With more than 6 million visitors a year, the Vatican Museums rank third among the most visited museums in the world. But is a visit to the Vatican Museums during your city break in Rome worth it? In this blog we will tell you all about that.
What are the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums in Rome is a group of 12 museums, 3 chapels and 5 galleries in the Apostolic Palaces, where the Vatican’s art treasures can be viewed, including over 70,000 paintings, several sculptures and a number of Roman, Egyptian and Greek works.
Why were the Vatican Museums built
The Vatican Museums as we know them today were first founded in 1503, when Pope Julius II decided to donate his private collection to the Belvedere Gardens. And the main purpose of the Vatican Museums was to exhibit the extensive papal collection and antiquities collected by the various popes in recent years.
What must you have seen at the Vatican Museums?
In total, the Vatican Museums in Rome consist of 12 museums, 3 chapels and 5 galleries. Needless to say, it is impossible to visit everything in one day! Therefore, we have compiled a top 6 of the things you really must have seen in the Vatican Museums.
1. The Sistine Chapel. 2. Sphere Within Sphere 3. Galleria delle carte geografiche 4. The Chambers of Raphael 5. Pio Clementino museum 6. Bramante staircase
1. The Sistine Chapel in Vatican Museums
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most famous monuments in the Vatican Museums. And it is named after Pope Sixtus IV, who had the monument built in 1477 and 1480. The main artists who worked on this monument are Botticelli, Luca and, of course, Michelangelo. Inside the chapel you will find a gigantic fresco composed of several more and less well-known works, such as “The Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgment. The Sistine Chapel is also still in use, as conclaves still take place there, these are meetings of cardinals to choose a new pope in the event of his death.
2. Sphere Within Sphere
This bronze statue stands in the middle of the Belvedere Square of the Vatican Museums and is sure to catch your attention. This sphere is 4 meters in diameter and was created in the 1960s by Arnaldo Pomodoro. It represents a cracked, broken eye that shows the complexity of life and humanity. There are now several replicas around the world, but the first is the one in the Vatican. Impressive!
3. Galleria delle carte geografiche
The Galleria delle carte geografiche is part of the Vatican Library. In fact, this gallery is extremely interesting and represents the Italian regions and other territories that belonged to the Church in the 1580s. The gallery is 120 meters long and was inspired by the drawings of Ignazio Danti, an Italian astronomer and mathematician. It is truly impressive to see, as the drawings are not only on the sides of the corridor, but also on the ceiling. Take the time to look up and try to recognize the different regions and cities.
4. Raphael's rooms in the Vatican Museums.
Raphael’s Rooms are part of Pope Julius II’s apartments. At the Pope’s request, Raphael and his pupils painted these apartments, to which they owe their name today, there is the Room of Constantine, the Room of Heliodorus, the Room of the Signature and the Room of the Fire of the Borgo. And in these halls you can see images scenes from the Bible, but also other important moments of the Middle Ages, such as, for example, the coronation of Charlemagne.
5. Pio Clementino museum
The Pio Clementino Museum is one of the largest museums in the Vatican with a total of 12 rooms. The museum was founded in 1770 by Pope Clement XIV and continued by Pope Pius VI. And the museum displays a large collection of Greek and Roman works, such as the Apollo of Belvedere, Laocoön of the Vatican and the Triumphant Perseus. Many of the sculptures you will see are actually Roman copies of works that originally came from Greece. Most of the sculptures are made of marble and are extremely well restored. We recommend that you take the time to admire as many of the works as possible, the details are truly breathtaking!
6. Bramante staircase
The Bramante staircase is not officially a museum piece of the Vatican Museums, but it is such an original staircase that we thought it would be interesting to tell you about it. As you leave the museum, you come across this extraordinary double spiral staircase. Although its name is Bramante, it was Giuseppe Momo who designed and built this staircase in 1932 based on the example of a spiral staircase commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1512. And the special thing about this staircase is that it is built like a funnel that gets smaller and smaller at the bottom, giving an even more impressive visual effect from above.
Where is the entrance to the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums are not accessible from St. Peter’s Square . Go to Viale Vaticano to find the entrance to the museums, it is located at the gate “Musei Vaticani”. Address: Vatican Museums, 00120 Vatican City, Vatican City
How do you get to the Vatican Museums?
You can reach the Vatican Museums in Rome very easily by metro and bus.
