My sister and I are going to Rome in mid-April and we're planning to attend a Papal Audience on Wednesday. I heard the Pope Mobile comes by certain aisles and it would be great to see him up close, rather than come hours early for a seat near the stage (where the Pope is anyway a far-off white dot).
Does anyone have tips on what aisle to be on? Does Francis consistently come down all the aisles and is there a floor plan so we could plan? Thanks!
You'll see barriers along the periphery of the seated area. Those barriers are creating the paths the pope follows. Preferably, get a seat immediately adjacent to the barrier – people tend to stand on the seats which means it's hard to see if you're even a few seats away. And FYI, there are Jumbotrons in the plaza that provide a view.
To get seating by the barriers, plan on arriving a few hours early. In early October, we arrived more than two hours before the beginning of the audience, and the plaza was at least half full.
Thanks for the info! We plan to arrive at least by 7am and I heard the gates open at 8. I am willing to bet the seats closest to the barriers are taken up first! What about nearby bathrooms? If everything doesn't end until noon that's a long time to wait! Does the Pope leave in the Pope Mobile the same way he comes?
That's interesting – I don't remember any kind of gates, and I'm virtually certain we were there before eight. I guess they could have moved some of the barriers to block access to the square earlier. But if they did that, it was certainly before eight. Regarding gates opening – could you be thinking about the papal audience hall, which is used during the winter? That's certainly would have a defined opening time.
And I think he just leaves the stage. I'm not sure how you would handle the logistics of him going through a huge crowd that is exiting the square.
Finally, to respond to your question about bathrooms, I wouldn't count on easy access. There were no extra bathrooms set up for the audience, and I seem to remember that some of the ones in the square were unavailable because of crowd control. It's probably good morning to skip the coffee.
eileen,
Here is what happened the few times we have attended an audience: There are barriers around various seating areas. It seems that the Pope mobile drives in the ones that have the white fabric fastened to them. We have gotten seats along the barriers and had the opportunity to be within a few feet of the Pope as he is driven through the aisles. Don't be surprised if someone a bit further from the barrier passes their baby over to you so what the Pope may touch / bless the child. What a blast.
The restrooms are on either side of the 'square". As an RS guide explained to me....Go when you can not when you have to. Use the facilities during the audience. Once he gets moving on the Pope mobile security locks down the barriers. Your stuck within the barriers until the drive through has been completed.
Enjoy the audience,
Gene
Thank you Sherry & Gene, your info is VERY helpful! :-)
One more thing, I am wondering if I should send Ticket Request Form FAX to the Vatican now to request the tickets, or should I wait? The schedule for April is not even published yet (only up to February 2016 so far).
