I remember several years ago, when I was young, visiting St Peter’s and the Vatican. I knew about the necropolis under the city- what history minded Pagan tourist didn’t? And I asked the tour guide about it. Imagine my delight when she assured me that it would be on the tour. Well, it wasn’t. She’d misunderstood me and she took me instead to see the tombs (if you can call them that) of the dead Popes. They are more like sitting rooms. Elaborate and elegant (and really very Pagan) sitting rooms with dead bodies in them. I remember thinking it was kind of sad that these men couldn’t rest in peace with all these people filing past them every day. I remember thinking the same thing when Pope John Paul couldn’t even die in peace a few years ago. But whatever.
Now the necropolis is being reopened. Now, maybe, people will be able to go see it. Makes me want to make another trip to the Vatican. But alas. Now I have to waite for my kids to grow up before I can afford to do that sort of travelling. But they’re still working on uncovering the tombs, so it’s just as well. And then I can be like those pilgrims I scoffed at drooling over the Popes tombs, over tombs of people I haven’t a clue about. Just that they were Pagan Romans once. But the tombs tell the story. This particular tomb is decorated with family history as well as images of the Gods. Man. I can’t wait to see it.
Read all about it.
No comments:
Post a Comment