Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
January in Rome
There is no better time to be in Rome than January, when the museums are empty
and the air is crisp and clean. In January, you can stand all alone in front of the
Trevi Fountain and be one of a few dozen visitors in the Sistine Chapel. What you
sacrifice in summer Mediterranean sunshine, you will more than make up for in the
reward of having these great gems of Rome to yourself. The sales are in full swing
and you can generally cash in on bargain “last minute” deals as hoteliers try des-
perately to fill their rooms. The restaurants light their fireplaces and you can linger
longer over your warm meal. Savory soups replace pasta and the dark, warm
mirtillo
digestive is served instead of
limoncello.
The cafe-bars serve rich hot chocolate
con
panna
and the cappuccinos seem extra frothy. The temperature is brisk, but almost
never dips below freezing. Snow in Rome is a rare and celebrated event—one you
can only hope you're here for. There is something very congenial about Rome in the
dead of winter; it is still a place where you can have lunch outside most days, but
it's also a place that seems to have come out of hiding.
The Sistine Chapel
The most famous frescoes in the world fill the massive ceiling of the Sistine Chapel,
which is where the conclave to elect the Pope is held. Michelangelo completed the
work over the period of 1508 to 1512; it is said he spent the entire 4 years on his
feet, paint dripping into his eyes. Start your visual journey at the
Last Judgment
and
move back through
Separation of Light and Darkness,
the
Creation of Sun, Moon
and Planets,
the
Separation of Land and Sea,
the
Creation of Fishes and Birds,
the
Creation of Adam,
the
Creation of Eve,
the
Temptation
and
Expulsion from Paradise,
the
Sacrifice of Noah,
the
Flood,
and the
Drunkenness of Noah.
At the age of 60, Michelangelo was summoned to finish the chapel decor
23 years after he finished the ceiling work. He was said to be saddened by the state
of Rome and painted these dark moods in his
Last Judgment,
where he included
his own self-portrait on a sagging human hide held by St. Bartholomew.
Along the chapel walls, starting on the left-hand side when facing the
Last
Judgment,
are Perugino's
Journey of Moses,
Boticelli's
Events from the Life of Moses,
Cosimo Rosselli's
Crossing the Red Sea
and
Moses Receives the Tablets of the Law,
Luca Signorelli's
The Testament of Moses,
and Matteo da Lecce's
The Dispute over
Moses' Body.
On the right-hand side facing the
Last Judgment
are Perugino's
The
Baptism of Christ,
Botticelli's
The Temptations of Christ,
Ghirlandaio's
The Calling
of the Apostles,
Perugino's
Handing over the Keys,
Cosimo Rosselli's
The Sermon on
the Mount
and
The Last Supper,
and Hendrik van den Broeck's
The Resurrection.
Castel Sant'Angelo
The rotund
Castel Sant'Angelo
(Lungotevere Castelo, 50;
%
06-6819111;
€
5
adults,
€
2.50 seniors and students; daily 9am-8pm)
was built as Hadrian's fam-
ily mausoleum and has been used as a fortress, papal residence, and military
prison—remnants of which are still evident inside. This is a complex, multilay-
ered site, so consider renting an audioguide at the ticket stand to help you fully
