Museo: Musei Vaticani

Introduction to the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are one of the most extraordinary museum complexes in the world, guardians of an artistic and cultural heritage that spans millennia of human history. Established in the 16th century by Pope Julius II and opened to the public in 1771 by the will of Pope Clement XIV, the museums today welcome approximately six and a half million visitors each year. Our journey will guide us through a selection of the most significant collections, from Egyptian antiquities to Renaissance masterpieces and contemporary art. We will walk along corridors adorned with breathtaking frescoes, pass through halls that have witnessed history unfolding within their walls, and come face to face with some of the most renowned artworks in the world. Chronologically, we will begin with the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Etruria, then progress through the Greek and Roman eras with their monumental sculptures, finally concluding with the Italian Renaissance and modernity. Our itinerary will culminate in the famous Sistine Chapel, the absolute masterpiece by Michelangelo and a universal symbol of Western art. Prepare yourself for a journey of discovery through a museum that encompasses the history of humanity and its eternal quest for beauty.

Gregorian Egyptian Museum

In the heart of the Vatican Museums, nine rooms host an extraordinary collection of Egyptian antiquities, originating from Rome and Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. Upon entering this space, allow yourself to be instantly transported to the banks of the Nile, embarking on a journey through millennia of history. The Gregorian Egyptian Museum was established in 1839 by Pope Gregory XVI, and its rooms display votive objects, decorated sarcophagi, statues of deities such as Isis and Osiris, and papyri written in hieroglyphics. Particularly interesting are the reliefs from Theban tombs and the statues of pharaohs, bearing witness to a millennia-old civilization. The museum also includes a section dedicated to the influence of Egyptian culture in ancient Rome, featuring examples of "Egyptianizing" art and artifacts from the Sanctuary of Isis in the Campus Martius. As you stroll among carved sarcophagi, mummies wrapped in linen, and papyri inscribed with hieroglyphs, I must share a curious anecdote. Emperor Hadrian was so fascinated by Egyptian culture that in his villa in Tivoli, he had a canal built called "Canopus," in honor of the Egyptian city of the same name. He surrounded it with statues and Egyptian artifacts, some of which you can admire today in these rooms. The last three rooms, on the other hand, house works from ancient Mesopotamia and Assyria, thereby expanding our view of the great civilizations of the ancient world and their cultural exchanges. Pay close attention to the "Book of the Dead" and the Grassi Collection: they are invaluable testimonies that tell us how the ancient Egyptians conceived life after death, a central aspect of their culture that also profoundly influenced the Roman world.

Courtyard of the Pinecone

Exiting the Egyptian Museum, one enters the wide and evocative Courtyard of the Pinecone, one of the most fascinating open spaces of the Vatican Museums. This elegant Renaissance courtyard is named after the large bronze sculpture that dominates the northern niche, right at the top of the staircase designed by Michelangelo: a monumental pinecone, symbol of immortality and rebirth. This work, dating back to the Roman era, was found in the Middle Ages near the Baths of Agrippa and also gave its name to the Pigna district of Rome, which today includes emblematic places such as the Pantheon and Piazza Venezia. But what is the history of this work? It is a bronze fountain dating back to the 2nd century AD, almost four meters high, which once spouted water from its scales. This iconic symbol was even mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy. In Canto XXXI of the Inferno, the poet compares the face of the giant Nimrod to this pinecone. The courtyard, redefined by Bramante in the sixteenth century and later renovated by Pirro Ligorio, today serves as a junction between the different sections of the museums. Facing the pinecone is another important sculpture: "Sphere within a Sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro, donated by the artist to the museum in 1990. This contemporary sculpture creates a fascinating dialogue between ancient and modern: the bronze sphere, with a seemingly perfect shell but deeply fissured, reveals within a mechanism that rotates moved by the wind, a metaphor for the continuous becoming of the world and human knowledge. Take a moment also to admire the architectural proportions of the courtyard, designed in the Renaissance era to harmoniously connect different parts of the Vatican complex. This space served as a passage and rest area for the Pope's illustrious visitors, a place where classical and contemporary art meet.

