11 Comments
User's avatar
Marco & Sabrina's avatar

We may be in Rome late September, Laura so this is very timely

Expand full comment
Life Lived Italian's avatar

I'll echo Etta at All Things Italy. Have passed this by a half dozen times. Who knew? What a useful post!

Expand full comment
Laura Itzkowitz's avatar

Thanks! If you do end up visiting, I hope you'll imagine Queen Christina of Sweden swanning around the halls.

Expand full comment
Etta Madden's avatar

I have been by this place so many times and never gone inside. Thank you for sharing about it here!!!

Expand full comment
Laura Itzkowitz's avatar

I hope next time you will go inside!

Expand full comment
Etta Madden's avatar

I think I will make a point of visiting! One of my research subjects (19th-century journalist) wrote about it, too!

Expand full comment
David Gemeinhardt's avatar

And on the list it goes, along with every other palace you've written about.

Expand full comment
Laura Itzkowitz's avatar

Thank you! Let me know if you go.

Expand full comment
Lindsay's avatar

What an incredible collection of art! The ceilings are mesmerizing. I can hardly draw a stick figure and someone was able to paint either at an awkward angle or lying down on a scaffold. Thank you for sharing!

Expand full comment
Laura Itzkowitz's avatar

Yes, it's quite incredible! Not sure if this is true, but I once heard that after painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo could only read by holding a book above his head.

Expand full comment
Lindsay's avatar

Visiting the Sistine chapel is a blur. I visited Italy with my grandmother at 17, visiting family in Bologna and traveling to Venice, Florence and Rome as well. I remember how crowded it was in Vatican City. Hoping to plan a trip in the near future to explore quieter areas that are just as rich with history and beauty.

Expand full comment