7 key highlights you mustn’t miss at the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums house one of the world’s largest art collections. This space, a testament to the Catholic Church’s patronage of the arts over the centuries, comprises 10 museums brimming with paintings, sculptures, frescoes and other works of art. During your tour, you’ll come across a wealth of galleries and artefacts that will catch your eye.

1. The Pinacoteca of the Vatican Museums

This collection of 460 paintings, displayed across 18 rooms, is one of the highlights of the tour of the Vatican Museums. It was inaugurated in 1932 by Pope Pius XI, housing works that had previously been located in various apostolic buildings within the Vatican.

The Pinacoteca’s collection includes works by artists such as Leonardo, Caravaggio, Raphael and Giotto, so lovers of Renaissance art who have purchased tickets for the Vatican Museums will particularly enjoy this part of the museums.

2. The Vatican Gallery of Geographical Maps

One of the most fascinating rooms within the Vatican Museums. It is a long hall with topographical maps of the regions of Italy painted on its side walls by Ignazio Danti, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII.

And as if that weren’t enough, the room is crowned by a luminous dome that you simply won’t be able to take your eyes off. Although the Gallery of Maps may not be the main reason many people buy tickets for the Vatican Museums, it is undoubtedly a place worth spending a few minutes in to appreciate its details during your visit to the Vatican.

3. The Pio Clementino Museum

If you’re a lover of sculpture, and especially of classical Greek sculptures, you simply must visit the Vatican Museum.

There you will find two of the most important sculptures in the entire Vatican Museums complex: the Belvedere Apollo and the Laocoön and His Sons sculpture group, both Roman copies of the Greek originals.

This complex, comprising twelve rooms and a courtyard, was the first of the Vatican Museums, founded in 1771 by Pope Clement XIV. It is another of the highlights of the tour of the Vatican Museums.

4. Raphael’s Rooms

Whilst Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, another of the great Renaissance artists was commissioned to paint the apartments of Julius II. As the name of the rooms suggests, the artist chosen for this task was Raphael, who began work in 1508 and continued until 1520, the year of his death, after which it was continued by his pupils for a further four years.

These four rooms feature stunning frescoes on their walls and ceilings, so stopping to admire them is a fascinating experience.

5. Pavilion of the Floats

The Carriage Pavilion is located in the Papal Apartments of the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran, in a separate section of the Historical Museum. It was established by Pope Paul VI in 1973.

As its name suggests, this intriguing room houses carriages, saddles, cars and palanquins used by various popes over the centuries. Although it does not match the magnificence of the other rooms, it is a rather intriguing and unique space, so it is well worth a look during your visit to the Vatican Museums.

6. Bramante’s Staircase

At the end of the tour, as you leave the Museums, you’ll find a spectacular helical spiral staircase known as the Bramante Staircase.

The original staircase was designed in 1512 by Donato Bramante to connect Innocent VIII’s Belvedere Palace with the city. That staircase was later replaced by the one currently on display, created by Giuseppe Momo in 1932.

We recommend taking in the view from both above and below the stairs at the end of your visit to the Vatican Museums. We promise you won’t be disappointed.

7. The Sistine Chapel

Finally, the most visited and eagerly awaited highlight of the tour of the Vatican Museums: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

This is one of the most famous works of art in history, so it’s not unusual to find large crowds of tourists inside. However, despite being smaller in size than several of the other rooms in the Museums, being able to view it with the naked eye is an unforgettable aesthetic experience that you mustn’t miss during your visit to the Vatican Museums.

We recommend taking a few minutes to admire the paintings adorning the vaulted ceiling, which range from the world-famous Creation of Adam (perhaps the most reproduced section of the entire Chapel) to the Last Judgement, which covers the altar wall.

Without a doubt, visiting the Vatican Museums is an unrivalled opportunity to see some of the world’s greatest works of art. Book your visit today and join us on this unique experience.