Chiaramonti Gallery

Let's step into the captivating Chiaramonti Gallery, a long corridor named after Pope Pius VII (born Barnaba Chiaramonti), who founded it at the beginning of the 19th century. This gallery has a particularly interesting history, linked to one of the most turbulent periods in European history. In 1797, with the Treaty of Tolentino, the Papal States were forced to cede the greatest masterpieces of the Pio-Clementino Museum to France. Later, in 1815, thanks to the Congress of Vienna and the diplomatic efforts of sculptor Antonio Canova, nearly all the confiscated sculptures were recovered. The return of Vatican artworks from France is commemorated on the lunette of wall XXI in the gallery. The new museum was established by Canova himself starting in 1806. The Chiaramonti Museum, composed of about a thousand ancient sculpture artifacts, boasts one of the most significant collections of Roman portraits, rich in examples of ideal and funerary sculpture. Canova conceived the layout as a "school of sculpture," where each piece could engage with the others in a harmonious space. Look closely at the Roman busts lined along the walls. Each one is a realistic portrait of a figure who lived two thousand years ago. The Romans were masters of the art of portraiture and, unlike the Greeks who idealized human features, preferred to depict subjects with all their flaws and peculiarities. An intriguing detail: the gallery houses two wooden beams recovered in 1827 from the depths of Lake Nemi, belonging to the ships of Emperor Caligula. They are all that remain of the two ships, which were sadly destroyed during wartime events in 1944. A small fragment of Roman history, rescued from the waters and from time.

New Wing

Let's proceed now towards the Braccio Nuovo, an elegant neoclassical gallery that represents the third section of the Chiaramonti Museum. Pope Pius VII entrusted the task of creating this structure to the Roman architect Raffaele Stern. Following Stern's death in 1820, the work was continued by Pasquale Belli until its inauguration in February 1822. The setup was overseen by the Commission of Fine Arts, presided over by Antonio Canova and also composed of Filippo Aurelio Visconti and Antonio D'Este. This nineteenth-century construction, which can be considered one of the most significant examples of neoclassical architecture in Rome, was inserted between the galleries of the Chiaramonti Museum and those of the Apostolic Library. Its pure and harmonious lines create the perfect setting to house some of the most important masterpieces of classical sculpture. Canova, the general inspector of all Fine Arts for Rome and the Papal State, utilized this space to exhibit many sculptures ceded to France following the Treaty of Tolentino in 1797, which was imposed by Napoleon Bonaparte on Pope Pius VI Braschi at the end of the Italian Campaign and later returned following the decisions made at the Congress of Vienna in 1815. The flooring consists of large marble slabs framing Roman mosaics, while stucco friezes run along the walls. The building is organized into a gallery 68 meters long, covered by a coffered vault with skylights; at the center, on one side it opens into a hemicycle, and on the other, a series of steps gives access to the monumental portico overlooking the Cortile della Pigna. Among the most renowned masterpieces displayed in this section is the Augustus of Prima Porta, depicting the emperor in military attire, with the solemn and idealized appearance typical of imperial art. Beside it, special attention should be given to the Personification of the Nile, an imposing statue now found in the exedra. The sculpture portrays the river god reclining, surrounded by sixteen putti: each of them symbolizes a cubit, the unit of measure that indicated the ideal height of the Nile's flood to ensure a good harvest. This sculptural group, originally displayed in the Courtyard of the Belvedere at the behest of Pope Leo X, was probably found in the Iseo Campense, the great sanctuary in the Campus Martius dedicated to the Egyptian worship of Isis and Serapis, introduced to Rome in the 1st century BC.

