Finally, after over a month in Rome without stepping foot inside the Vatican, I spent the last two days experiencing the center of the Roman Catholic Church. The first day we took a day to roam the halls of the Vatican Museums, taking in its impressive collection of sculpture, paintings, tapestries, and other various antiquities. As the Sistine Chapel is located at the far end of the museum, Michelangelo's  masterpiece was the perfect finale to an already impressive display of works from all around the world. I could have easily spent hours in the chapel, examining each image and fully admiring its detail. It's truly incredible to see these celebrated works of art I've known only in books and television all in one place; from Raphael's 'The School of Athens' to the Belvedere Torso, it's crazy!
The next morning we made for the basilica early as to avoid the masses of tour groups that clog every artery of the city. Stepping inside was truly jaw dropping; just the shear scale of the interior was moving. The baldacchino itself looked dwarfed under the dome, even though the columns alone stand 66 feet tall. To finish off the morning we braved the heat to climb the 500+ stairs of the dome to reach the cupola of St. Peter's, welcomed by sweeping 360 degree views of the entire city. Overall the Vatican was an incredible experience, both humbling and impressive. The scale at which every detail was executed creates an otherworldly experience. I think it's incredible the lengths they went to in order to convey their religious beliefs, and turn the scripture into a physical reality that then transports you into an alternate state so magnificent and opulent from the every day.