1. By metro to the Vatican Museums: line A / stop Ottaviano 2. By bus to the Vatican Museums: line 49 stop Viale Vaticano/musei Vaticani
What are the opening hours of the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.). They are closed on Sundays (except the last Sunday of the month) and public holidays.
What is the best day to visit the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums are among the most visited sites in Rome. To avoid large crowds as much as possible, we recommend going during the week: Monday through Thursday if possible. These are usually the quietest days. Friday is considered weekend (museums are closed on Sundays). Friday and Saturday are the two days with the most visitors.
Is it possible to visit the Vatican Museums without a reservation?
You can buy admission tickets to the Vatican Museums on site, but we advise against doing so. The Museums attract thousands of visitors daily, so you may have to wait in a queue for several hours to buy an admission ticket.
How much does a visit to the Vatican Museums cost?
There are several ticket options to visit the Vatican Museums in Rome.
1. Admission ticket without an audio guide
A visit to the Vatican Museums in Rome is not expensive, you can order your admission tickets online in advance from as little as €32. And what’s more, you can choose the date and time of your visit.
If you want to visit the Vatican Museums in Rome at your own pace, but would like to learn more about everything of interest in the museums, it is best to book an Admission Ticket with audio guide. These Admission Tickets do cost a bit more, but you can skip the queue.
3. Visit Vatican Museums with the Go City Explorer Pass
The Go City Explorer Pass provides access to the Vatican Museums (without a guided tour). With these passes, you can take advantage of skip-the-line admissions and get discounts on other tourist attractions. If you plan to visit multiple attractions during your stay in Rome, we recommend opting for this pass. This will save you time and money!
Rate for adults : from € 89 Rate for children (5-15 years) : from € 69
We visited the various museums and chapels of the Vatican Museums, and a visit to them is absolutely worthwhile. It is home to an extensive collection of the greatest masterpieces of all time. And you really must have seen these once in a lifetime.
Special offers to visit the Vatican Museums
If you are going on a city trip to Rome and would like to visit a the Vatican Museums, take advantage of the offers below!
Vatican Museums: Is it worth a visit?
With more than 6 million visitors a year, the Vatican Museums rank third among the most visited museums in the world. But is a visit to the Vatican Museums during your city break in Rome worth it? In this blog we will tell you all about that.
What are the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums in Rome is a group of 12 museums, 3 chapels and 5 galleries in the Apostolic Palaces, where the Vatican’s art treasures can be viewed, including over 70,000 paintings, several sculptures and a number of Roman, Egyptian and Greek works.
Why were the Vatican Museums built
The Vatican Museums as we know them today were first founded in 1503, when Pope Julius II decided to donate his private collection to the Belvedere Gardens. And the main purpose of the Vatican Museums was to exhibit the extensive papal collection and antiquities collected by the various popes in recent years.
What must you have seen at the Vatican Museums?
In total, the Vatican Museums in Rome consist of 12 museums, 3 chapels and 5 galleries. Needless to say, it is impossible to visit everything in one day! Therefore, we have compiled a top 6 of the things you really must have seen in the Vatican Museums.
1. The Sistine Chapel.
2. Sphere Within Sphere
3. Galleria delle carte geografiche
4. The Chambers of Raphael
5. Pio Clementino museum
6. Bramante staircase
1. The Sistine Chapel in Vatican Museums
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most famous monuments in the Vatican Museums. And it is named after Pope Sixtus IV, who had the monument built in 1477 and 1480. The main artists who worked on this monument are Botticelli, Luca and, of course, Michelangelo. Inside the chapel you will find a gigantic fresco composed of several more and less well-known works, such as “The Creation of Adam” and “The Last Judgment. The Sistine Chapel is also still in use, as conclaves still take place there, these are meetings of cardinals to choose a new pope in the event of his death.
2. Sphere Within Sphere
This bronze statue stands in the middle of the Belvedere Square of the Vatican Museums and is sure to catch your attention. This sphere is 4 meters in diameter and was created in the 1960s by Arnaldo Pomodoro. It represents a cracked, broken eye that shows the complexity of life and humanity. There are now several replicas around the world, but the first is the one in the Vatican. Impressive!