Pio-Clementino Museum

The Pio Clementino Museum is one of the vibrant centers of classical art within the Vatican Museums. Founded in the second half of the 18th century by Popes Clement XIV and Pius VI, from whom it derives its name, it was designed to preserve and display the most important ancient and Renaissance sculptures. This section consists of twelve rooms and houses one of the most significant collections of Greek and Roman art in the world. The route winds through environments of great architectural refinement, such as the evocative Octagonal Courtyard, once known as the Courtyard of the Statues. It was here, at the beginning of the 16th century, that Pope Julius II della Rovere set up the first nucleus of the papal collections of ancient sculptures, with the ambition of reviving the grandeur of imperial Rome within the Rome of the popes. When, in the 18th century, Clement XIV and Pius VI decided to transform that collection into a true museum, the courtyard became the focal point of the new museum project. Among the most iconic works is the Apollo Belvedere, a Roman copy of a Greek original attributed to Leochares, symbolizing the ideal of classical beauty. Next to it, another undisputed masterpiece is the Laocoön Group, discovered on January 14, 1506, in a vineyard near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Pope Julius II, informed of the discovery, sent Michelangelo Buonarroti and Giuliano da Sangallo to examine it. It was on their recommendation that the sculpture was purchased and shortly thereafter displayed to the public in the Vatican. The work depicts Laocoön and his sons entwined by the coils of a sea serpent, in a scene of dramatic intensity that deeply struck Michelangelo, who deemed it "a miracle of art." This discovery had a huge impact on the Renaissance, profoundly influencing the art of the time, especially in the depiction of the human body and emotional expression. The museum also houses other extraordinary works, such as the gilded bronze Hercules from Campo de’ Fiori, the Apoxyomenos – the athlete cleansing himself with a strigil – and a refined selection of Roman sarcophagi decorated with mythological scenes.

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Let us now leave the wonders of Greco-Roman art to immerse ourselves in the culture of another fascinating people who inhabited the Italian peninsula before the Romans: the Etruscans. The Gregorian Etruscan Museum, founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1836, comprises eight galleries and houses significant artifacts from archaeological digs conducted in the most important cities of ancient Etruria. Among these are vases, sarcophagi, bronzes, and the Guglielmi collection. With the end of the Papal States in 1870, the museum saw only sporadic but important additions: the Falcioni collection (1898), the Benedetto Guglielmi collection (1935), the Mario Astarita collection (1967), and the Giacinto Guglielmi collection (1987). One of the museum's most spectacular pieces is undoubtedly the Archaic Chariot, made of sheet and cast bronze, originating from the estate of Old Rome and discovered towards the end of the 18th century. This extraordinary ceremonial carriage, drawn by two horses (hence the name "biga"), offers us a rare glimpse into Etruscan aristocratic life and their mastery in metalworking. Another treasure of inestimable value is the renowned Fibula from the Regolini Galassi Tomb, a gold jewel preserved in a room set in a grand environment decorated with Scenes from the Life of Moses and Aaron, frescoed by Federico Barocci and the brothers Federico and Taddeo Zuccari. This room hosts the most important core of the Gregorian collection, discovered in an 1836 excavation in the Sorbo necropolis of Cerveteri. The museum also boasts a splendid collection of vases, both of Etruscan and Greek production. Of particular cultural value and interest is the Attic black-figure amphora by Exekias, depicting Achilles and Ajax absorbed in the game of dice (circa 540-530 BC). The original 16th-century frescoes are still preserved here, featuring the works of Federico Barocci and Federico Zuccari, as well as those of Santi di Tito and Niccolò Circignani, known as Il Pomarancio. Additionally of great interest are the late 18th-century mural temperas, which further enrich the decorative setup.

Gallery of the Candelabra

Let's continue our itinerary by entering the sumptuous Gallery of the Candelabra, a refined corridor extending over 80 meters in length. It was first set up between 1785 and 1788 during the pontificate of Pius VI Braschi and was completely renovated at the end of the 19th century under Pope Leo XIII Pecci, to whom the current appearance is owed. The papal coat of arms inlaid at the center of the floor still bears witness to his intervention today. The renovation project was entrusted to Annibale Angelini, who collaborated with Domenico Torti and Ludwig Seitz for the pictorial decoration, and with Giuseppe Rinaldi and Luigi Medici for the splendid marble inlays. The arrangement of the works followed criteria of symmetry, designed to harmonize with the architecture of the gallery, which could be – and is still today – accessed through a monumental bronze gate. The gallery takes its name from the monumental marble candelabra, paired with colored marble columns, which punctuate the six exhibition sections, interspersed with arches and columns. In Roman times, these candelabra were used to illuminate temples, baths, and patrician homes. Their elaborate decoration, featuring mythological figures, vegetal and animal motifs, renders them true sculptural masterpieces. Among the most evocative relics, take a moment to admire the sarcophagus with scenes from the myth of Protesilaus, dated to 170 AD and originating from the Via Appia. It is an extraordinary example of Roman funerary art, depicting the poignant story of the Greek hero, the first to fall in the Trojan War, to whom the gods granted the chance to return for just one day among the living to see his beloved wife once more.

