Rome is a city filled with buildings where the symbol of the papal tiara and keys are nearly omnipresent. It would seem as though every other building sees its presence. But if the papal tiara and keys in general are first and foremost in this regard, it is closely followed by the bees of the Barberini family -- which are themselves integrated with thoe same papal tiara and keys as one of their own, Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, would be elected pope in 1623, taking the name of Urban VIII.
With today being "World Bee Day" it seemed like an appropriate time to focus a bit on the bees of the Barberini, particularly as seen within Rome.
By way of background, the Barberini family were Florentine nobles and one of the significant sites attached to their family in Rome is that of the Palazzo Barberini -- their palace in Rome.
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| Palazzo Barberini |
Given their influence both within and without the church, their distinctive bees can be found most everywhere, however it is their ecclesiastical presence which is of particular interest for our purposes here. These bees can be found on buildings, as shown above, but also within churches, not least of which St. Peter's Basilica itself where they can be seen on the base of the columns of the great baldacchino, as well as the four great solomonic columns themselves and other details of the baldacchino:
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| Treasure of Santa Maria Maggiore |
As well as stained glass and other architectural details . . .
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| Santa Maria Maggiore (Source) |
If you go to Vatican Museums, make certain to look around and you'll find them there as well, whether on the walls . . .
Or embedded within tapestries . . .
Tbey can also be found within and upon books . . .
Finally, we conclude with some final random details.
This rich symbol is everywhere, so the next time you are in Rome, make certain to look for these rich details. Enjoy the bees!
