About Vatican Museums

The very famous Bramante Staircase of the Vatican Palace was originally made by Donato Bramante in the 16th Century on the orders of Pope Julius II. It is commonly known as the Spiral Staircase and it resembles a double-helix structure with two separate staircases. It was made for an easy ascend and descend for people, without them running into each other. In 1932, this staircase was reconstructed by Guiseppe Momo on the original model in a more contemporary style.

The Stanze of Raphael room consists of four rooms that make up a part of the apartment where Julius II resided. This apartment is located on the second floor of the Pontifical Palace and was used by his successors as well. You can stare in wonder at the frescoes painted on the walls by Raphael back in the early 16th century. These paintings marked the period of the High Renaissance in Europe, and you can note the detailed brush strokes and figurine study that justifies Raphael’s genius.

The Gregorian Etruscan Museum is one of the most interesting places to visit in the Vatican City. Gain insights into some of the oldest civilisations of the world that can broaden your knowledge base. This museum was founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1836. There are 8 galleries that showcase of Etruscan excavations such as bronze vases, sarcophagi, and other findings from the ancient Kingdom of Etruria. The Egyptian Museum lies here along with the reproductions of The Book of The Dead, papers made of papyrus, and mummified animals as well. 

The making of the Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV back in the 15th century. This chapel is quite popular for its history and for bearing some of the best artworks ever made. Its ceilings are coloured with frescoes and massive paintings themed around the contents of Revelation, and the room is adorned by some fantastic Renaissance marble sculptures. This is home to the very controversial painting of The Last Judgement and the Stories of Genesis by Michelangelo. Both the entrances of North and South showcase more paintings created by Rosselli, Botticelli and their team. 

Pope Gregory XIII founded this hall of Gallery of maps in the 16th century and commissioned the famous geographer Ignazio Danti to take up the project. This is a 120-metre long hall that is panelled with painted geographical maps of Italy. There are almost 40 such panels depicting a close view of various regions of Italy. You can go to the third floor of the Belvedere Courtyard to observe these intricate frescoes. The vaulted ceilings of the hall depict the Siege of Malta and the Battle of Lepanto, which are the only two events that are painted in the hall. 

This is one of the most-visited halls amongst the 54 galleries of the Pio-Clementine Museum. It is occupied by numerous Roman and Greek sculptures of significant personalities. The Gallery of Statues and Hall of Busts is home to stunning frescoes depicting landscapes and cityscapes. You can also find several paintings of Cupids made by Pinturicchio that adorn the recesses on the walls. This gallery showcases the interaction between the two empires and the influence they had on each other. It also houses the famous figurine sculpture of ‘Sleeping Ariadne’ which is a good example to study the Greco-Roman intersection.

Visit the largest lapidary gallery in the entire Vatican City which is situated on the southern end of the connecting hall between the Vatican Palace and the Belvedere Palace. This gallery consists of more than 3400 pages made of slabs, urns, altars and sarcophagi. Curated by Gaetano Marini, the foremost custodian of the Apostolic Library, this place is one of the best stone libraries in the world. You can roam around the place gazing at the stone engravings that take you on a historical tour around the world.

Built in the 18th century, the Round Hall is also known as the Sala Rotunda. It is a hemispherical vault that is lined with fascinating colossal sculptures and busts built on half-columns. The floors of the hall are set with mosaics from the 3rd century AD that were found in Otricoli and at Sacrofano. In the middle of the hall, there is a 13 metres wide red basin made of porphyry which steals the attention of all eyes.

This literally translates to the ‘City of the Dead of the Via Triumphalis’. It was a pagan funerary practice to cremate the body outside the city boundaries, so they built cremation grounds on the outskirts. This is one such stretch of the necropolis that has been founded by archaeologists near Vatican City and is now an integral part of the Vatican Museums.

Also Visit: Vatican Necropolis

Below the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran lies the ancient ruins of buildings and houses that were built before the 5th century. Historically, this excavation site is a treasure to know about the Pagan past, and currently, it is accessible for tourists to visit the site and pass through it. 

Must Visit: Villa Barberini

The Vatican Gardens are a private complex of parks that are located within Rome’s Papal State. It is also known as the Giardini Vaticani and spans over an area of 57 acres, occupying most of the Vatican Hill. This garden is home to sculptures, buildings and fountains, some of which date back to the 6th century AD. Most of the fortifications and monuments stationed at this garden resemble Renaissance and Baroque styles of art and architecture. This place has been open to public visitors since 2014 and the view of the St.Peter’s Basilica is truly amazing from here.

The Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo is the summer Papal Palace. It is located in the Alban Hills, overlooking Lake Albano. This 135-acre complex is laden with multiple monuments and sculptures. There is a 17th century Villa, an observatory and a farmhouse situated within the complex as well. This area falls in Italian territory but is owned by the Holy See. Around 20 rooms are open to the public for touring, in order to give a hint of the Papal lifestyle over the last 500 years. The Pope’s private garden is situated here and is named as the Gardens of Villa Barberini.