ground and represents the promise of heaven.  As a matter of fact the deeper symbolism is that God is in heaven looking down on us.  And that is why you will look all the way into the top of Michelangelo’s dome you will see the mosaic of God in a red and blue swirl shining down from heaven (i.e. the dome).  This mosaic was not done by Michelangelo.

The Blessing Fingers: Many times you will see holy figures holding up their hand with their forefinger and middle finger extended; from there the variations of how the thumb is held varies.  Often, this hand symbol is thought to symbolize the Trinity with the forefinger, middle finger and thumb representing the three functions of God.  But the interesting thing is that this symbol was appropriated from a non-Christian (i.e. pagan) hand symbol of warding off evil spirits.  So this hand gesture predates Christianity and has been used in Rome for 1000s of years.

As of this update on June 16, 2009 iKangaroo would like to congratulate Anthony on his How to Tour Italy project.  So far he has been churning out helpful videos about everything from how to use the automated ticket machine to buy a train ticket to the history of the Pantheon on his Youtube channel.  Also, his weekly radio show has been hitting the top 10 on the iTunes store under Travel and Places.

This week, June 17, 2009 I will be on the show to talk about and promote iKangaroo’s new free podcasts for Angels & Demons, which can also be found on the iTunes Store.

How to Tour Italy aired for the 1st time on January 22, 2009 and Anthony has done an excellent job of creating some very fun and useful segments as can be attested by the podcasts doing so well on the iTunes Store.  Tune in this Thursday June, 18 at 12:00 CDT to hear Anthony broadcast from Florence Italy with lots of tips and details that will help you know exactly How to tour Italy.  And of course, I’ll be on too.

For your weekly dose of Italy be sure to tune in or download How to Tour Italy with Anthony Capozzoli on TalkZone.com.

Why I suggest trying this out:

I am very enthusiastic about Roman history and 3D Rome Rewind provides a faithful rendition of how ancient Rome physically looked.   Even the most skillful storyteller (i.e. tour guide) has difficulty communicating that at its height the Roman Forum had enough marble to make twenty Westminster Abbeys not to mention gladiator combat or how everyday Romans lived.  3D Rome Rewind effectively does this in a 30 minute show.  For me it was exciting to see a digital version of Rome surround me to the extent that at times I felt I could reach out and touch the walls.  The 3D modeling and stadium theater venue are excellent and in themselves worth the visit, even if only for the novelty of seeing how ancient Rome looked in surround 3D.

Why hard core history buffs might want to think twice:

The virtual model and story is based on Rome circa 310 AD when a power struggle was happening between the Emperor Maxentius  and Constantine.  While Constantine is famous the time frame for the story is not the most exciting or well known Roman history epoch.  I would think that with this sophisticated modeling that it would be easy to reconstruct let’s say Julius Caesar (complete with his face) to be the tour guide rather than an anonymous Roman aristocrat who at times can be annoying with his snorting laugh.  The gladiator combat in the arena exercises a few artistic liberties that I feel are unnecessary; however, they do not detract from the experience unless you are a stickler for Roman history, in which case I suggest simply enjoying the experience in itself.  I feel Rome Rewind is entertainment focused which for the mob is great but not so much for hardcore history buffs.  Those of you that could not get over the creative license Ridley Scott took with Gladiator it would be wise to not have very high expectations for the story line.

Rome Rewind is based on a virtual model that was developed in academia and is the same Ancient Rome layer in Google Earth.  From my discussion with CEO Joel Myers there is a real focus on keeping the content historically accurate as well as entertaining.  There are plans for launching other uses for this technology around Rome, and perhaps in other cities. Overall I feel that this is a novel and worthwhile experience that I recommend visiting immediately before seeing Coliseum and Roman Forum.  Seeing this show will do a lot to help you imagine what Rome was when seeing the ruins.

I wish them them great success because I can truly see the value of this technology and how it will greatly enhance how people lean about and experience Rome.

