The Vatican is the home to some beautiful artworks from the most famous painters.
The Vatican has a dress code that some travellers might not be aware of when visiting. Luckily if you’re planning on wearing jeans to the Vatican, you definitely can! When you plan to visit, it’s best to keep your knees and shoulders covered. And for footwear, you will need flat shoes, not flip-flops or casual sandals.
Once you’re dressed for the Vatican Museums, let’s get into what you can see inside!
Bramante Staircase
There are two spiral staircases inside the Vatican Museums called the Bramante Staircase. You can see one of the Bramante Staircases when you finish the Pio-Clementino Museum. You’ll be able to walk around the 1932 spiral staircase at the end of your visit.
Donato Bramante designed the original 1505 Bramante Staircase. Only a limited number of people can view the staircase at certain times. If you’re lucky enough to view the original Bramante Staircase, you won’t be able to walk up or down it.
The Raphael Rooms
There are four rooms inside the Vatican Museums that are famous for Raphael’s frescoes. Raphael and his workshop (students) painted the rooms between 1508 to 1524. The rooms were purposed for different use.
The Hall of Constantine was once used for receptions and official ceremonies. Donation of Constantine is one of the fresco paintings on the wall. This fresco shows when Emperor Constantine supposedly promise Pope Sylvester I sovereignty over Rome.
Julius II used the Room of Segnatura as an office and a library. The Raphael frescoes in this room mark the beginning of the high Renaissance. The paintings Raphael did in this room were also the first ones he did in the Vatican.
The Room of Heliodorus once held private audiences of the Pope. The frescoes in this room show different historical moments like the papal army lost Bologna to France.
The Room of the Fire in the Borgo got its name from when a fire that happened many years prior. The frescoes in this room all connect to all of the popes who had the same name as the new Pope Leo X. Leo X became the new pope after Julius II died. The room was originally used for meetings of the Segnatura until Pope Leo X turned it into a hall for music and dining.
Sistine Chapel
One of Michaelangelo’s most famous works is the Sistine Chapel ceiling. He painted the ceiling between 1508 to 1512, but you might notice a very famous painting on the ceiling, the Creation of Adam. This is the fresco painting where you see one man (God), reaching his hand and finger out toward another man (Adam) doing the same thing.
With all the famous paintings you can see inside the Vatican, just remember the dress code to get inside! You can book a morning tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel or an afternoon tour.