Breathtaking Renaissance masterpieces by artists such as Caravaggio, Raphael and da Vinci await in these magnificent museums neighbouring the Sistine Chapel.
Rome’s Vatican Museums, considered among the world’s most famous art collections, are an awe-inspiring combination of magnificent masterpieces from the Renaissance and historic Roman relics.
Pope Julius II created the world-renowned Vatican Museums collection in 1506, in the same year the St. Peter’s Basilica foundation stone was laid. The collection, featuring masterpieces acquired by the Catholic Church over the earlier centuries, now attracts over 5 million visitors per year.
The Vatican Museums are comprised of small collections, each with their own outstanding pieces. Don’t miss the Pinacoteca Vaticana art gallery with its wonderful collection of paintings and altarpieces by celebrated Old Masters such as Giotto, Raphael and da Vinci, as well as Caravaggio’s sublime The Entombment of Christ. See fantastic examples of Greek and Roman sculpture at the Museo Pio-Clementino. Wander through superb exhibitions of Ancient Egyptian relics, contemporary religious artworks and ornate Italian maps from antiquity.
See a series of rooms dedicated to Raphael, the renowned Renaissance artist. These rooms were intended to be a suite of apartments for Pope Julius II, but have been transformed into a shrine to the Old Master. Some of Raphael’s finest surviving frescoes and other works are on show in these four rooms, including The School of Athens, Adam and Eve and The Parnassus.
Find some of the most famous artworks in Rome en route to the museum’s collection. The Sistine Chapel, designed and decorated by celebrated Renaissance artists, features beautiful frescoes by Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli and myriad other brilliant artists from the period. Gaze up to the chapel’s ceiling to see what is said to be Michelangelo’s greatest work, The Creation of Adam and Eve.
The Vatican Museums are located in central Rome. The museums are open Monday to Saturday. Visit on the last Sunday of each month for free entry. The museums’ opening times change during several holidays throughout the year, so check the museum website for more information.
Walk to the Vatican Museums from the city centre. Wander across the Tiber and along Via della Conciliazione. Ottaviano metro station is located nearby, on Via Ottaviano.