Address: 5 Capo d’Africa

Special prices available ONLY if booked through the website

www.3drewind.com

By- Chris

The Vatican Museums can be a daunting and overwhelming experience so it is necessary to prepare both mentally and physically to get the most out of your visit.  Here are 15 tips to help you squeeze out every possible drop of enjoyment.

1. The Vatican Museums do not accept credit cards AT THE TICKET OFFICE  so have cash ready. Pay online for a 4€ extra per ticket fee but make sure to read everything carefully.  They say that the benefit of booking online will help you skip the line but that depends when you will be visiting because often there is no line, more about that below. €14 and €8 for students.
2. The Vatican Museums contains the Sistine Chapel so to get to Michelangelo’s masterpiece one must first navigate through about close to a mile of museum. In my experience people have only wanted to see The Sistine Chapel without seeing the Vatican Museums, this is not possible.
3. You will be hit up for “guided tours” by kids hustling tourists saying things like “skip the lines”. I recommend skipping them. I am not a big fan of this system because when I was recently there (granted it was Feb of ‘09 and very slow) I was told by these touts that the line was 2 hours when there was no line at all.  In 2008, from my discussions with tour guides visiting the Vatican scores of times, lines were not the same issue as they have been in the past because of the extended hours.  Furthermore, nobody I have ever talked with has experienced a 2 hour wait in the Vatican Museum line.
4. Pack a snack and water. Food and water are not readily available in the museums so I recommend having some food ready to nibble on to keep your strength up.  I am not suggesting that you chow down while taking in the Raphael Rooms or under the Sistine but there are a couple of outdoor venues that would be appropriate.  And being discrete about taking a couple of bits won’t hurt anyone.
5. Be prepared for some confusion. Understandably for most people the main point of going to the Vatican Museums is to see the Sistine Chapel but be forewarned that these museums are basically one way so once you see the Sistine it is pretty difficult if not impossible to backtrack.  Make the decision before hand if you want to see the Raphael Rooms, because if you do don’t take the short-cut to the Chapel.
6. What is this short-cut? After the Hall of Maps there will be a second set of tapestries (huge wall hangings).  From there follow the signs to The Sistine Chapel by either going straight or by looping through the room with the huge oil painting called Hall of Sobieski and or the Hall of the Immaculate Conception (you will notice a huge gold plated case enclosing a number of books).  They use this area as a kind of spicket to control crowds so it can be confusing but what you will be looking for is signs that only say “Sistine Chapel” with no other options.
7. Use the restroom directly when you enter into the museums. After you make the line and arrive in the entrance hall (actually before purchasing tickets) use that restroom.  There are a few others throughout the museums but for the most part the one in the main entrance is the best and most convenient.
8. Do not waste a minute looking for Raphael’s famous little cherubs because they are not there. I have no idea why these cute little angles show up on postcards in Rome and Florence because they are in Germany.
9. Take some time to explore the Pinacoteca. The trick is that when coming up the escalators to veer to the right rather than taking an immediate left that leads to the garden of the Pine Cone.  There you will find a nice, usually not crowded, picture gallery with works by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Caravaggio.  Plus, there is one of the few reproductions of Michelangelo’s Piéta that was made from the cast used to repair the original after the 1972 attack which is why the original is behind glass.
10. Do your best to avoid Saturday’s and Mondays, unless there is a free Sunday. Remember that the Vatican Museums are free the last Sunday of the month which takes some of the pressure off adjacent days that as a rule a pretty busy.  My pick of the best days to visit the museums are Tuesday to Friday, with Tuesday and Thursday afternoons being the least crowded days.  Generally afternoons after 12:00 will generally be much less crowded than mornings, except for Saturdays and free Sundays. Crowds in the Vatican Museums are not just about the wait in line, they are also about a lot of confused people in relatively tight hall ways taking pictures and constantly bumping into one another.  However, as I have stated the lines and crowds have significantly diminished since the Vatican extended the museum hours in 2008.  I have even heard that sometimes the line to pick-up reserved tickets is longer than the non-reserved line.
11. If you rent headsets then you cannot take the opportunity to exit to St. Peter’s from the Sistine Chapel. Headsets must be returned at the end of the museums.  An old trick used to be to exit directly from the Sistine which neatly leads to St. Peter’s saving a cool 45 minutes and almost mile walk if you are planning on visiting the Basilica afterward (remember the dress code).  You can still do this (with you back to the alter you will see an exit at the back of the Chapel on the right) but if you have rented a headset you have to go through the rest of the museums to get your I.D. and turn in you set.  Just know this going in.
12. The Vatican has a website: www.vatican.va which you should check prior to traveling to insure that the museums will be open.  Remember that the Vatican works on Catholic holidays so it is possible that everything in Rome will be as normal with the museums closed.
13. Pack light and leave your knives at home.  The Vatican (both the museums and the Basilica) have airport style security systems complete with x-rays.  Frequently Swiss Army knives are confiscated.
14. Remember the dress code. The dress code for the museums and St. Peter’s Basilica are not the same in that men can wear shorts and women do not necessarily have to keep their shoulders covered.  However, if you are planning on visiting the Basilica on the same day, as many people do, remember that there is a dress code and have the necessary clothes.
15. Pictures are allowed in most places but not in the Sistine Chapel. Don’t leave your camera at home.  Taking pictures is permitted in most places in the museum, howbeit usually without flash.  Pictures are not allowed whatsoever in the Sistine.

