One thing you shouldn't miss while in Vatican City is visiting the Vatican Museums. Out of all the museums I visited in Europe, this was the most magnificent.
The Vatican Museums are a group of art and Christian museums located in Vatican City. Across over 50 galleries, there are over 70,000 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and other works of art displayed in the Vatican Museums.
Here you will find classical works of art by some of the world's most renowned artists like Raphael, da Vinci, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, and Bernini. You will also find artworks by contemporary artists like Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso.
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| one of the Raphael Rooms |
In this blog post, I'll share the top things to see and the highlights of my visit to the Vatican Museums, plus when to visit and how to get tickets.
- Top 10 Things to See in the Vatican Museums
- When to Visit the Vatican Museums
- Where to Get Tickets to the Vatican Museums
Top 10 Things to See in the Vatican Museums
With tens of thousands of artworks in the Vatican Museums, there's a lot to see and you'd normally need a few hours to take in everything. If you have limited time to tour the museums, then I would recommend several attractions that you shouldn't miss out on.
Here are the things you should see when visiting the Vatican Museums.
1. Pine Cone Courtyard
This courtyard is the perfect place to start your tour. It features a 2,000-year-old pine cone, which originally stood near the Pantheon, to honor Isis, who is the Egyptian goddess of fertility. In ancient times, the pine code is the symbol of fertility as it was bursting with seeds.
In the center of the courtyard is a bronze ball made by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. It arrived in the Vatican in 1990, and it has a lot of interpretations.
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| the Pine Cone Courtyard |
2. Chiaramonti Museum
Set in a long loggia that connects the Palace of the Belvedere to the rest of the Vatican, this museum houses one of the most important collections of Roman portrait busts. It contains over a thousand antique sculptures on display.
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| Chiaramonti Museum |
3. Octagonal Courtyard
Originally known as the Cortile delle Statue, the Octagonal Courtyard was made to accommodate the pontifical collection of classical statues of Pope Julius II.
This courtyard houses many statues, which can be a lot to take in. Don't miss out on the famous pieces including "Apollo Belvedere", "Hercules and Antaeus", and "Laocoön and His Sons".
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| "Laocoön and His Sons" by Agesander, Polydoros, and Athenodoros of Rhodes |
4. Round Hall
This is another impressive area in the Vatican as the walls carry niches for displaying statues. It has a feeling of grandeur with its coffered dome that is modeled on the Pantheon.
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| the coffered ceiling of the Round Hall |
Meanwhile, the floor is a magnificent 18th-century collection of mosaics from the first decades of the 3rd century A.D., and in the center of the room is a huge red porphyry basin that has a circumference of 13 meters.
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| the red porphyry basin - the centerpiece of the Round Hall |
5. Sarcophagi in the Greek Cross Hall
Just after the Round Hall is the Greek Cross Hall which holds a small collection of statues and busts. But the highlights of this hall are the two large porphyry sarcophagi placed on either side.
The sarcophagi were made for two very important people: the mother and the daughter of the great Roman emperor Constantine. Mother Helena's sarcophagus is on the left side of the hall while daughter Constanza's is on the right.
6. Gallery of Tapestries
This was one of my favorite galleries in the Vatican Museums. These tapestries depict scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. These tapestries were created by students of Raphael, who was also known as the undisputed master of tapestries, Raphael.
The paintings were originally made on paper. The paintings were then sent to weaving factories in Brussels, Belgium. These tapestries are remarkable and they almost look like oil paintings.
7. Gallery of Maps
Easily my favorite part of the Vatican Museums, this gallery features frescoed maps showing the entirety of the Italian peninsula. Each fresco shows a different region of Italy as they were in the 1500s while pinpointing the region’s major city.
The most impressive part of this gallery, in my opinion, is the ceiling. It is made out of molded stucco that's been painted with scenes depicting exciting moments in Church history.
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| the painted stucco ceiling in the Gallery of Maps |
8. Raphael's Rooms
Known as the Stanze of Raphael, these four rooms formed part of the living quarters of the great Renaissance popes, starting with the great Pope Julius II. This apartment is where the popes ate, slept, and worshipped.
These rooms are called Raphael Rooms as they were decorated by Raphael himself, with his students, between 1508 and 1524.
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| the ceiling of one of the Raphael Rooms |
9. Sistine Chapel
While it is technically a chapel and not an art gallery, the Sistine Chapel is a must-see when touring the Vatican Museums. After all, you can only enter the Sistine Chapel when you book a ticket to the museum.
Even though the Sistine Chapel is mainly used by the College of Cardinals when electing a new pope, it contains some of the most impressive artworks you will see, painted by none other than Michaelangelo.
The paintings in the chapel tell an important story, with the narrative beginning at the altar. It is divided into three sections. In these paintings, Michelangelo tells the story of The Creation of the Heavens and Earth, followed by The Creation of Adam and Eve and the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and finally, the story of Noah and the Great Flood.
10. Modern Bramante Staircase
Considered one of the most photographed staircases in the world, this stunning piece of architecture was designed by Donato Bramante, an architect from Tuscany.
The original design was commissioned by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century and it features herringbone paving, with granite columns. Access to this staircase is restricted.
Fortunately, the modern rendition of the Bramante Staircase is open to the public. This staircase marks the end of a visit to the museums as it is situated near the exit.
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| the modern Bramante Staircase |
When to Visit the Vatican Museums
The hours of the Vatican Museums are from 9 am to 6 pm on Mondays to Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of each month when it is open from 9 am to 2 pm. Weekdays are the best days to visit the Vatican Museums because it is usually crowded on Saturdays, with it being closed on Sundays.
To maximize your visit, I recommend allotting at least 3 hours for touring the museum. With over 50 galleries, an hour or two isn't enough.
Where to Get Tickets to the Vatican Museums
You can buy tickets upfront at the ticketing counters once you enter the lobby of the museum. However, there are usually long queues to even enter the lobby and you'd probably end up waiting in line for at least an hour.
Skip the long queues and book a ticket in advance just like I did. You can book your tickets for only PHP1,515 or €26 via Klook, where you can choose a time slot to enter the museums. This way, you don't need to fall in line. You can just head straight to the entrance in your selected time slot.
If it isn't crowded, you may even get to enter earlier. The guards allowed me to enter the museum a couple of hours before my time slot, which meant I had more time to visit the galleries.
Once you're inside the museum, you can rent an audio guide so you can get more out of your visit. If you're a budget traveler like me, you can download a free audio guide. I would recommend the Vatican Museums audio guide by Rick Steves as it was very informative, plus it included an audio guide for the Sistine Chapel.
I hope this blog post was helpful and gave you lots of insight for when you're planning your Vatican Museums tour.
To know how to get to the Vatican and other things you need to know before your visit, you can check out my blog post here.
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