In the Footsteps of Popes
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In the Footsteps of Popes A SPIRITED GUIDE TO THE TREASURES OF THE VATICAN ENRICO BRUSCHINI This book is dedicated to all the friends with whom I have visited the Vatican. It is the response to the many interesting questions that were posed spontaneously as we admired the masterpieces of Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini. Through conversation with these many friends this book was born, and so with gratitude I consider them all coauthors. Contents Foreword iv Genesis of the Vatican 1 The Vatican Museums 7 St. Peter's Basilica 197 Index 251 Acknowledgments About the Author Cover Copyright About the Publisher FOREWORD BY COKIE ROBERTS f you were walking through the Vatican with Enrico Bruschini I he'd stop at some random, seemingly insignificant, spot along a hallway. ªAllora,º he'd begin, and proceed to tell you a spellbinding story about your surroundingsÐthe walls, the floor, the ceiling, the windows even. You'd watch his eyes twinkle with enjoyment, his smile spread under his maestro mustache as he regaled you with the adventures, or misadventures, of the artists we think of only, and simplistically, as ªgreat.º This book provides you with a written version of those delightful discourses. Immediately on meeting this distinguished art histori- anÐBruschini has written several books on Roman art, excavated ancient Roman sites, and directed the restoration of antique fres- coesÐhe becomes just Enrico, your friend. Meeting him through the pages of this book, you might not be able to hear Enrico's enthu- siasm when greeting a colleague; or admire his patience as he an- swers the question of a stranger who's horned in on his tour; but you will be able to read and refer back to the wealth of information that even the eager ear might not remember. The book takes you step by step through the buildings and courtyards of the Vatican. When Enrico asks you to trust his many years of experience as a guide, ªcombined with a great personal passion for art, to select the works of major interest,º be grateful. He is giving you good advice on what to skip as well as what to see. And he tells you how to make the most of your visit. For instance, while viewing the three altarpieces of Raphael, Enrico recommends that, ªafter admiring them from the best standing vantage point, you sit on the comfortable antique chairs facing them to admire these works as a group. It is something unforgettable!º It's not just as an artistic student and critic that Enrico leads you through the Vatican, it's also as an historian who can tell you the sometimes juicy stories of the people depicted in the sculptures and paintings. The Roman work of the Venus Felix, for example, shows the goddess of love preparing for her bath with her son, Cupid. Venus' face, in the eye of the keen observer Enrico Bruschini, re- sembles closely portraits of Second Century Roman Faustina Minor, wife of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. According to our guide, she was ªwell known in Rome for her dissolute ways and for her sub- sequent scandals which the emperor desperately tried to cover up. If the statue really represents Faustina, she is properly represented with the body of Venus, the goddess of love!º Good stuff! Since Enrico talks about Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo, and Caravaggio in such familiar terms, it's hard to believe he didn't know them personally; but he also appreciates modern works. He passionately describes the Sphere within a Sphere sculpture placed in the Courtyard of the Pine Cone in 1990, concluding, ªA work of art is a true work of art only if it moves your soul.º And remarkably, Enrico Bruschini finds himself moved by the masterpieces of the Vatican even after what must be the millionth time he's seen them. In introducing the Sistine Chapel, Enrico says simply, ªNo descrip- tion can equal the powerful impact of seeing Michelangelo's frescoes in person.