Remember: Vatican Museums' ticket windows do not accept credit cards

Having been to the Vatican Museums close to 1000 times I am sure that by taking these simple tips into account that your time there will be much more enjoyable.  Remember to click through on this photo to visit our flickr group to get more tips accompanied with pictures.

The corner: Via Vicenza / Via Palestro- Exit Termini Station at Track 1
(with the train tracks at your back, track 1 is on the right hand side of the station). Make a left on Via Marsala, and then take your first right down Via Vicenza. Continue down Via Vicenza, until you reach #42 (on the left side of the street).

The hostels / youth hotels: Hostel Alessandoro Palace and Yellow Youth Hotel

Budget hotel: Hotel Romae, Des Artistes (not on the corner but about 2 minutes away).

The restaurants: Leoni D’ Abruzzo- 44 Via Vicenza ( right next to Hostel Alessando). Recommendations: grilled calamari, penne al salmone, bucatini all’ Amatriciana. Mamma Angela- Via Palestro 53 (across the street from Yellow and right next to Hotel Romae). Pizzeria del Secolo- Via Palestro 62. Pizza by weight. We recommend trying the pizza with shrimp and a ranch like dressing, if they have it. Rossi Bar- Via Vicenza 23. Perfect for cappuccino, espresso, freshly squeezed orange juice and other drinks. Like with other bars / cafes in Rome there is a charge to sit down so drink at the bar.

]]> http://ikangaroo.com/2009/01/28/a-budget-oasis-in-rome/feed/ 0 http://ikangaroo.com/2008/11/04/girls-gone-wilde-morrisons-ghost-and-other-grave-things/ http://ikangaroo.com/2008/11/04/girls-gone-wilde-morrisons-ghost-and-other-grave-things/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 22:06:01 +0000 Chris http://ikangaroo.com/?p=1029

An admirer kisses Oscar Wilde’s grave

By Chris–

While working through, and getting lost in Paris’s Cimetière du Père Lachaise, I finally found my destination after hearing the giggles of some young American girls who were about to leave their madness of kisses on Oscar Wilde’s grave.  This was a twist because the great author, playwrite and poet would have rather gotten kisses from young, swarthy and dangerous young men.  At least this irony was understood by the girls who laughed at their male companion when he asked if they thought if it would be okay for him to kiss the headstone.  “Actually”, one girl chuckled, “he may have liked that more.”  “Why?” he asked, and then he must have gotten it because his face turned as red as the lipstick.  “What did you get in that class again?” and “Go ahead, you may as well just kiss it now that you have my lipstick on” were what I heard as I walked off thinking that Oscar Wilde must have turned over in his grave.

In Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony states, “The evil that men do lives after them whereas the good is oft interred with their bones.”  What he does not mention is that a person’s legacy, or what people do at their grave anyway, can be determined by obscure words, deeds or mere coincidences that may not have even registered with the popular voice during their lifetime, for example: the founder of the Roman Empire has a makeshift memorial maintained by small group that he did a favor for 2000 years ago.  A fisherman from Galilee met a carpenter, moved to the Caput Mundi, was executed, buried and literally has become the foundation of a church nation.  A man who preferred young and slender boys has his headstone consistently kissed by women.  Two philosophers who maintained that everything must be defined by the individual have their resting place covered with symbols even though their basic philosophy discourages symbolism.  Lastly, a rock star that burned quickly yet brightly may still haunt us today with more than his memory.

Julius Caesar:  Grave site: Rome, Italy- Roman Forum (cremated remains missing).

Julius Caesar invented the Roman Empire by doing what a modern captain of industry does: he created growth, ran an innovative marketing and PR campaign, successfully invested capital reserves and understood how to take care of his employees.  True, he was still stabbed 37 times with possibly the death blow being delivered by his son.  Surprisingly there is no grand monument dedicated to Caesar’s legacy.  Rather what exists is a piddly dirt mound in the Roman Forum that marks where he was cremated and where Marc Antony gave his funeral oration.  In ancient Rome this was where a temple stood for the Divine Caesar that housed his remains.  As with many buildings in the Forum the temple to the Divine Caesar was quarried, overgrown and forgotten about until the 1870s.  Today, the dirt mound is commonly covered with flowers that are usually put there by Rome’s Jewish community, which has never forgotten that Caesar allowed the practice of Judaism outside Palestine.  Also, on July 18, Julius Caesar’s birthday (July is named after him), Roman Jews decorate this spot and the statue of Caesar just outside the Forum.

Simon of Bethsaida (aka St. Peter):  Grave site: The Vatican

This fisherman from Palestine was told by Jesus, “you are my Rock and upon you I will build my Church”, which has literally happened.  Peter (i.e. rock in Greek) became Simon’s nickname, he then became Jesus’s stand-in (i.e.Vicar) on earth the first Pope.  After Jesus died, Peter moved to Rome and was there during the Great Fire of 64.  The Emperor Nero blamed this fire on the Christians which began the the Christian persecutions that lasted until 312, or 248 years.  Peter was arrested, crucified upside down and buried in a mass grave outside of Rome (i.e. the Vatican).  Christians immediately started visiting his grave, which in almost 2000 years has not stopped.  Since St. Peter’s death and burial in 67 there have been hundreds of millions of visitors, two major basilicas built over his grave and in 1929 the .44 sq km(0.17 sq mi) above and around his remains became an independent country.  Today the Vatican is ruled by Pope Benedict XVI who is the only absolute monarch in Europe.

Oscar Wilde:  Grave Site:  Paris, France- Cemetery Père Lachaise #83.

Oscar Wilde lived life on his own terms in spite of the constraints and consequences of Victorian era England.  The author of The Picture of Dorian Gray lived his last years in Paris before succumbing to cerebral meningitis.  Convicted of gross indecency in 1895, a piece of evidence that was used to convict him was a letter that he wrote to his lover Lord Alfred Douglas in which he talked about a “madness of kisses.”  This phrase, representing a glimpse into his passion that he paid two years of hard labor and imprisonment for, may be what has inspired the scores of pucker marks that are decorating or vandalizing the grave, depending on who is asked.  Originally, Wilde was buried outside Paris but he was moved to Pere Lachaise.  The monument was commissioned by one Bob Ross who asked that a compartment be created for his ashes which were interred in the monument in 1950.

Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beuvoir:  Grave site: Paris, France- Montparnasse Cemetary

Jean-Paul passed away in 1980 and his life partner Simone de Beuvoir followed him in 1986.  The basics of Sartre’s philosophy is that each person must define meaning for themselves.  Philosophically speaking Sartre was a fellow-traveler, which means that he may have agreed with a movement (i.e.Communist, Maoist, etc) but he would have never have officially joined any group.  During the turbulent 60s and 70s Sartre supported a number of Leftist movements including the French Maoists, which acted at times like Robinhood in that they stole from the rich (i.e. government) and distributed to the poor (i.e. workers).  One of these acts was inspired by a price hike for the Paris metro.  In response to this act, which directly impacted French workers, the group stole metro tickets and gave them away.  Sartre helped the Maoist cause by taking over its newspaper after the group’s leadership was arrested in 1970.  Today the grave of Sartre and de Beuvoir it is likely that some unused Metro tickets are on the grave which commemorate Sartre’s and de Beauvoir’s support of the French Maoists and perhaps of socialism and labor in general.  Notes are put on the grave for Simone de Beauvoir, the author of The Second Sex and who famously said, “one is not born a woman, but becomes one”.  The notes that I saw were written in a few languages including Arabic, English, Spanish and French.  The notes written in English, Spanish and French, the languages I could get the gist of, referenced a woman’s strength and thanked de Beauvoir for her inspiration.

Jim Morrison: Grave site: Paris, France- Cemetery Père Lachaise #30

The lead singer of the Doors died at just 27 years old after being in Paris for two months.  It is hard to believe that the Lizard King rose to fame and died in less than four years.  However, for the last 30 or so years his humble grave has seen and continues to see quite a lot of action. By some estimates the grave is the 4th most visited destination in Paris so it is consistently visited by camera carrying tourists, it has made cameo appearances in movies such as the 1991 Doors, Kate Moss and her boyfriend danced on it while singing Alabama Song, there are stories of seances, drugs, booze and the list goes on.  The grave has been vandalized, chipped at and has had its memorial bust of Morrison stolen.  Oh, did I mention that the site may be haunted?  In 2002 a Rock and Roll historian named Brett Meisner had a picture snapped of him, which later someone noticed that there seemed to be an apparition in the background.  Unfortunately, when I took the picture for this article I did not discover any background transparent dancers, but if you look closely it does seem that the rust on the headstone has made a face, that looks like Jim Morrison, maybe?  Even 37 years after his death this rock star still inspires hordes of fans to visit him, supermodels to dance on him while the whole time he just might be hanging around to enjoy the show.  

Père Lachaise greets about 1.5 million visitors a year and Morrison’s grave is definitely among the most popular.  If 50% of visitors to Pere Lachaise visit Morrison’s grave then it would be more visited than Elvis’s grave at Graceland which receives about 660,000 visitors per year. I recommend budgeting about two hours for the cemetery so you can get the most out of it.  However, if you are just there to visit Jim then 45 minutes should be sufficient.  There is no admission for either Père Lachaise or Montparnasse cemeteries. TRAVEL TIP:  There are no signs pointing to famous graves so when I was there I noticed quite a few people getting lost and confused, including myself.  I recommend taking a bunch of pictures of the master map when you enter and remember to include some with the list of names and their corresponding numbers.

I do not know if you have been to the Vatican lately or are heading there but chances are that you will be or have been accosted by numerous tour-guides trying to sell their knowledge and story telling ability for a few Euros.  This business model has been around for a some years and has allowed many a traveler to make a Euro or two by guiding tourists through the Vatican, which in itself may not that be all that bad but these guides who a week or two earlier may not have known the difference between a priest and nun, usually just regurgitate what they heard from another guide who has since burned out after a month and moved on to something else.  Of course, misinformation is not only on these tour-guides but due to the enormous amount of people they put through on their “free” tours their misinformation spreads faster than a giggle at a slumber party so in the spirit of keeping them and other tour-guides honest let’s either confirm or bust this myth.

