Interesting Facts about The Sistine Chapel and The Vatican

Interesting Facts about The Sistine Chapel and The Vatican

                 Hey guys! My name is Gabby Kadoo and I am extremely excited and blessed to be going on this adventure abroad to Europe with you all!! I am a Senior at FGCU planning to graduate in December with a degree in theatre. My partner is Alec Taylor, who is a junior that also attends FGCU as a double major in Theatre and Communications, and today for you, we would like to share some interesting sights when visiting Vatican City as well as some facts that you may not know about the Sistine Chapel! 

Vatican City

Vatican City is an independent city-state that gained its independence from Italy on February 11th, 1929 through the Lateran Treaties and was always considered sacred land as it was never inhabited for long periods of time. After Caligula began erecting the obelisks, more and more people began to migrate to the area, and it eventually attracted religious figures. The first palace was built in the 5th Century, and eventually the Vatican began to house the Pope by the year 1870.

The Capella Sistina or The Sistine Chapel was named after the Pope that commissioned it, Pope Sixtus IV, who had the chapel built between 1477 and 1480.This Chapel is known as the Pope's private chapel and is visited by some 25,000 people each day. The first Mass was conducted on August 15, 1483 by the same Pope it was commissioned by.

                                                                                      Sistine Chapel

Michaelangelo and The Sistine Chapel

When we think of the Sistine Chapel, the first person that comes to mind is Michaelangelo! Right?! Well, Contrary to popular belief, Michaelangelo did not paint the Sistine Chapel in its entirety. 

Yes, the Sistine Chapel is most famous for Michelangelo’s frescoes, or water color paintings, but long before Michelangelo, Sixtus commissioned painters such as Botticelli to fresco the two long walls of the chapel. One side of the chapel told the story of Moses while the other the story of Christ. 

 

Southern wall

Northern Wall

In 1508, the Pope that commissioned the work of Michaelangelo was the Nephew of Sixtus. Michaelangelo was working on the tomb of Pope Julius II, and when called to create an image of the 12 apostles, the artist dismissed the idea as poor. He was not excited to paint the ceiling in a chapel. Furthermore, he considered himself to be more of a sculptor as opposed to a painter.

He still accepted the job, and for the next for years the artist set out to create this beautiful ceiling masterpiece, as well as the alter wall in the Gorgeous, Sistine Chapel.

The ceiling of The Sistine Chapel

  

   

The Last Judgement (on altar wall in Chapel)

The Vatican

The Vatican Obelisk in St. Peter Square

    The Vatican Obelisk was taken by Caligula from Heliopolis in Egypt to decorate his spina for his circus. What makes this piece so interesting is that it is one of the only found obelisks to not have a form of hieroglyphics engraved on it. It's also the only remaining obelisk in Rome that has not toppled since the Roman Empire. In other words, you can't find a structure like this anywhere else in Rome. Legend has it, that there used to be an old sphere-like vase at the top of the obelisk, and it contained the ashes of Julius Caesar

The domed roof of St. Peter's Basilica 

One of the most world-renowned churches in the world, St. Peter's Basilica, is known for the beautiful monuments and altars that lay within it, and the jaw dropping, domed ceiling at the very top designed by none other than the great Michelangelo. Although this church is stunning, it is in fact not the original, as the first was built on the grounds of the Circus of Nero, where thousands of Christians, including Jesus's disciple Peter, were martyred.

The Vatican Museums 

The final sight to see when visiting would be the Vatican Museums. During the time Julius II was Pope, he began collecting multiple different pieces of artwork since he was a patron of famous artists such as Michelangelo and Raphael. Because Julius had an immense amount of pictures, he became the founder of Vatican Museums in the 15th Century. Since then, it became the National Museum of Vatican City and is the 5th most visited art gallery in the world.

  These are only a few of the many other sights to see within this small 110 acre piece of land. Not only is Vatican City a great spot to take a couple of pictures or go sight seeing, but it's also a place to learn and gain a deeper knowledge about the Christian faith. Even if you aren't a religious person, taking the time to learn of our past and how Christianity influenced the United States is super important. The land may be small, but the history we as a group can take from this place could actually be very, very big.







Sources:

Vatican. “The Holy See.” Vatican.va, w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html. 

“Guide to the Best Things to See in Vatican City.” As We Saw It, 3 Dec. 2018, www.aswesawit.com/vatican-bucket-list-ideas/.

