Roma Pass – Part 3: St. Peter in Chains church

I’m really excited about this stop because a) it’s free (even without the Roma Pass), b) I will get to see an actual piece of biblical history (which I can hardly even comprehend) and c) it’s another opportunity to see one of Michelangelo’s works – and I hear it’s quite good.

When I arrive I learn, shockingly, that I can take pictures in here…even with a flash* if I want. What the heck? I do not understand the context or boundaries within which these rules are made. Whatever – I’m rollin’ with the punches on this one.

First stop: Peter’s Chains. Unfortunately they do not inspire me in any particular way, nor do any other miracles happen within their proximity while I’m viewing them. Really, they’re about what I expected them to be. Fairly meaty, no way a person could bust out of them, could easily be Hollywood extras. I mean, don’t get me wrong – I was super excited to be able to file that visual memory into my data bank, but it didn’t evoke a specific emotional response. (A first from me, I know.) Perhaps I was still digesting lunch, I don’t know, but I’m sure the next time I read that part of the gospels I’ll either have a completely new-found respect for God and what He can do, or I’ll cry or something. But right now – nuthin’. So I move on to Moses.

Now Moses didn’t exactly evoke the waterworks either, but he was pretty dang sweet. There were two main ways I felt it was semi-similar to the David: 1.) The details in his hands were compelling enough to make you stare. Like really stare. (How does he do that?) and 2.) What sets it apart from other statues, is the look on his face: you can see real emotion there, determination. Moses’ determination to save God’s people. Pretty compelling.

Now here’s the downside: 1.) It was terribly lit. So much so that even though I was standing right in front of it (and by “right in front” I mean, roped off 20 feet away), I felt like I couldn’t quite see it. I kept leaning forward. (Which of course accomplished nothing other than looking stupid.) The distance combined with the crappy light = Boooo! It also made for terrible pictures, and thus I apologize. 2.) As you may notice from the pictures, Moses has horns. Yes, horns. Seeing as people don’t actually have horns anymore – or wait – have EVER had horns, this kind of detracts from the piece as a whole. It abruptly reminds you that no, this is indeed, not real. Why would Michelangelo make such a decidedly odd artistic choice? RS says it’s because centuries ago, the Hebrew word for “rays” was mistranslated as “horns.” Can you believe that? Some poor guy’s “typo” is now immortalized thanks to Michelangelo. Stuff like that cracks me up. Reminds me that everyone else out there is human too.

On my way out I noticed this creepy niche and thought I’d take advantage of the a-ok picture policy and immortalized it for you. I think it’s saying something akin to “Death: sooner or later…muah ha ha ha!” (In case you can’t tell, the skeleton is holding a sand-timer, in addition to the HUGE scythe…) What’s your take?

*Speaking of “with a flash,” while I was swapping David stories with a gal in my hostel the night before, she told me that while she was standing, staring and waiting for David to move (heh), with no apparent warning all the guards cleared out and took a break. So the entire room takes on a conspiratorial air and like kids illicitly talking while the teacher is out of the room, EVERYONE starts taking pictures! She said flashes were going off like crazy and no one was shy about it. Hmph, at least if the dang thing crumbles due to “over-flash-exposure” we’ll know I wasn’t the only one…