Tour Myth:  Michelangelo Buonarotti, of Sistine Chapel, David and Moses fame who at one time was the main architect of St. Peter’s Basilica designed the Swiss Guards’ uniform.  Click through to find out the answer.

This is a tough tour myth to debunk because it is so believable.  It does seem plausible that the Pope would want his guards snazzily dressed in a manner suitable to be around the Vicar of Christ and that he would entrust the project to his favorite artist, Michelangelo.  I first heard this myth on my first visit to Rome in 1987 and my tour-guide did not hustle us into a free tour and he was the type of person to fact-check plus he had even studied Latin in Rome under the famed Reggie Foster.  Nevertheless, he told us the same story about the Swiss Guards starting at their being hired by Julius II in 1506, massacred in 1527, must be Swiss, Catholic and oh…their colorful uniforms were designed by Michelangelo, which was the one nugget that our whole tour group really latched onto.  Later at dinner I remember a conversation among some of the senior members of my group about how fantastic Michelangelo must have been to do all that he did AND he designed those colorful uniforms, “even if they do make those boys look like court jesters.”

My theory of this myth’s genesis: Branding, plain and simple.  Michelangelo is a big name and anything becomes more interesting and valuable if it is associated with him.  So, perhaps without tourists believing that he designed the uniforms the Swiss Guards would be thought of as dressed silly and out of date for no reason.

Commandant Jules Repond designed the modern Swiss Guard uniform

The real story: The modern Swiss Guard uniform was designed in 1914 by Commandant Jules Repond, who the Vatican’s website states was “exceptionally gifted with fine taste in colors and shapes.”  As any good designer,  Jules studied past fashions and was inspired by some of Rapheal’s frescoes.  Therefore, it seems that the “inspiration” for the uniform actually came from Michelangelo’s rival Raphael.  This is not to say that Raphael designed the uniforms either, which is commonly said about the blue uniform.  Furthermore, I have not been able to find any direct source that links Michelangelo with these uniforms.  And since Michelangelo’s life was pretty well documented and he kept extensive notes it is likely that some evidence would be easily found.  Even the Vatican’s official website states that, “it would seem rather that he [Michelangelo] had nothing to do with it [the uniforms].”  Therefore, I declare this myth busted and false.  Sorry Michelangelo but you will just have to hope that your David and Creation of Adam will keep you relevant.

Some facts about the Swiss Guard uniform:

• It is made up of around 154 pieces of fabric and take about 30 hours to assemble
• The uniform weighs 8 lbs ( 3.57 kilos)
• The official Swiss Guards’ tailor is named Ety Cicioni and when he was given the job in 1997 there was no pattern for the uniform so he and his wife had to reverse engineer the 154 pieces
• There are a number of uniforms but the colorful ones that get the most attention are the ceremonial uniforms which carry on the Medici colors.  Usually these guards can be seen –facing St. Peter’s Basilica– to the right guarding the entrance to some administrative offices and to the left (all the way to the Basilica near the post office) guarding an entrance to where the tour of the underground of St. Peter’s originates.  The other blue and more sober uniforms can usually be seen heading either to or from the Basilica in the direction of the Vatican Museums.
• The Guards do get to keep a uniform when they leave the service but are only allowed to wear them at official Swiss Guard reunions.  So no you will not catch them around Rome in their uniforms.

There we have it Michelangelo did not design the Swiss Guard uniform, but there is still a great story and tradition that goes along with it!