3. Galleria delle carte geografiche
The Galleria delle carte geografiche is part of the Vatican Library. In fact, this gallery is extremely interesting and represents the Italian regions and other territories that belonged to the Church in the 1580s. The gallery is 120 meters long and was inspired by the drawings of Ignazio Danti, an Italian astronomer and mathematician. It is truly impressive to see, as the drawings are not only on the sides of the corridor, but also on the ceiling. Take the time to look up and try to recognize the different regions and cities.
4. Raphael's rooms in the Vatican Museums.
Raphael’s Rooms are part of Pope Julius II’s apartments. At the Pope’s request, Raphael and his pupils painted these apartments, to which they owe their name today, there is the Room of Constantine, the Room of Heliodorus, the Room of the Signature and the Room of the Fire of the Borgo. And in these halls you can see images scenes from the Bible, but also other important moments of the Middle Ages, such as, for example, the coronation of Charlemagne.
5. Pio Clementino museum
The Pio Clementino Museum is one of the largest museums in the Vatican with a total of 12 rooms. The museum was founded in 1770 by Pope Clement XIV and continued by Pope Pius VI. And the museum displays a large collection of Greek and Roman works, such as the Apollo of Belvedere, Laocoön of the Vatican and the Triumphant Perseus. Many of the sculptures you will see are actually Roman copies of works that originally came from Greece. Most of the sculptures are made of marble and are extremely well restored. We recommend that you take the time to admire as many of the works as possible, the details are truly breathtaking!
6. Bramante staircase
The Bramante staircase is not officially a museum piece of the Vatican Museums, but it is such an original staircase that we thought it would be interesting to tell you about it. As you leave the museum, you come across this extraordinary double spiral staircase. Although its name is Bramante, it was Giuseppe Momo who designed and built this staircase in 1932 based on the example of a spiral staircase commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1512. And the special thing about this staircase is that it is built like a funnel that gets smaller and smaller at the bottom, giving an even more impressive visual effect from above.
Where is the entrance to the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums are not accessible from St. Peter’s Square . Go to Viale Vaticano to find the entrance to the museums, it is located at the gate “Musei Vaticani”. Address: Vatican Museums, 00120 Vatican City, Vatican City
How do you get to the Vatican Museums?
You can reach the Vatican Museums in Rome very easily by metro and bus.
1. By metro to the Vatican Museums: line A / stop Ottaviano
2. By bus to the Vatican Museums: line 49 stop Viale Vaticano/musei Vaticani
What are the opening hours of the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums are open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (last admission at 5 p.m.). They are closed on Sundays (except the last Sunday of the month) and public holidays.
What is the best day to visit the Vatican Museums?
The Vatican Museums are among the most visited sites in Rome. To avoid large crowds as much as possible, we recommend going during the week: Monday through Thursday if possible. These are usually the quietest days. Friday is considered weekend (museums are closed on Sundays). Friday and Saturday are the two days with the most visitors.
Is it possible to visit the Vatican Museums without a reservation?
You can buy admission tickets to the Vatican Museums on site, but we advise against doing so. The Museums attract thousands of visitors daily, so you may have to wait in a queue for several hours to buy an admission ticket.
How much does a visit to the Vatican Museums cost?
There are several ticket options to visit the Vatican Museums in Rome.
1. Admission ticket without an audio guide
A visit to the Vatican Museums in Rome is not expensive, you can order your admission tickets online in advance from as little as €32. And what’s more, you can choose the date and time of your visit.
2. Admission ticket with audio guide
If you want to visit the Vatican Museums in Rome at your own pace, but would like to learn more about everything of interest in the museums, it is best to book an Admission Ticket with audio guide. These Admission Tickets do cost a bit more, but you can skip the queue.
3. Visit Vatican Museums with the Go City Explorer Pass
The Go City Explorer Pass provides access to the Vatican Museums (without a guided tour). With these passes, you can take advantage of skip-the-line admissions and get discounts on other tourist attractions. If you plan to visit multiple attractions during your stay in Rome, we recommend opting for this pass. This will save you time and money!
Rate for adults : from € 89
Rate for children (5-15 years) : from € 69
Is a visit to the Vatican Museums worthwhile?
We visited the various museums and chapels of the Vatican Museums, and a visit to them is absolutely worthwhile. It is home to an extensive collection of the greatest masterpieces of all time. And you really must have seen these once in a lifetime.
Special offers to visit the Vatican Museums
If you are going on a city trip to Rome and would like to visit a the Vatican Museums, take advantage of the offers below!
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