Looking Up

Vatican ceiling

You're not allowed to take any photographs of the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, the masterpiece painted by Michelangelo. That's a shame, as it is an amazing sight. However, any tourist in Italy should continually look up.

Many interiors and ceilings of churches and museums have been decorated by many artists, some of them known, some of them nameless. I took more than twenty shots looking upward, and I usually didn't know whose work I was viewing.

The paintings are both religious and mythological. There are also tile mosaics, geometric patterns, gold leaf, even sculpture jumping out at the onlooker.

Interior of the Duomo dome in Florence

Even old buildings, and I mean old, have interesting ceilings. The Pantheon was built almost 2000 years ago. It's in great shape because after its use by the ancient Romans, it was used by Christians as a church.

Pantheon dome interior

The top of the Pantheon dome is open to the sky, letting in the sun and quite possibly the rain on top of the tourists. It was gorgeous.

Italy never disappointed me when I looked up.