Vatican City

by Orazio; Rizzo Petrosillo

Art, Photography

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, History, Art, Religion, Italy, Christian

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Cherisa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of those kind of books you buy at the museum, but pretty good nonetheless. It includes info about the restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescos and a four page glossy fold-out of the ceiling.

[Buck Wilde · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see where God's coming from. I'd live there too.

This is a guidebook for someone physically in the city, peppered with architectural fawning and brief, dry recollections of various uninteresting events spun with all the vigor and verve of a dysthemic accountant. If it weren't for all the incredible pictures, it wouldn't be worth a second glance. Fortunately, they're on every page.

I can't imagine a place that could match the Vatican for opulence. It's a caricature of itself, but the kind of caricature you can't laugh at because it has the best art and architecture in the world, and everything's made of gold. Gold and conquest. A lot of the statuary was spoils of war from Rome's various conquests. The rest are leftover pagan relics predating the empire's conversion. I think my favorite was the obelisk they snatched from Heliopolis in 37 B.C. and sat in St. Peter's. It's really, visibly Egyptian, but Pope Sixtus V had it hauled into place with 900 men and 140 horses, then frowned, shook his head, and popped a crucifix on top of it for absolutely no reason. If you don't think that's funny, I'm sorry, but you're wrong.

It looks like a beautiful place, perhaps the most beautiful place, and my plan as of now is to go within the next year or two. I'm going to convert back to Catholicism exactly 3 days before I get there. I'll eat the wafer and everything, I'll renounce my heathenism, whatever. I'm trying to be a card carrying member of the God Club when I soak up all this neat, pious crap. I imagine I'll go back to denying Him shortly after I complete my stay, maybe grab a selfie with the Totally Catholic Cross Obelisk. It's not like it'll come as a surprise to Him, all things considered.

[Jeffrey]

I was drawn in by the pretty pictures. But the book is, alas, I think a tease, it gives you glimmers of Vatican City but it seems a collection of snapshots, very well done snapshots; with text that's like an assemblage of notes/highlights; and, where text and images come together in captions there isn't enough there to sort out what part of any image corresponds. Be that as it may, it is a quick read and left me feeling that I would like to see more by seeing a better treatment.

[Jaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn't decide if it wanted to be a religious book or an art history book. Really didn't pull through on either. What history was provided was interesting, and the photographs were beautiful.

[Anscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very comprehensive, and the wide sweeping images do well to show the majesty of the Vatican on the page. There is quite a lot of block text though that I found could make reading difficult.

[Delores Duwe]

Excellent Book

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book of photos of the Vatican and it's art collection. Very well done