We started the morning early to beat the crowds at St. Peter’s Basilica, arriving just as the sun lit up the massive dome. Even from outside, the scale is humbling — the columns of Bernini’s square stretching wide like open arms. Inside, every inch tells a story of devotion and ambition, from Michelangelo’s Pietà to the golden canopy above the altar.

Afterward, we toured the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, following another Rick Steves audio tour. It helped bring the art to life — pointing out details we would’ve missed, like how Michelangelo hid subtle messages about human potential in his ceiling frescoes. The Vatican’s collection was shaped by centuries of global power and wealth, including art saved from Napoleon’s looting and later protected from bombings during World War II, when both Allied and Axis forces avoided targeting Vatican City’s neutral ground.

Crossing back into Rome, we stopped for gelato and walked to the Pantheon, one of the best-preserved ancient buildings in the world. Originally built as a Roman temple nearly 2,000 years ago, it became a Christian church in the 7th century — a major reason it survived so long. Its dome, still the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, inspired architects from the U.S. Capitol to Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. That American connection hit home; history built here continues to echo across the ocean.

Later, we visited the Colosseum area again, this time seeing it in daylight. Standing where gladiators once fought and citizens once cheered was surreal. The nearby Roman Forum looked like a jumble of ruins at first, but with a little imagination, it came alive — a place where Julius Caesar walked and where democracy itself began to evolve.