St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Funerary mosaic, 2nd century A.D.

Funerary mosaic, 2nd century A.D.

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums

Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums

Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums

Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

Wedding party, St. Peter's Square

Wedding party, St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Square

Italy

Vatican City

July 2010 • For a taste of hell on Earth, try visiting the Sistine Chapel on a Saturday afternoon in July. (For a double dip of hell, stop by Trevi Fountain afterward for a gelato.) The relentless hordes helped to highlight a jarring juxtaposition of the sacred and profane in this holiest of cities—starting with the sloppily dressed tourists who snapped illicit photos of Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes while officious guards took turns shushing the crowd. Mamma mia.

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Funerary mosaic, 2nd century A.D.

Funerary mosaic, 2nd century A.D.

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums

Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums

Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums

Sarcophagus, Vatican Museums

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Sistine Chapel

Sistine Chapel

Wedding party, St. Peter's Square

Wedding party, St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Square

St. Peter's Basilica