º Its impact gets him every time, causing him to tear up with emotion as he beholds them once again. Lucky for you, that passion comes through in this book vi / Enrico Bruschini along with the useful and interesting information. In my tours through Rome with Enrico, I've learned from his breadth of know- ledge, his intellect, and his fine artistic eye. I have great admiration for him as a teacher. But it's his love for these works that makes them come alive. Partly because of that contagious sense of joy, I also have great affection for Enrico Bruschini as a friend. In the Footsteps of Popes / vii GENESIS OF THE VATICAN he story of the Vatican started in Rome about two thousand T years ago, during the cruel reign of the Emperor Nero. In the year A.D. 64 a terrible fire devastated the city. The Romans were quick to accuse their emperor of having deliberately set the fire in order to acquire more land to build his new, immense palace, the Domus Aurea (Golden House). Today we know that this accus- ation was almost certainly untrue. Rome was already renowned for its splendid edifices in marble thanks in great part to Emperor Augustus, although the poorest part of the city, the suburra (slums), was comprised mainly of wooden abodes. It was therefore common for a spark, especially during the preparation of meals, to set afire any nearby furnishings, often en- gulfing entire structures. The narrowness of the roads, as well as the closeness of the houses to one another, most likely contributed to the rapid spread of ªNero's Fire.º Nero, however, could not afford the harsh criticism of the popu- lace, because his extravagances had already greatly irritated the Romans. Another mistake would have made his survival even more precarious. As a result, the emperor was quick to find a scapegoat for the fire: the Christians! With this accusation, he initi- ated one of the most absurd and cruel persecutions in history. During the same period the Apostles Peter and Paul were both in Rome. Saul, or Paul as he was subsequently called after the Latin word paulus or ªsmall,º was born at Tarsus in Anatolia, today's Turkey, between 15 B.C. and 5 B.C. His father, who had acquired Roman cit- izenship, was able to pass it on to his son. Paul, at the beginning, did not share the beliefs of the early Christians. He was a witness in Jerusalem at the stoning of Saint Stephen (called the ªprotomartyrº because he was the first martyr in the name of Jesus). As written in the Acts of the Apostles (9:3±19), Paul was on his way to Damascus to participate in the persecution of the local Christian community when a supernatural force flung him from his horse and Jesus appeared, addressing him with the famous words: ªSaul, Saul, why do you persecute me?º Struck by divine grace, Paul embraced the Christian faith and dedicated himself to the conversion of pagans, traveling to Cyprus, Asia Minor, and Greece. On his return to Jerusalem he was arrested and brought to Caesarea, in Palestine, to face Felix, the Roman prosecutor. He was imprisoned for two years, until he appealed to the Roman emperor with the famous phrase: ªCivis Romanus sumº (I am a Roman cit- izen) and thus was released. In the year A.D. 60 he arrived in Rome, where he was kept under the surveillance of Roman authorities. According to tradition, Paul made a trip to Spain as well as a trip to the Orient, and in the year A.D. 66 was again arrested and, most likely in the year A.D. 67, was condemned to death. As a Roman citizen, however, he did not undergo the disgraceful penalty of crucifixion and was, instead, sentenced to be decapitated. His body was placed in a sepulcher on the Via Ostiense, south of Rome. In the fourth century A.D., the emperor Constantine built a 2 / Enrico Bruschini basilica over his tomb. Part of this magnificent church still exists today, and is called Saint Paul Outside the Walls. Simon, as we know, was born in Galilee. The symbolic nickname of Kephas (ªrockº in Hebrew), or petrus in Latin, was given to him directly by Jesus with the noted words: ªYou are `Peter' and on this Rock I will build my Church.º He lived in Capernaum and was a fisherman, as was his brother Andrew. Christ chose both of them as apostles. After Jesus' death, Peter was arrested and according to tradition, an angel sent by God set him free. Peter left Jerusalem and journeyed to Antioch. He then went to Rome, where he stayed for about twenty-five years and became the first pope of the Christians. When the first accusations were made by Nero against the Roman Christians, the community prevailed on Peter to leave the city to save himself. According to tradition we know that just outside the city Peter encountered Christ. In astonishment, he asked, ªQuo Vadis, Domine?ºÐªWhere are you going, O Lord?º and Jesus replied, ªI am going to Rome to be crucified again.º At this point, the old apostle understood that his duty was to give evidence of his faith by returning to Rome, and thus not escape his destiny. On the Via Appia Antica it is still possible to visit the small church of the ªQuo Vadisº which recalls the place of the encounter. Nero's anger immediately fell upon the leader of the Christians.