"Rome's Sistine Chapel: 50 fascinating facts" https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/italy/rome/articles/Romes-Sistine-Chapel-50-fascinating-facts/

"Sistine Chapel: Facts, History & Visitor Information" https://www.livescience.com/40802-sistine-chapel.html

What To Know On Pompeii: History & Ruins

What To Know On Pompeii: History &Ruins 

 Hello! Welcome to our blog about the history and ruins of Pompeii. We are Teresa and Shania and we are so pumped to be going on this years Adventure Abroad trip! Teresa is in her junior year and a nursing major starting in the fall. She has also been cheering for FGCU for two years. I have just begun my senior year and am an integrated studies major focusing on film and creative writing. We both chose to research Pompeii because it was the city we were the most unfamiliar with and wanted the chance to dive a little deeper. We both love travel and experiencing culture so this seemed like the perfect fit for us. Our blog will focus on the overall history of Pompeii as well as the ruins and the importance of nearby Mount Vesuvius. Enjoy! :)  

Overall History: 

“Pompeii, Ancient City.” Short History

Website, 8 Aug. 2018, www.shorthistory.org/ancient-civilizations/ancient-rome/pompeii-ancient-city/.

The city of Pompeii is located just south of modern day Naples, although it wasn’t always a Roman city. Pompeii was originally established by the Greeks and Etruscans around the 6th century B.C.E. The Samnite people briefly inhabited the city, but the Romans reestablished the city by the 3rd century B.C.E. The city flourished under Roman rule, and followed many culture and traditional ways of the ancient Roman empire. The city continued to develop until the summer of 79 AD, when Mount Vesuvius erupted. Pompeii was located just five miles from the volcano, and for days the eruption covered the city in thirteen to twenty feet of volcanic ash and debris. Thousands of people were killed by the eruption, but the ash from the explosion also preserved the ruins of the city for thousands of years. The city was originally rediscover by an engineer in 1748, and many excavations began to explore and preserve the remains. The city of Pompeii now holds the most accurate ruins and history of ancient Rome and gives us insight in to everyday historic life.

Mount Vesuvius: 

Located on the west coast of Italy, this is the only active volcano on mainland Europe. 

In the summer of A.D 79, this volcano alone destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In 2013, reports put Vesuvius at 4,203 ft (1,281 meters). Still active today, this volcano is considered to be one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world.  

Faraday, Jessy. Mt. Vesuvius. Naples, Italy. Timestravel. 28 May 2019. 

City in Ruins:

“Pompeii: Vesuvius Eruption May Have Been Later than Thought.” BBC News,

BBC, 16 Oct. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45874858.

The Roman city of Pompeii was buried and preserved in history by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

The nearby active volcano violently erupted in the summer A.D 79 with around 10,000 residents occupying the city. While some fled, others sought shelter in their homes as volcanic surges of ash, rock, toxic gas began to barricade them in.

This deadly combination is what preserved buildings, artwork and even the form of bodies as they decomposed and left holes in the ash.

FUN FACTS:

[“Pompeii.” Wikiwand, www.wikiwand.com/en/Pompeii.]

* Pompeii is also known as "City of Death"

* When the city was rediscovered, the ash the encased the decaying bodies of the people of Pompeii was used as mold to pour concrete replications of the bodies that once laid there. 

Works Cited 

Cartwright, Mark. “Pompeii.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, Ancient History Encyclopedia, 21 Mar. 2018, www.ancient.eu/pompeii/.

Owens, James. “Archaeologists Investigate Ancient Roman Life Preserved at Pompeii.” Ancient Roman Life Preserved at Pompeii | National Geographic, National Geographic, 21 Oct. 2010, www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/archaeology/pompeii/.

Tronchin, Francesca. “Pompeii, an Introduction.” Smarthistory, Smarthistory, 2 Sept. 2018, smarthistory.org/pompeii-an-introduction/.

“Pompeii, Ancient City.” Short History Website, 8 Aug. 2018, www.shorthistory.org/ancient-civilizations/ancient-rome/pompeii-ancient-city/.

“Pompeii: Vesuvius Eruption May Have Been Later than Thought.” BBC News, BBC, 16 Oct. 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45874858.

“Pompeii.” Wikiwand, www.wikiwand.com/en/Pompeii.

Bagley, Mary. “Mount Vesuvius & Pompeii: Facts & History”. Live Science. 19 Dec. 2017, https://www.livescience.com/27871-mount-vesuvius-pompeii.html

Faraday, Jessy. Mt. Vesuvius. Naples, Italy. Timestravel. 28 May 2019.

