30-Day Solo Travel in Europe | Day 25: Missing Michelangelo’s Pietà by a Hair’s Breadth

（Previous chapter of my journey: Day 24: A Day at Pompeii and the Charismatic Guide of Vesuvius ）

One of the highlights we had been looking forward to in Rome was visiting the Vatican. Whenever I think of the Vatican, my mind drifts back to an episode of the Hong Kong TV travel programme. In it, the old actress Rolland met the Pope during her visit to Vatican and the moment was full of emotions. Although I don’t have any religious faith myself, that scene quietly planted a small wish in my heart: one day, I wanted to visit the Vatican and feel for myself the charm of its history and its meaning to believers.

This trip finally gave me the chance. Of all the sights in Rome, the Vatican was by far the most crowded. The queue to enter the Vatican Museums snaked endlessly under the sun. We had bought 'skip-the-line' tickets for 1pm, which spared us the outdoor wait, but inside, the crowds were still overwhelming.

Like most visitors, we had come for the iconic masterpieces: Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam, with its famous near-touching fingertips, and Raphael’s The School of Athens. Ever since seeing the preparatory sketch in Milan, we had been longing to see the real thing. Beyond these star attractions, the museum building itself was breathtaking. From the frescoed ceilings and sweeping spiral staircases to every carved pillar, the architecture was nothing short of astonishing. It made me wonder how much great art throughout history has been inspired by religious faith, and how rare it is today for artists to have both the time and devotion needed to create works of such enduring beauty.

After wandering through countless galleries, we finally stepped into the sacred Sistine Chapel — home to Michelangelo’s legendary ceiling frescoes. Photography is strictly forbidden inside, so I can only describe it in words. At first, all I noticed was how packed the room was. On the right stood a large crucifix of the suffering Christ. Behind it, the walls and ceiling were covered, floor to ceiling, with vivid biblical scenes. Security guards constantly urged visitors to keep moving, and I nearly followed the flow and walked straight out. Thankfully, my friend quickly stopped me and told me to look up. This was the place we had come to see.

The design of the chapel is thoughtful. Starting from the three-dimensional crucifix, your eyes are drawn to the two-dimensional frescoes on the wall and ceiling — a visual bridge between the New Testament story of Christ’s sacrifice for humanity’s sins and the familiar Old Testament tales that surround it.

Amid this vast sea of powerful imagery, The Creation of Adam feels surprisingly small. It is just one modest detail within an overwhelming masterpiece. If you don’t look carefully, it’s easy to miss. The surrounding scenes are equally dramatic, so seeing the famous fresco in context was actually less breathtaking than I had imagined. The same went for The School of Athens. Perhaps this was the 'aesthetic fatigue' that had quietly built up after so many days of visiting Europe’s greatest treasures.

After leaving the museums, we looked for an early dinner nearby. We were in the tourist area and didn’t feel like paying inflated prices for wine, so we ordered what we thought would be a simple Ice Lemon Tea. At €4 a glass, it wasn’t cheap, but we told ourselves it was just the price you had to pay somehow as a tourist. We weren’t asking for much — just something like the cheap lemon tea from a Hong Kong cha chaan teng: black tea with a few slices of lemon and plenty of ice.

Instead, the waiter brought us a plastic bottle labelled “Ice Lemon Tea.” They hadn’t even bothered to pour it into a glass. It felt like the restaurant was laughing at us for being idiots. Later, we checked in a supermarket and saw the same bottle selling for just €1.70. The mark-up was insane.

In this holy place, religion constantly teaches people to love their neighbour and care for the vulnerable. Yet it seemed the local businesses’ greatest faith was in good old capitalism. Perhaps the TV crew that filmed the show never showed this side of the Vatican. The museums and basilica are absolutely worth visiting, but when it comes to eating nearby, it’s wiser to hold off and head back to the city centre. There are far better choices elsewhere.

After that rather disappointing meal, we took a gentle stroll around the outside of St Peter’s Basilica. We were lucky enough to catch a beautiful sunset, with the golden light glowing against the grand architecture. We took a few photos, but going inside required an extra ticket and we were starting to feel tired, so we decided to call it a day.

Back at our accommodation, my friend suddenly exclaimed, 'We missed Michelangelo’s Pietà today!'

I replied, 'Didn’t we see it in the Vatican Museums? There were three Pietà sculptures in that last hall before we left.'

She shook her head. 'Those were the unfinished versions. That’s why the room felt so quiet. The famous one that everyone comes to see, the completed Pietà, is actually inside St Peter’s Basilica. I saw photos from another friend who went there today.'

So we had only seen the three unfinished works. They were still incredibly beautiful. I couldn’t help wondering how much more moving the finished masterpiece must be.

I turned to my friend and said, 'It’s okay, really. A few imperfections or small regrets are what make our trip memorable. That way, you’ll always have a reason to come back again one day.'

(My journey continues: Day 26: Farewell to Italy, Hello to Athens)