When you visit historical sites around the world, don’t forget to look up! Some of these ceilings are decorated with magnificent works of art, while others reveal impressive feats of architecture. Here are just a few of my favorite ceilings from our travels around Europe.
First, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican:
The modern church portion of the Basilica of San Clemente a Laterano in Rome. This church is built on top of layers of history, including a much older church, that you can read about here:
The sprawling palace at Versailles, France:
Kensington Palace, England
And, of course, the oculus of the Pantheon. During the Feast of Pentecost, rose petals are poured down from the oculus to mimic the tongues of fire that descended on the early Christians in the second chapter of the book of Acts. This tradition dates back centuries, to perhaps as early as 609 A.D., the same year that the last Roman Emperor, Phocas, is supposed to have handed over the Pantheon to the Vatican.
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