Vatican City evoked a feeling of mystery. A walled city that has been the seat of the Catholic faith and the guiding light to millions of followers worldwide. Today, we were catching a glimpse of the place by visiting its museum and St. Peter’s square. Unlike yesterday, this day was a guided tour group day.

Our tour group stood watching the long lines of people waiting for their turn to enter the museum. We had the luxury of skipping the long lines. Piazza della Pigna, a square named after a pinecone-shaped fountain, was our staging area before entering the hallways of the museum. Our tour guide began occupying our waiting time with some information and history about the museum.

The Vatican Museum housed a collection of artwork by the papacy over the centuries. The floor, walls, and ceilings were as elaborately and intricately designed as the artworks. Each painting, fresco, bust, statue and works of art representing something significant in history.

The movement through the hallways was slow and steady. Several big guided tour groups were separated only by a few paces and allowed only a few moments to appreciate the artworks. We did our best. There was so much to see and with so little time. We wanted to stop and just stare but the crowd had to keep a constant forward motion.

We still appreciated the fact that we experienced walking and viewing the hallways of the Vatican Museum. Outside, St. Peter’s Square was open and expansive. Old architecture and life-sized marble statues were scattered everywhere.

There were barely any people at St. Peter’s Square. The majority of the crowd moved out of the museum and kept on moving toward the streets. We took our time at the square. There was no papal audience for this day.

An obelisk stood at the center of the square. A pagan symbol across St. Peter’s Basilica. The obelisk originated in Egypt and antedated all other structures at the square. Today, it has the papal symbol adorning it.

The Nativity Scene at St. Peter’s Square near the obelisk was just fitting. It was December and the time to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ – the reason for Christmas celebration.

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