How I swatched in the Vatican

Once at night on the square
Saint Peter implanted,
that I immerse yourself in a dream,
that I see the distant world
old ages closed here
Between the wings of the Great Portication.
Luigi Pilandello
"The late Mattia Pascal"

our village Tarka Tarakanya in the area takes more space than the Vatican. The smallest state in the world – the Vatican – only 44 hectares, t. E. Approximately eight ordinary vegetable gardens inhabitants cockroaches. But the Tarachans, unlike the Vaticanians (whom it is barely with a thousand will be to all the state), there is no own flag and hymn, as well as a chased coin.

And all because the supreme pontiff of all Catholics of the world – the Roman dad prefers to live not in the database of cockroach, but in the Vatican. Dad not only rules with its state and is the head of the Roman Catholic Church, but no, no, no, will affect its faithful bishops for political and social life all over the world. Dad – an extremely influential person who has a terrific power. Governor of God on Earth. Because dad all normal people are afraid and respect. To be even more respected, sometimes dad gives public audiences in Rome.

Roman dad – man wealthy. Yes, and the state is not a little. Vatican is one of the richest states in the world. It owns control packets of shares of numerous prosperous companies, two thirds of the enterprises of the pharmaceutical industry Italy, castles, palaces, houses, huge land plots. Therefore, dad can afford to restore and decorate the Vatican in order to make this holy hill even more worthy of the seat of the Supreme Father of all Catholics of the world.

Since the Vatican for almost six centuries for almost six centuries has been a residence of the Paw (until 1377 he was Lateran), you can imagine how much beauty and luxury it has accumulated. An eloquent example of this is the Cathedral of St. Peter, which has been restored (facade) for several months. Vatican "cleans feathers" before 2000. Hotel complexes are built, fashionable restaurants are hastily converted under self-service café. Rome expects in 2000 the arrival of at least 35 million pilgrims and tourists from all countries of the world. Particularly zealous Catholics already book places in hotels. Prices correspond to a global celebration.

St. Peter’s Cathedral is the largest church of the Christian world (the external length, including the portico, is 211 meters; the height of the arch is 44 meters; the height of the dome inside the cathedral is 119 meters). The history of the cathedral begins with 324 years, when the first Christian emperor – Konstantin decided to build a temple on the spot where Sv was buried. Peter, tortured in a circus of Nero. Since that time, the Cathedral was subjected to numerous perestroins and additions, until 1506, when the architect Bramte was charged with his complete reconstruction, in which Rafael, Perusyci, Sangallo and Finally, managed to participate to participate.

Michelangelo, taking the project to Bramte, conceived to build a grandiose basil in the form of a Greek cross with a spectacular double dome. But by order of Paul V in 1606, in the plan of the Cathedral, the Greek cross was replaced by Latin with the addition of two niches and the facade to Plan Michelangelo. Since 1629, the temple was decorated in the luxurious baroque style of Bernini. Work on the project occupied 120 years (from Bramte to Bernini), during this time there were 10 architects over him, and 20 dads took the decision to approval.

The dome of the cathedral, designed by Michelangelo, is not different as "poetic harmony of infinity". The giant gray-blue arch does not dominate the sky, and merging with the color of the sky, it seems part of his architecture. It seems that the whole world is someone in an unknown way reflected here. All that there is a clean and sublime in human thoughts, aspirations, merges under the arches of the Cathedral with prayers and the pious hopes of the Christian world, with a venerable trepidation of the gravestone of the Premium of the Apostles.

While I tried to imbued with a sense of eternity, taking my head, staring at the dome of Michelangelo, my group managed to leak inside the cathedral. Armed with a phrase job, I went to the nearest red-edged guard, prepare explanations about the missing ticket. Italianized in Italian was pleasant and difficult. Confidently porch words, I proudly explained that he was behind the group, but I need to get into the cathedral. The guard listened to my explanations on Italian, not blinking. No muscle flounded on his calm face.

– SONO RUSSO GIORNALISTA *, – I added complaints about.

And here the face of the guard came to life.

– Well, then you fool my head? In our do not know how to talk? – Irrupal me guard order.

