Rome is know for being a very touristy and crowded city, especially during the summer; so much so that many locals leave the city during the tourist season. Since arriving in January I had not experienced very many crowds that’s was until Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter Sunday. My apartment is within walking distant of the Vatican and on Sundays I usually roll one on my suitcases down to the local Lavanderia (Laundromat) to wash cloths. Washing Cloths on Palm Sunday near the Vatican rolling a very large suitcase down the street is never a good idea. It seems like giant crowds of tourists came out of nowhere.
On Tuesday of the same week I had an on site visit to the Vatican Museum at 8:30am. The entrance line was wrapped around the block. The Vatican Museum is very effective at handling crowds. We only stood in line for 40 minutes and judging by how many people were in front of us I was guessing it could take up to an hour and a half wait time. I don’t liked navigating my way through big crowds so rather than going to the Vatican on a very cold and raining Easter morning I decided to on the following day which was Monday.
Easter Monday is a official holiday in Rome so there is no school or work. To my surprise the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica was virtually empty. This was my first time inside the main area of the Vatican so I spent all Monday afternoon exploring the Tombs of the Popes, St. Peter’s Basilica and collecting gifts like rosaries and holy water blessed by the Pope for family and friends. Below are some pictures of my Easter Monday at the Vatican.
Until Next time…
Ciao,
Jason