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"The Vatican Museums"

Rome Tourist Guide Museums  

The Vatican Museums

The entrance to the Vatican Museums is located in the back of the basilica. The museums hold one of the most valuable and spectacular art collections worldwide, cultivated and carefully maintained over centuries. The pieces were acquired, directly commissioned by the church or received as gifts. The art itself isn't the only thing worth seeing; the space, consisting of innumerable hallways, gallery spaces and magnificent rooms, is equally as impressive. If you wish to take in every piece displayed in these rooms, be prepared to spend at least an entire day in the museums.

If your art intake requires a more defined structure, you can opt for one of the many routes. Each one is marked with a different colour indicating the pieces that can be seen along the way. The main attraction for most visitors is the impressive Sistine Chapel. Unfortunately, the popularity of Michelangelo's masterpiece means that the chapel is usually rather crowded. Nevertheless, a visit to this astonishing place is almost obligatory - no one should miss the chance to see Michelangelo's masterful murals. The ceiling vividly portrays episodes from the Genesis, and the main wall depicts the horrors of the Last Judgement.  

Many of the other gallery spaces and rooms contain excellent collections of ancient Italian maps, tapestries, candelabra, ecclesiastical and noble furniture and invaluable Greek and Roman sculptures. The Gallery of Candelabra is worth visiting for two reasons. Firstly, the pieces themselves are spectacular, and secondly, the windows offer a magnificent view on to the Vatican Gardens. Pope John Paul II kept a cabbage garden on the grounds. Being Polish, he reserved a special fondness for this crucial element of his native cuisine. It isn't known whether his successor, Benedict XVI, has maintained the vegetable garden or if his German origins have brought about any changes to the agricultural practices.

Another highlight are the Stanze of Raphael (Raphael's Rooms), four official papal chambers decorated by the artist and his school. Raphael commenced his work on the rooms at the same time that Michelangelo was working on the Sistine Chapel. The Room of Heliodorus, for example, was completed by Raphael between 1512 and 1514 in honour of Pope Julius II, who even appears in one of the paintings. The Expulsion of Heliodorus, one of the most famous paintings, symbolises a papal victory against an invasion of Italy. Sometimes the pontiffs' representation in the paintings is quite prominent, such as in the fresco The Liberation of Saint Peter in which Pope Julius II appears as a saint. The Room of the Segnatura, which is where the Papal Council meets to sign official documents, is adorned with philosophical allegories and references. The Room of the Fire in the Borgo pays homage to the fire of 847 which, according to legend, was miraculously put out by Pope Leo IV simply by making the sign of the cross.  

A visit to the Museums wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Borgia Apartment. The Borgias were one of the most powerful families in Italy during the Renaissance. In fact, Cesar Borgia was the son of Pope Alexander VI, but for obvious reasons he was always referred to as his nephew. This section contains some interesting, ancient frescoes as well as a rather unusual collection of modern art, including pieces by artists such as Paul Klee, Francis Bacon and Max Ernst. 

This route comes to an end at the Vatican Library and leads out into a pleasant patio. The patio also connects with the Chiaramonti Museum and the Pio-Clementine Museum, both of which contain vast collections of invaluable objects. In one of the patios, you come across the famous figure of Laocoon. The piece dates back to the 1^st century A.D. but wasn't discovered until the 16^th century. The sculpture depicts the famous Trojan priest and his two sons as he battles a pair of enormous serpents.

Before reaching the exit, you can choose to visit a number of other fascinating collections. Amongst these are the Egyptian Collection, dedicated entirely to this ancient civilisation, the Etruscan Collection and the collection in the Gregorian Profane Museum, all of which are located within the same area. A stop at the famous Pinacoteca, which could easily qualify as a museum in its own right and showcases paintings by  Giotto, Lippi, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio and many others, can serve as the perfect conclusion to your visit.

The most memorable way to leave the Museums is via the famous Simonetti Stairway, a spectacular, spiral staircase that has become yet another symbol of Vatican City.

Opening days/hours:
March-October: Monday-Friday from 8:45am to 3:20pm. Saturdays from 8:45am to 12:20pm
November-February: Monday-Saturday from 8:45am to 12:20pm
Last Sunday of every month from 8:45am to 12:20pm.

http://www.vatican.va

Nearest landmarks or references:
Piazza San Pietro, San Pietro Basilica, Castel Sant'Angelo