Happy Travels,

Chris

Over the years I have been on a lot of tours and I have frequently heard the same information about equestrian statues (i.e. statues of people on horses).  The spiel goes like this: “when one of the horse’s hooves is raised it indicates that the rider was wounded in battle, when both of the horse’s hooves are up it indicates that the rider was killed in battle and when all four hooves are on the ground, none of the above.”  For some time now I have known this myth to be false, yet I am surprised how many times and places this detail resurfaces.  It’s almost like there is a tour-guide Bible that is passed down by generations of tour-guides that is never questioned.  I am all for a good story and enjoy the fun facts that tour-guides have in their arsenal of knowledge, but this nugget of information is simply not true.

For the doubters here is a list six of the better known equestrian statues that do not conform to this rule.  If I had to make a guess as to why sculptors choose one pose over another I think that it is because they want to create dynamic pose to display their skill, or perhaps and more likely, they are just conforming with the style of the times as with Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s baroque statues of Louis XIV – reproduction in the Louvre square- and Constantine in St. Peter’s Basilica.  Represented are statues from the last 1800 years and from 4 countries, including the Vatican.  The oldest is the Marcus Aurelius reproduction in Rome ( the original circa 180 AD is a couple hundred meters away out of the elements) all the way up to the $2M Juan de Ornate statue in New Mexico dedicated in 2007.

Statue 1:

Marcus Aurelius

Title: Roman Emperor

Equestrian Pose: Front hove up (i.e. wounded in battle).

Location:  Rome, Italy;  Original statue located inside Capitoline Museums whereas the reproduction is in the middle of the square.

Explanation:  As a Roman Emperor of that age it was highly unlikely that Marcus Aurelius would have seen any up-close and personal action.  There is no writing about him being injured in battle.  Myth unlikely.

Statue 2:

Charlemagne

Title: Holy Roman Emperor

Location: Square in front of Notre Dame, Paris France

Equestrian Pose: Front hove up (i.e. wounded in battle).

Explanation:  Charlemagne saw quite a bit of action but I was able to find no report of his being wounded in battle.  Myth unlikely.

Statue 3:

Constantine

Title:  Roman Emperor

Location: St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  However uncommon it may have been for a Roman Emperor, especially between 200 and 400 AD to die of natural causes, Constantine did.  Myth false.

Louis XIV

Title: King of France- The Sun King

Location:  Original at Versailles and reproduction in square at Louvre.

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  The Sun King died of gangrene at when he was 77.  Myth false.

Statue 5:

Andrew Jackson

Title: US President

Location: Washington, DC

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  Jackson has the distinction of being the only US President to kill a man in a duel and he did have a musket ball in his chest which gave him a terrible cough but his cause of death was tuberculosis which he succumbed to at age 78.  Myth false.

Statue 6:

Juan de Ornate

Title: called by some, “The Last Conquistador” 

Location: El Paso International Airport

Equestrian Pose: Both front legs up (i.e. died in battle).

Explanation:  The most recent of my examples was only finished in 2007 and is considered to be largest and heaviest bronze equestrian statue in existence.  However, the myth still does not hold in that Ornate passed away in Spain having nothing to do with battle injuries.

Granted, there are only six examples that do not hold up to myth and at times I am sure that coincidentally some horses’ hooves match up with their rider’s demise, but this tour tid-bit is for the bin.

Happy Travels,

Chris

For over 2700 years Rome has been the stage of countless important events. Walking through Rome, one could wonder about past residents that have walked its well trodden streets, the palaces, which once housed royalty, but are now ignored and the historic and oftentimes violent events that happened in the very spots on which an uninformed tourist might be standing, questioning, “why are there so many cats in Rome?” We’ve identified 10 infamous crime scenes where the offenses committed have had a lasting impact, most of the time, on Western culture. Click through for videos.