Completing, I murmured:

– What didn’t you understand? Go in that door, – the guard showed. – Yours with anywhere have long passed.

Slightly inspired by a meeting with the our guard of the Cathedral of St. Peter, I hurried inside the temple. The group managed to catch up with the famous sacred gates, which open the dad themselves every 25 years, in the anniversary year, after a special ritual and three symbolic hammer blows. The anniversary year is considered to be a sacred year of collecting Catholics in a common house, when each sincerely believer must come to Rome and make pilgrimage to the four main cathedrals:. Peter, St. Paul, St. Mary Maggiore, Lateran Cathedral of St. John. A year later, the doors of the holy gates will again open again, and everyone who in 2000 will pass through them, will receive his abuse of sins and the Lord’s blessing.

On the day of our visit, the Mass in the Cathedral was devoted to the canonization of the new Saint – Father Father. Vatican, as a normal bureaucratic apparatus, for several years considers the candidacy of a person whom the people require to produce in the saints. Father Pei awarded this fate due to its superhuman abilities to work wonders, heal people from incurable ailments.

With the help of patrons, Father Peiy managed to open the hospital in the south of Italy, where anyone can come to. And for free. Hospital takes on treatment and foreign patients. For example, children from Chernobyl. In a word, the life of the father of Father was entirely devoted to the service of man. How are people here not to contact the Vatican asking for canonization? Grateful and sentimental Italians across the country instructed the monuments to Father Father in Life.

In the Cathedral Into Cold and Solemnity. Luxurious decoration of the giant Christian structure, praising the sacredity of the Catholic Church, Chapel "Pieta" With the famous sculpture of Michelangelo, depicting Christ, who rests on the lap of the Virgin Mary, Capella of the Holy Mysteries with a magnificent daragustor of the work of Bernini, the Department of St. Peter, Risnica, Baptistery, 120-meter Dome Michelangelo amazed with its magnificence and lead to a state close to breathtaking. Does all this grandiiness created human hands?! And the treasury of St. Peter, where the relics are stored: the sarcophag of the IV century, the Vatican Cross VI century with precious stones, the bronze monument to Pope Siksta IV Della Rover Sculptor Pollaiolo.

From the cathedral you go to some kind of forgetting, and with tears of joy I want to watch and look at the simple Vatican sky. So I probably had a whole day if I hadn’t heard a greeting, converted clearly to me.

– Hey you, english journalist!

– Hello, Vatican Security Guard.

– Well, how there in the cathedral? – Asks.

– And you, not there were never? – Surprising.

– But why? Came, – admits. – There is good cool. Come again.

– Necessarily. When I warm up, I promise.

We part, kindly exchanging the naiglous Moscow-Vatican smiles. Cultural people!

After the talkative our guard in the gray costume of the warriors of the Swiss Guard in the motley closure, guarding the Vatican, seem to be tin soldiers. So much solemn and implausably beautiful. Sketch of their costumes drew Michelangelo himself. Since then, the form has not changed.

Unlike sentries near the mausoleum, the rafuced Swiss warriors can smile, move and even pose with tourists. While I looked at the blue-yellow-red stripes of Swiss guards, my group again managed to dissolve in the crowd of tourists. But, foresees it in advance, I found out that we are leaving exactly from the Vatican exactly an hour from the street of the Correlation (Printence Streets).

So, I had a whole hour in stock! Not in order to find a group (croofing is adjacent to St. Peter’s Square, I would have an expensive search for me for no more than five minutes). But in order to feel all the romance of the lost person in a foreign state. With me, I had a notebook, a camera and a our-Italian phrasebook.

Vatican is more pleasant to get lost on the square in front of the Cathedral of St. Peter. Big Fair Bernini "hugged" Square colonnade from 284 columns on which 140 statues of Saints are conveniently located. If you get up smoothly in the center of the square, you will see an impressive row of columns. You will make a few steps to the side – because of each column there are three more. There was only four rows. Having played with columns to an optical game "disappeared-appeared", I decided to spend a sociological study: how much the Italians are willing to help the lost our tourist?

