Vatican Museums

Nestled in the bustling city of Rome lies the smallest state in existence, known for its overload of beauty, art, and history.

Vatican City is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe, with the Vatican Museums being the main draw. Housing the world’s most important collection of artworks, including classical sculptures, renaissance art, and historic buildings, the Vatican Museums is truly worth the visit.

About the Vatican Museums

The Vatican began their vast art collection in the early 1500s when Pope Julius II started sourcing historic artwork from around Europe. Over time, the Vatican became home to 70,000 artworks, but still to this day, only 20,000 of these creations are on display to the public. However, even this smaller percentage of artworks takes weeks to view. With over 1400 rooms found within the Vatican Museum, as well as popular buildings, including the Sistine Chapel, Stanza di Rafaello, and St Peter’s Basilica. The collection is so vast, that if all artworks are placed in a line, it would reach a whopping 14 kilometres in length. Although the quantity of art is staggering, the true attraction of the Vatican Museum is the quality. Most particularly the iconic artworks are done by famous masters, such as Michelangelo, Raphael and many more.

What to see in Vatican Museum

• The Raphael Rooms

  The Raphael Rooms are truly one of the most impressive sights of the Vatican Museums. Commissioned by Pope Julius for his apartment back in 1508, the four rooms were created by the famous Raphael, one of the true Renaissance masters. At the time, Raphael was only 25 years old, but it took his entire life to produce this masterpiece, passing away in 1520 before the rooms were complete, with his assistants finishing the masterpiece. Travel through the four rooms, seeing ‘Constantine’, ‘Heliodorus’, ‘Segnatura’, and ‘Room of the Fire in Borgo’, each has its beauty and meaning, with the walls depicting the different chapters Raphael’s life and a religious or historical moment.

• Sistine Chapel

  Drawing millions of tourists each year, Sistine Chapel is one of the greatest attractions found within the Vatican Museums. The primary attraction of the structure is the stunning frescos featured on the inside walls, most particularly Michelangelo’s famous ceiling frescoes. Michelangelo completed this masterpiece between 1508-1512, with the entire ceiling seen as one of his greatest accomplishments. The artwork showcases a supreme level of detail and shade, with each ceiling section featuring a scene from the bible. There are nine scenes in total, with noteworthy works including ‘Drunkenness of Noah’, the ‘Temptation and Expulsion of Adam and Eve’ and the ‘Creation of Adam’. The crick in your neck will be well worth it when you see the fabulous display of beauty in this historic church!