Tapestry Gallery

The Gallery of Tapestries is one of the most evocative spaces within the Vatican Museums. Spanning over 70 meters, it was set up in the 16th century to house a series of precious Flemish tapestries crafted between 1515 and 1521 based on cartoons designed by the workshop of Raphael Sanzio. Commissioned by Pope Leo X, these extraordinary works depict episodes from the Acts of the Apostles, with standouts including the "Miraculous Draught of Fishes" and the "Death of Ananias." The gallery was renovated in 1838 with the addition of the New School series, so-called to distinguish it from the Old School, which is now displayed in the Vatican Pinacoteca. The tapestries are notable for their technical refinement, the use of gold and silver threads, and their precise perspective rendering. On the left side of the gallery, progressing toward the Sistine Chapel, visitors can admire the Flemish tapestries made at the famous workshop of Pieter van Aelst, depicting Gospel scenes: the "Adoration of the Shepherds," the "Presentation of Jesus at the Temple," the "Massacre of the Innocents" (in two variants, one with a landscape and one with the Pantheon in the background), the "Supper at Emmaus," the "Appearance of Jesus to Saint Mary Magdalene," and the "Resurrection of Jesus Christ." On the right side, tapestries depicting the Stories from the Life of Pope Urban VIII, dating back to the 17th century and produced at the Barberini workshop in Rome, are displayed. Tapestries were considered among the most prestigious and costly art forms of the Renaissance, often valued even more highly than paintings. Consider that the creation of each individual piece required years of work by highly specialized master weavers. The combination of silk, wool, gold, and silver granted these works a unique elegance and luminosity. This collection constitutes one of the oldest cores of the Vatican Museums and bears witness to the historical passion of the popes for the art of tapestry, a passion that began as early as the 15th century. Despite losses over time due to wear and Napoleonic looting, the collection has preserved some of its most famous masterpieces, like the precious tapestry of the Last Supper inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's Cenacolo, gifted in 1533 by King Francis I of France to Pope Clement VII. Established as an autonomous section in 2008, the Vatican Museums' Department of Tapestries and Textiles conducts scientific studies and research, organizes conferences and exhibitions, and oversees the restoration, protection, and enhancement of this extraordinary artistic heritage, in collaboration with scholars and institutions at both national and international levels.

Gallery of Maps

Continuing our journey, we enter the Gallery of Maps. This immense hall will leave you speechless: 120 meters in length and 6 meters in width. It's an incredible cartographic representation of Italy at the end of the sixteenth century. The Gallery of Maps is located along the path leading to the Sistine Chapel; it is an extraordinary cartographic depiction of the Regions of Italy, created between 1581 and 1583. Pope Gregory XIII Boncompagni ordered the construction of the gallery, and the work was executed by a team of artists led by the mathematician and geographer Ignazio Danti. Walking through the gallery is, according to Ignazio Danti's intentions, like traveling along the Apennine backbone from the south (starting from Sicily) to the north (up to the Alpine arc) and facing the Adriatic coast to the east and the Tyrrhenian coast to the west. The maps, based on geodetic surveys innovative for their time, display cities, rivers, mountains, and ports, accompanied by perspective views and astonishing topographical details. On the vault, frescoes with religious and allegorical subjects complete the visual narrative, celebrating the spiritual and political grandeur of sixteenth-century Catholic Italy. The gallery is not only an artistic masterpiece but also a tool of propaganda and cultural identity: an Italy united under the Church's gaze, more than two centuries before its political unification. Walking through this corridor is a journey into Renaissance Italy, amidst art, science, and faith.

