Impressions of Visiting Vatican Museum - Essay Example

?Vatican Museum What is particularly interesting about going to a place that one has dreamed of for a very long time is the fact that in one’s mind, it is almost always the visual impressions that a person dreams about and seeks to imagine. However, when I recall the summer trip I took to the Vatican museum in Rome, the visual impressions are some of the final thoughts that I am left with. Interestingly, it is the other senses that retain such a high level of information related to the trip. It is an odd reality when one stops to think about it, one of the primary reasons one goes to a museum is to “see”; yet, expectation and reality are all too often two separate experiences. However, before going into the particular sensations that my senses felt, it is necessary to begin to describe the experience with relation to the mood that I had upon arriving to the Vatican museum. The mood itself was a mixture of feelings that helped to add to the overall experience and the level to which I can recall it. Firstly, I was exhausted from my travels. Secondly, I was fatigued from standing in line under the hot Italian sun for over an hour. Thirdly, I was thrilled to realize the fact that finally I was going to be able to realize my dream. And lastly, upon entering the museum itself, I was in pure amazement. What greeted my senses was something that is difficult to retell while keeping the experience as powerful as it was to me. Upon entering the museum, I remember the distinct smells that I encountered. It was an interesting medley that recalled the smell of an air conditioner that had just been turned on for the first time of the season mixed with the powdery smell that stone buildings often have. What was noticeably remarkable was the fact that the museum did not smell like a museum. Instead, it smelled more sterile. This had the combined effect of somewhat distancing the exhibits from the reach of the visitor. Had the location smelled more like a museum, it is likely that I would have in some way met at least a few of my prior expectations regarding the exhibits housed within. One factor that detracted from the overall experience was the sheer number of people that were in the Vatican museum at the same time that I took my tour. Although I expected that such a tourist attraction would be crowded, I had no way of preparing myself for the number of people that I encountered. Unfortunately, at times, the crush of the crowd did take away from the overall experience as I felt that at certain times I was being herded through the museum without having the necessary time to take in the setting and/or the artwork that greeted me. The confusion of the crowd was so much that the Vatican officials gave out handheld devices that help one to re-attach to their tour group in case separation occurs and the person is mixed in with another equally large group of tourists. The cool of the floor permeating through my legs and my feet helped the general sogginess of the rest of my body. Becoming accustomed to the blistering heat of Rome during the summer is an experience that few should have to relive. Although the temperature itself might be described as a type of inconvenience, it did however add to the overall mystique that the museum had to offer. This stark contrast between hot and cold was compounded due to the fact that many of the rooms and atriums of the museum did not have air-conditioning. In this way, as the tour progressed and the tourists were led from one area to another, the sensations of blistering heat and chilling cold were fully manifest. In this way, I could easily imagine myself robed in the manner of a monk or a cardinal, slowly carrying a sacred text or relic from one side of the gallery to the next; passing through the dark cool passages in one area while being baked by the relentless Italian sun in another. The heat from the out of doors would likewise be abated through the fact that my bare feet would soak up the cool of the earth that was reflected from the marble flooring. Of all of the five senses, the one that was most lacking during the experience was of course the sense of touch. How I longed to reach out and make contact with certain of the relics and icons that begged to be examined! Yet, such an act was probably punishable by a prison sentence I dared not dream about. In the end, I was forced to placate my tactile desire by consecutively rolling and unrolling the informational booklet I had received upon entering the museum. Although the room was busy with tourists, the individual atriums and rooms of the museum had distinctly different moods with respect to the overall noise level. Whereas in one area it was common to only hear the slight whispering noises of tourists combined with a camera flash or two, in others, the drone of the tour guides and incessant chatter of the tourists was most distracting. What I noticed with regards to my sense of hearing and my mood with respect to the individual displays that I reviewed was the fact that as the sound level decreased my level of enjoyment of my surroundings and appreciation for the artwork that surrounded me increased. This analysis has necessarily saved the sense of sight for the last to be analyzed. As described, the prior senses are the ones that surprised this author in their ability to recount and recall the individual nuances of the experience. This is not meant to diminish the sense of sight; only to show that it played a less important role than what this author originally expected it would. Firstly, my sense of sight was disturbed by what can only be described as an incessant stream of photographic flashes that seemed to come from every direction at all times. The glare to my sense of sight was disturbing as it took away from my ability to focus on any one particular facet of the beauty that I was faced with. Yet, to attempt to describe the ornate beauty of the architecture, the simplicity of beauty of the displays, and the hundreds of years of history that greeted my senses at one time was almost overwhelming. In large part, due to the fact that it was so overwhelming, I was, and to a great extent remain, unable to fully realize all that was presented to my eyes in such a short period of time. Although beautiful, the overwhelming ornate nature and baroque style of many of the displays were so busy to the eyes as to nearly invite the beginning of a minor headache. Equally, the architectural splendor that was represented in the painted ceilings and corridors screamed for one’s visual attention in a way that distracted one from all of the other sights that greeted the eyes. All in all, the experience was a hugely positive one and I would quickly do it all over again if given the chance. Although not everything was exactly as I expected it, nothing in life ever is. What made it unique, interesting, and memorable were the elements both expected and unexpected that remain etched into my memory. If every given the opportunity, I would highly recommend for anyone that can to take this tour and have an experience all their own with respect to the Vatican museum. Read More