Location: Vatican City
Top Things to do in Vatican City
Top Restaurants in Vatican City
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9 Museums in Vatican City That You Shouldn't Miss
Sure, Vatican City is tiny—110 acres—but it houses the world's largest Catholic church (St. Peter's Basilica) and has perhaps the best collection of artistic masterpieces in the world (the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo's Pieta, the Laocoon Group, etc.). And maybe only 800 people live here, but one of them's the Pope. It's a pretty good argument for quality over quantity.
Restaurants in Vatican City
1. Stanze di Raffaello
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,217 reviews
Reviewed By gkw09 - Cambridge, United Kingdom
Four rooms with incredible artwork can be seen during your journey through the Vatican galleries on the way to the Sistine Chapel. Take time to internalise everything you see on the way, especially in these rooms, as I found people would just be aiming for the Sistine Chapel without fully appreciating everything there is before it. Raphael was part of the High Renaissance masters (the others being Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo) and was buried in the Pantheon - a personal favourite landmark of mine in Rome, Italy.
2. Vatican Grottoes
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 446 reviews
Beneath the main floor of St. Peter's Basilica are the tombs of several popes and saints.
Reviewed By asiyahnoemik - Pula, Croatia
Visit to St. Peter's Basilica is a special experience. And visiting the Vatican grottoes is also extremely interesting. Extending beneath St Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Grottoes contain the tombs and sarcophagi of numerous popes, as well as several huge columns from the original 4th-century basilica. In addition the grottoes also include some tombs of secular monarchs such as the tomb of Queen Charlotte of Cyprus, the tomb of the Stuarts, and the tomb of Queen Christina of Sweden. The entrance is in the Pier of St Andrew near the high altar. The place is full of fascinating tombs and sarcophagus, tunnels, chambers and Italian art. We loved seeing this part, because it is a very peaceful and serene walk past the remains of the popes who presided over the catholic church. Very interesting visit.
3. Tesoro di San Pietro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 359 reviews
Reviewed By Hairycalgrad - Buena Park, United States
The artwork on the side walls are all painted maps and pretty accurate considering they were painted several hundred years ago. The ceiling is just spectacular
4. Museo del Tesoro della Basilica di San Pietro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 546 reviews
Reviewed By Elizabeth526
The staircase is the amazing part of here. Quite difficult to walk down, but doable. Comes at the end of the Museums and sistine chapel tour.
5. Apolistic Palace
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By PopcornMonkeyReviews - Wakefield, United Kingdom
Like so many places in Rome this architecture is simply beautiful, absolutely breathtaking, we loved taking pictures of this place, a must visit when in Rome.
6. Sistine Chapel
Probably the most famous chapel in the world because of its incredible artwork, notably "The Last Judgment," Michelangelo's stunning fresco covering 10,000 square feet of the ceiling and wall.
Reviewed By AllanJGJ - Wellington, New Zealand
Most people who've visited the Sistine Chapel will insist you must see it when you go to Rome, and then regale you with tales of massive queues to get in, too many people in the Chapel once you do get in, being pushed through too quickly, the cost of tours, no photography allowed, plus many other moans. All these things are true. If you love Renaissance art then nothing is going to put you off but for many others with only a few days in Rome they should think long and hard about the time and aggravation involved in visiting this attraction just to get 'a tick in the box'. There are so many other superb things to do in Rome that maybe the Sistine Chapel's cost-benefit analysis doesn't stack up for you. For me as a love of Renaissance art and having read a lot about Michelangelo and about the process of the creation of this amazing series of artworks and of the politics involved I was surprisingly unaffected by seeing it in the flesh so to speak. Perhaps buying a book with large full colour prints and explanations of the works might be more satisfying for many. At the end of the day the size of the Chapel added to the number of people inside means you don't really get close to any of the works and the limited light doesn't help - the paintings and the room as a whole didn't zing as I had expected and I was disappointed that I was disappointed, if that makes any sense. So don't think on your first trip to Rome that this is a must do. I did it on my fifth trip because being here for a fortnight I could afford the time, and put up with the aggravation, but the truth of the matter is that while most people would of course give the art an 'excellent' rating they would probably give the experience an 'average'.
7. Vatican Museums
With more than five miles of corridors, this vast complex of museums chronicles the history and accomplishments of mankind over the last 2000 years, featuring classic masterpieces such as Rodin's "Thinker" and the Sistine Chapel.
Reviewed By SAC572016 - Reading, United Kingdom
A lover of renaissance art totally bowled over by Raphael and Michelangelo There are also so many amazing ceilings and works of art to view / the map room just one example It is a case of walking in a procession through each room but well worth it
8. Archivio della Fabbrica di San Pietro
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
9. Museo della Radio Vaticana
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 2 reviews