Gallery of San Pio V

In this section, we find ourselves in the oldest wing of the Vatican Museums, specifically in the Apartments of Pope Pius V, a Dominican pope who reigned from 1566 to 1572 and was a key figure in the Counter-Reformation. These spaces, transformed into exhibition areas, offer an intriguing perspective on sacred art. The gallery was conceived as a museum space as early as the 19th century, and today it houses a refined collection of oriental carpets, medieval and Renaissance majolica, and exquisite liturgical furnishings. The ceilings of these rooms are adorned with heraldic motifs and scenes from the life of Pope Pius V, created after his canonization. Pay particular attention to the papal coats of arms featuring the eagle and dragon, elements from the heraldry of Pope Gregory XIII, under whose pontificate these decorations were completed. The collection also includes refined examples of decorative arts, such as splendid specimens of micromosaics, a specialized art form developed in Rome in the 17th century. Tiny tiles of hard stones and colored enamels compose images of extraordinary precision and beauty. These small masterpieces, often mounted as jewelry or furniture decorations, demonstrate the skill of Roman craftsmen and the sophisticated taste of the papal court.

Raphael Rooms

And here we arrive at one of the most anticipated moments of our journey: the renowned Raphael Rooms, also known as the Vatican Rooms. These spaces, among the most iconic of the Vatican Museums, comprise four rooms magnificently frescoed by Raphael Sanzio and his pupils, and represent one of the absolute pinnacles of the Italian Renaissance. An intriguing episode accompanies the beginning of this extraordinary cycle of paintings. When Raphael, just twenty-five years old, arrived at the Vatican in 1508 at the invitation of Pope Julius II, he found that other artists, including his master Perugino, were already working in the same rooms. However, the young artist from Urbino impressed the pope deeply with his first fresco, the extraordinary Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, so much so that Julius II ordered the existing works to be erased and entrusted Raphael with the entire decoration of the rooms. The first and perhaps most famous is the Room of the Signature, which houses some of the painter's greatest masterpieces: in addition to the aforementioned Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, dedicated to theology, there's the famous School of Athens, an allegory of classical philosophy. At the center of the fresco, we see Plato and Aristotle, surrounded by a host of philosophers and scientists of antiquity. Raphael, with great originality, attributed the faces of famous contemporaries to many characters: Plato resembles Leonardo da Vinci, Euclid looks like Bramante, and Heraclitus recalls Michelangelo. In one corner, among the figures on the right, we can also recognize Raphael's self-portrait, inserting himself into the scene as a witness of his time. Continuing, we encounter the Room of the Fire in the Borgo, largely executed by the master's pupils after his death. The scenes depict historical episodes related to the Church and the papacy, with a style that combines narrative grandeur and attention to detail. Completing the cycle is the Room of Constantine, executed entirely by Raphael’s workshop, which celebrates the victory of Christianity over the pagan Roman Empire. Its vast mural surfaces depict crucial events such as the Battle of the Milvian Bridge and the Vision of the Cross, in a solemn and celebratory pictorial language.

Contemporary Art Collection

Let us continue our journey through the Vatican Museums with a collection that surprises with its richness and modernity: the Collection of Contemporary Art, which includes about 8,000 works including paintings, sculptures, drawings, and graphics. Here, one finds masterpieces by world-renowned artists such as Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Salvador Dalí, Francis Bacon, Giorgio de Chirico, Carlo Carrà, and Lucio Fontana. Particularly noteworthy is the section dedicated to the models for the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament and the famous Chapel of the Rosary in Vence, donated by Matisse. This collection, curated by Micol Forti, was officially inaugurated on June 23, 1973, but its roots go back to the pontificate of Pope Paul VI. The Pope conceived the idea of a museum not as a "superb and magnificent cemetery" of artworks but as a living organism in continuous evolution. The exhibition path unfolds within the Apostolic Apartments, from the Borgia Apartment frescoed by Pinturicchio to the Marescalcia Hall and the 15th-century rooms that lead to the Sistine Chapel. Among the most poignant works stands the "Pietà" by Van Gogh, a late work that expresses all the spiritual depth of the Dutch artist. Also of strong impact is the “Study for Velasquez Pope II” by Francis Bacon, a powerful and disturbing reinterpretation of the famous portrait of Pope Innocent X by Velázquez. This section attests to the Church's openness to modern art, understood not only as an aesthetic expression but as an authentic spiritual search. It is not a simple exhibition but a true journey that explores the sense of the sacred in 20th-century art, transcending stylistic and theological differences.