The first object for the study was chosen by a dark smiling handsome year 25. Using the Italian phrase that I was behind the group, I immediately blurted out her handsome man. He for some reason actively delighted and asked, in which hotel we live. I honestly replied that I don’t know. Handsome delighted even more, and, alive oriented in my phrasebook, invited me to the cafe. So for dinner discuss my problem.

I shake a little, I rejected his kind sentence. Otherwise, a sociological study would have limited to study only one object. Speak with the sump handsome man was more difficult than to get acquainted. He sincerely refused to understand why I can’t spend the stay left for a meeting with a group of lunch in his beautiful society. However, his incomprehensibility is easy to explain the scant set of phrases in a phrasebook.

The next object for the study was the Roman of the revered age with a piece of pizza and crutch. My complaints about what I was lost, he reacted very seriously. Stretching me overhamed pizza either to hold, or so that I ate it, he began to talk something excited and gesticulate. For about ten minutes, I realized that I do not understand a word, he silent as sharply as he began to speak. And selected pizza.

Deciding that our communication approached the end, I got up from the bench, on which we sat, and went back to St. Peter’s Square. I did not have time to make a few steps, like a Roman old man caught up with me and grabbed the sleeve. Moreover, he persistently dragged me back to the Street of Cychillation, where tourist buses were. And I unmistakably led to our. Bypassing the bus on the other side to disappear from the field of view of the backwater grandfather, I headed for Tibra.

Teenagers hung on the embankment. Young ladies and gentlemen in shabby jeans and huge shoes continuously laughed. My message that I got lost, did not affect the overall fun. Local teenagers, pulling away from each other my phrasebook, knew how to discuss my "Serious" position.

At the same time, no attention. Two party members separated from the group and, drong in the nearest open cafe, dragged all the same pizza and sandwiches with scrambled eggs and green beans. Commitely distributing food between the teenagers, the girl in the checkered jeans handed me a sandwich. Having coped with food, the company rose and, fasciating me by him, led again to our bus.

No, I was not resolute to get lost! Already leaving this hope, I sat down in the near cafe next to nuns flying. After the ice cream, they ordered on the boilers of white wine and leisurely drank him, humbling. I followed their example. Apparently, my gaze was so obviously interested in that one of the nuns soon asked me in Italian:

Extrassed from unexpected attention slightly, I happily rinsed, forgetting ours, and those few Italian words who knew. The sociable nun was not going to be limited to one phrase. It broke out a cheerful tirara in which words "Russia" and "ours" They sounded quite often. I was pleased to think that she spoke to compliments to our compatriots with you.

Peresya, I will whistled the cathedral of St. Peter. In our. The nun, Zakivav, spoke about the eternal value of the Vatican. In Italian. I agreed with her that Roman history and culture are important for the whole world. And for Russia in particular. In our. We perfectly understood each other. So, cute chatting, glanly glance at the clock, I understood my horror that I was late for a meeting with the group. Vivid grabbing the camera, phrasebook and notepad, I broke out of a cafe like a two-hander from the lesson, sneaking on the way empty chairs. Even forgetting to say goodbye to the conversational monk.

Bus in place was not! My legs became cotton, and the back was covered with sticky. The game turned into reality. I really lost in the Vatican. A ticket to Moscow and the passport remained on the bus. The name of the hotel in which the group went, I did not know. Fantasy has already drawn me cold overnight on the shore of the tiber.

While I was thinking whether I should praise or continue the initiated sociological study, the familiar grandmother with a crutch approached me. Already without pizza. Saying incomprehensible Italian words with a voice that resembles a notation or prayer, habitually taking my sleeve, grandfather again led me somewhere. To the bus, of course. He turned around and stood on the other side of the street. Suddenly feeling happy, I knew the old man somewhere in the neck area and dived into the bus.

Yes, I almost forgot. Walking on the Vatican, I was convinced of the persistence of Italian lovers. To make the cavaners behind faster, it is much more efficient to respond to attention signs than to express indignation. Checked!

The author thanks the Italian representative office in Moscow, the tourist company ITAL TRAVEL for helping to meet the Vatican. With Ital Travel You will not be able to get lost in the Vatican, nor in Italy in general.