Vatican Museum, 2017

One of the great museums, a bit biased in some ways, perhaps, the Vatican Museum is something we have not yet gotten tired of, after perhaps five visits. The posts on this blog concerning the Vatican Museum are:

https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/04/return-to-vatican-city.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/04/en-route-to-sistine-chapel.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/04/papal-apartmentsrafael-rooms.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/04/sistina-cappella.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/04/vatican-sculpture.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2011/04/vatican-pinacoteca.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2013/11/more-vatican-museum-2013.html
https://roadeveron.blogspot.com/2013/11/vatican-museum-out-takes-2013.html

all from 2011 and 2013. For balanced coverage of the place, I don't think I can surpass the 2011 posts. For unbalanced coverage, see the 2013 out-takes. Our 2017 visit was mostly about just seeing the place again, and the associated learning, and the pix I'll post below are largely of the new/improved or out-take variety.

We went to the Sistine Chapel twice and thus passed through
the Rafael (and Borgia) rooms twice; above, Rafael's School
of Athens

Parthian shot of the Sistine Chapel; we went there twice, mostly
to look at the Botticellis

Thus, his Temptations of Christ; I am so over Mr. Twisty...

Worst museum meal ever, so far: if you reserve a "traditional
Italian luncheon" at the restaurant, you can get early admission
to the museum plus no standing in lines outside; it's probably
worth it, but don't expect a great repast, much less something
identifiably Italian

Decapitated putti

Important learning experience: we had never seen a late Medieval/
International Gothic painting with someone wearing spectacles;
this side-bar item was dated 1495; very suspicious...since I'd
always associated glasses with Kepler and maybe the 17th century;
but NO, glasses were invented in Pisa at the end of the 13th century
and were in production there, for export, not much later

Can't resist re-posting my favorite Matthew...
Guido Reni's

"Someone help me get out of here!"

Eyesore across the River

"You want a toe?"

"I can get you a toe, believe me, there are ways, Dude"

"Pick a card, any card..."

Extreme star fort in the map hall

The very famous double helix staircase, designed in 1932 by
Giuseppe Momo, but named for Bramante and his 16th century
version

Getting much better at selfies