Borgia Apartments

Our itinerary continues with a visit to the Borgia Apartments, historically connected to Rodrigo de Borja y Doms — Italianized as Borgia — who was elected pope under the name Alexander VI. His papacy, which lasted from 1492 to 1503, was marked by significant events such as the discovery of America and the Jubilee of 1500, and his figure remains inextricably linked to this part of the papal residence. The Borgia Apartments consist of six majestic rooms: the Hall of the Sibyls and the Creed, located in the Borgia Tower; the Halls of Liberal Arts, Saints, and Mysteries, in the wing built by Nicholas V; and finally, the Hall of the Pontiffs, which is situated in the oldest section dating back to the era of Nicholas III. Today, these spaces host part of the Vatican Museums’ Modern and Contemporary Art Collection, inaugurated by Paul VI in 1973. Over the centuries, the Borgia Apartments have served various purposes: they were the residence of important "nephew-cardinals," including the famous St. Charles Borromeo, nephew of Pius IV; later, they became the Picture Gallery of Pius VII in 1816 and, subsequently, Cardinal Mai's library. It was only at the end of the 19th century, due to a radical restoration commissioned by Leo XIII, that the apartments were opened to the public. An interesting anecdote pertains to the decoration of these rooms, also known as the “secret rooms”: between 1492 and 1494, Pinturicchio and his students — including Benedetto Bonfigli, Pietro da Volterra, Tiberio d’Assisi, and Antonio da Viterbo, known as Pastura — painted the frescoes that still adorn the walls today. After the death of Alexander VI, however, no pope resided there again; the residence was reserved for the nephew-cardinals, including St. Charles Borromeo himself, Secretary of State and nephew of Pius V. In the Hall of the Saints, I suggest paying close attention to the ceiling, a unique feature within the Borgia Apartments. Unlike the other rooms, it does not have a pictorial decoration but a refined work of gilded stucco, articulated in two vaults. At the center of each vault are the emblems of Alexander VI enclosed in a radiant sun. Above the door is a depiction of the Madonna with Child, which — according to a testimony by Vasari — was mistakenly identified as Giulia Farnese, the famous lover of the pope. In this room, themes inspired by classical antiquity and paganism coexist with stories from the Old and New Testament, creating a very suggestive iconographic dialogue. Among the lunettes, special attention should be given to the one on the back wall, dedicated to the Disputation of St. Catherine of Alexandria. The scene unfolds at the foot of an imposing triumphal arch, modeled after the Arch of Constantine, and is topped by a bull, the heraldic symbol of the Borgia family. The recurring presence of the bull underscores Alexander VI's desire to associate his image with that of strong, charismatic, and authoritative power.