1. 753 BC, Remus: According to the legend of the founding of Rome, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus each had a dream about where a city should be founded. Romulus’ dream designated the Palatine Hill and Remus’ designated the Aventine Hill. On April 21, 753BC the brothers squared off with the result being Romulus killing his brother and founding his city on what later became the spot where the Emperors called home. Remus’s hill, the Aventine, became Rome’s slums because of its association with the losing brother. We designated the base of the Palatine Hill as the place where Remus was killed to give credit to the winning brother.
2. 163 BC, Tiberius Gracchus: This champion of the people met his death in the Roman Forum. Tiberius Gracchus died during a riot between groups fighting over the distribution of land to soldiers. That day, according to Plutarch, three hundred men were killed along with Tiberius – none with a metal instrument, which means that they were all clubbed to death. This is important because Tiberius Gracchus’ death is considered by many to be the end of the Roman Republic. To this day he is a symbol of the disenfranchised.
3. 44 BC, Julius Caesar: This was probably the most famous assignation that ever took place. Where there is now a tram stop, there was once the entrance to the Theater of Pompey, which was where the Roman Senate met on March 15, 44 BC. An interesting twist of irony is that there is nothing that commemorates where Julius Caesar was assassinated. Julius Caesar founded the Roman Empire. Notes on the accompanying video from HBO via Youtube. This is a pretty good representation of the event. Of course the end does not have the famous quote, “Et tu Brute” but Caesar seems communicate that with his eyes. Also, in terms of physical resemblance, the historical Caesar was blond and balding.
4. 64, St. Peter: The Vicar of Christ was living in Rome when the Great Fire of 064 destroyed a large part of the city. Nero, the Emperor at the time, accused the Christians of starting the fire; Peter being among the accused. The murders of theses early Christians took place near to where the Vatican City is today. Tradition holds that Peter asked to be crucified upside down because he did not want to die in the same manner as Jesus. Today in the middle of St. Peter’s Square there is an Egyptian obelisk that is fabled to have been present in the circus when St. Peter was killed. The obelisk has been moved a few hundred meters to the N/E to where it currently stands. This event and the subsequent burial is the whole reason for the existence of St. Peter’s Basilica.
5. 268, St. Valentine: This Roman priest, for whom the Valentine’s Day is named, was supposedly clubbed to death after continuing to perform marriage ceremonies contrary to the Emperor’s mandate. Today his skull can be seen in the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin.
6. 1500, Giordano Bruno: Considered by some to be the first martyr for science, his notions about infinity and multiple universes were not appreciated by the dogmatic Catholic Church, and he was burned at the stake.
7. 1564, Michelangelo Buonarroti: The Renaissance sculptor, painter and architect died a natural death. A bit of intrigue revolves around his body which was stolen by his nephew, smuggled out of Rome and brought back and buried in his native Florence. Michelangelo would have wanted it that way.
8. 1929, Giacomo Matteotti: The leader of the opposing political party to Mussolini’s ruling Fascist Party, Matteotti called the elections that put the Fascists in power a sham. Rather than answering with oratory and public criticism, a gang of Fascists led by Mussolini’s press secretary kidnapped Matteotti, killed him and dumped his body outside of Rome. Mussolini benefited greatly from this action of his cronies. Hitler later used this same play when he burned the Reichstag nine years later as a pretext for seizing total power.
9. 1978, Aldo Moro: Moro was an ex-Italian Prime Minister who was kidnapped and eventually killed by the left wing terrorist group Brigate Rosse, (the Red Berets). As with the assassination of any powerful political figure, this killing deeply affected the Italians.
10. 1981, Pope John Paul II: The 271st Pope passed away on April 5, 2005 in his apartment in the Vatican City. John Paul II was also shot and nearly killed on May 13, 1981 in St. Peter’s Square. Why is this event so important? One bullet passed through the Pontiff nearly killing the Pope. If the bullet would have been even millimeters in any other direction it would have surely killed him. The event defined Pope John Paul II’s ministry and commitment to the Virgin Mary; moreover, it is considered a miracle that he was not killed and is one of the three needed for him to be Canonized (i.e. made into a Saint).

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