Split, Croatia: Architecture, Art & GoT

     

Split, Croatia: Architecture, Art & GoT

Hey guys! We're Shelbie and Lauren and we'll be introducing you to the beautiful city of Split, Croatia. As you can see this is a gorgeous waterfront town with a nice blend of classic and contemporary. They are known for their beaches and their historical sites like Diocletian's Palace and the Cathedral of St. Domnius, as well as the Ivan Mestrovic Gallery. We're excited to tour you through this incredible stopping point, and we chose it not only for it's seaside beauty, but also because it was one of the main filming locations for Game of Thrones (our second Game of Thrones filming location on an Adventure Abroad trip)!

Emperor Diocletian & Diocletian's Palace

The most popular attraction in Split, built by Emperor Diocletian as a "retirement home" in 305 CE in Roman military base style. He voluntarily retired from his position as Emperor of Rome and settled in this Palace before he died.The ruins are one of the most valuable surviving building of the Roman era, built from local limestone and marble.

Now the palace lies in the heart of Split, and has become Old Town adorned with cafés and shops. Its is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the #1 To-Do. Around 3000 people live in this area today, and at night the columns are illuminated with lights and garland, sprinkled with street performers and tourists and locals.

Also, the palace was used to film scenes from Mereen in Game of Thrones, where Queen Daenerys kept her Dragon's and the Throne Room.

Local Cultural and Natural Attractions

Though Diocletian's Palace is the most popular attraction, there are many more beautiful sights to see in this ancient city. Amongst the many are: The Cathedral of St. Domnius, The Ivan Mestrovic Gallery, Marjan Forest Park and the Marjan Stairway, Split Archaeological Museum, and the Klis Fortress. 

The Cathedral of St. Domnius

This cathedral was initially built in the 7th century. The 60-meter-tall bell tower can be climbed for a beautiful view of the Diocletian Palace. 

The Ivan Mestrovic Gallery

Sculptor Ivan Mestrovic's work can be seen all throughout the city of Split, but over 86 of his marble, stone, wood, bronze, and gypsum sculptures and statues can be seen in this museum and its beautiful garden.  The Marjan Forest Park is known for its gorgeous, towering pines trees and walking trails that overlook the city and Sea. The famous Marjan Stairway is also located here, providing access to the vantage point of Telegrin and another breathtaking view of Croatia's bluest waters. 

Marjan Forest Park

The Marjan Forest Park is known for its gorgeous, towering pines trees and walking trails that overlook the city and Sea. The famous Marjan Stairway is also located here, providing access to the vantage point of Telegrin and another breathtaking view of Croatia's bluest waters. 

     The Split Archaeological Museum 

This is the oldest archeological museum in Croatia. It holds over 150,000 artifacts including the country's largest collection of gems, hundreds of stone carvings, roman glass, and over a thousand clay lamps. Sounds like a great place to be if you're a history buff!  

   Klis Fortress

This fortress has quite the bloody past, but it is impressive in its structure and lengthy existence. It sits along a limestone bluff, id 385 meters at its tallest point, and is used to control the valley leading into town. There are numerous artifacts inside, including traditional clothing and swords. There's also an entire room dedicated to the filming of Game of Thrones, and is open to the public to explore. 

Game of Thrones

Known as one of the best shows in television history, Game of Thrones is known for its cinematographic beauty, riveting plot, and exceptional writing. (If you haven't watched it, you should!) For all of you loyal fans out there, and TV/Film lovers, I will tour you around Split as seen through the Game of Thrones lens.

As previously stated, a lot of Mereen was shot in Split, this is a scene shot on Split's Fortress of Kriss. It makes it even easier to imagine as centuries old when it's used for a medieval fantasy shooting location!

 A lot of King's Landing (The capitol of the entire country, where the Royal Family lives and a HUGE part of the show) was filmed in Split. The Baroque Stairs in Dubrovnik that Queen Cersi is pictured walking on became the stairs to the Great Sept of Baelor, where lots of important scenes were shot, for instance the Shaming Scene.


Lots of scenes in King's Landing were shot in Dubrovnik Old Town, so if you want to get a shot for the Gram that you can compare to the actual show, this would be a good place to do it! The bay pictured to the right was iconic throughout the show, signaling the arrival of a character and so many different plot progressions.

This last picture is a shot from the Red Keep in King's Landing, where the King and his family reside and where many, many battles take place.

I find it very cool that there are places in the world that can be used to film shows from medieval times. The U.S. doesn't have that luxury, or that history, and it's amazing that we're going to experience it all, and see it brought to life from the television screen. Can't wait!

Sources

http://www.diocletianspalace.org

https://www.boredpanda.com/tracing-game-of-thrones-filming-locations-asta-skujyte-razmiene-croatia/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/split-hr-da-s.htm
https://marinas.com/view/marina/jnc1129_Split_Riva_Marina_Split_Croatia
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Diocletian