Vatican Museums

Vatican City, is commonly known simply as The Vatican, is a city state Situated inside of a walled enclave within Rome. Visiting the Vatican and Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) is one of the must-see itineraries on any trip to Italy’s capital city. The Vatican Museums contain some of the most precious masterpieces in the world, including Michelangelo’s fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael’s Stanze and collections with works by Giotto, Da Vinci and Botticelli.
Marvel at the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, located in the Museo Pio-Clementino. The Sistine Chapel is the focus of any visit to the Vatican Museums. Its ceiling, painted by Michelangelo from 1502 to 1508, depicts a series of nine biblical stories from the Book of Genesis, including the Creation of the World, Mankind’s Fall from God’s Grace, the Great Flood. This breath-taking fresco is definitely Michelangelo’s finest work.
Visit the Raphael’s Stanze. The four Raphael rooms once served as Pope Julius II’s apartments. The walls are adorned with decorations by the Italian painter Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, usually known as Raphael, and his pupils, from 1508 to 1524.
Don’t forget to explore the the Gregorian Etruscan and Egyptian Museum, which is home to a wide range of artifacts from ancient Assyria, Egypt, Palestine, Rome and many other ancient cultures. Tour also the Picture Gallery (Pinacoteca Vaticana), which contains works by some of the greatest Italian artists in history, such as Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Fra Angelico and Raffaello Sanzio.
Note that that proper attire is required to gain admittance to the Vatican Museums and large bags, backpacks and luggage and must be checked at the cloakroom. Regular admission to the Vatican Museums is €14 and €8 for students and children. Note that admission tickets to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel must be used on the date of purchase. Remember that you can receive free admission on the last Sunday of the month. Guided tours are also available and cost about €25 to €35 per person. Museum audio guides are available in 8 different languages as well. Like the State Hermitage in Saint Petersburg and the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Vatican’s collection is definitely too vast to be explored in a single day.

Tags: religious sites in Rome, sacred sites in Rome