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is one of the greatest masterpieces of Western art and one of the most symbolic places of the Catholic Church. Built between 1475 and 1481 under the commission of Pope Sixtus IV of the Rovere family, it was designed by Baccio Pontelli and executed by Giovannino de’ Dolci, expanding on an existing ancient medieval chapel. According to tradition, its dimensions—40.9 meters in length, 13.4 in width, and 20.7 in height—reflect those of Solomon's Temple as described in the Bible. The architecture is simple and solemn, conceived to host the most important papal ceremonies. The 15th-century decoration of the lateral walls, entrusted to a team of great masters of the Quattrocento such as Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, and their workshops, was completed between 1481 and 1482. It comprises two parallel cycles of frescoes: one dedicated to the Life of Moses (south walls, entrance side), and the other to the Life of Christ (north walls, entrance side), highlighting the unity between the Old and New Testaments. The lower band is adorned with painted damask curtains, while the upper part contains portraits of the Pontiffs. Completing the decoration, the original ceiling was painted with a starry sky by Pier Matteo d'Amelia. On August 15, 1483, Pope Sixtus IV consecrated the Chapel, dedicating it to the Assumption. However, it was Julius II della Rovere, his nephew, who profoundly transformed the Sistine Chapel: in 1508 he commissioned Michelangelo Buonarroti to fresco the ceiling, which until then retained the starry sky. Michelangelo worked alone, amid great difficulty, on a specially designed scaffold, creating a cycle of frescoes that covers approximately 500 square meters and depicts nine episodes from Genesis, grouped into three main themes: the Creation of the World, the Creation of Man and Woman, and the Fall including the Great Flood. Among the most famous scenes is the “Creation of Adam,” where the fingers of God and man touch in an iconic gesture. Between 1536 and 1541, at the behest of Pope Clement VII and later Paul III, Michelangelo painted the altar wall with the monumental Last Judgment. This extraordinary fresco represents the second coming of Christ and the final judgment, inspired by New Testament texts. The work, at the time, caused a scandal due to the presence of nude figures, which were later partially covered by Daniele da Volterra, nicknamed “Il Braghettone” (the Breeches Maker), after the Council of Trent. With this decoration, the Sistine Chapel is affirmed as "the sanctuary of the theology of the human body," according to the words of Pope John Paul II. During the latter half of the 16th century, the frescoes of the entrance wall were also redone, having been damaged by a collapse in 1522: Hendrik van den Broeck repainted Ghirlandaio's “Resurrection of Christ,” while Matteo da Lecce restored Signorelli's “Disputation over the Body of Moses.” Between 1979 and 1999, the Sistine Chapel underwent a complete restoration, which also included the marble elements such as the choir, the transenna, and the coat of arms of Sixtus IV. Today, the Sistine Chapel is not only an artistic masterpiece but remains the beating heart of the life of the Church: it is here that the Conclave, the secret election of the Supreme Pontiff, and other important papal ceremonies are held.

Museums of the Apostolic Library

The Vatican Apostolic Library, one of the oldest and most prestigious in the world, serves as the principal guardian of the Church's manuscript heritage. Its official foundation dates back to 1475, under Pope Sixtus IV, but its origins are intertwined with the era of Pope Nicholas V (1447-1455), who first conceived the idea of a public library for the papacy. The collection on public display represents only a fraction of the vast archive, which contains over 80,000 manuscripts, more than 8,000 incunabula—books printed before 1501—and hundreds of thousands of rare and modern volumes. Among the treasures on display are outstanding medieval and Renaissance illuminated manuscripts of great artistic value; biblical codices such as the famous Codex Vaticanus, one of the oldest complete Greek versions of the Bible; ancient maps and medieval cartographic drawings; and unique historical documents, including papal letters and texts in ancient languages such as Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Persian, and Chinese. The monumental heart of the Library is represented by the Sistine Hall, built between 1587 and 1589 according to the design of Domenico Fontana at the behest of Sixtus V. This large rectangular hall, divided into two naves, is adorned with magnificent frescoes celebrating culture and Christian faith through the history of writing. Although most of the material is reserved for scholarly consultation, the museum route allows visitors to appreciate the value of the written word as a fundamental tool for the transmission of knowledge, not only religious but also scientific, literary, and humanistic.

Carriage Pavilion

The Carriage Pavilion, also known as the "Historical Museum of Transport Vehicles," was established in 1973 at the behest of Pope Paul VI, with the goal of documenting the history of papal transportation and the ceremonial aspects linked to the movement of the Popes. It is located in the underground tunnels of the Belvedere Palace and is part of the Vatican Historical Museum. The central piece of the collection, officially inaugurated in 1973, is the magnificent Gala Berline built in Rome in 1826 during the pontificate of Leo XII. This is an elegant vehicle crafted from carved and gilded wood, upholstered in red velvet, intended for solemn processions. Alongside it, nine ceremonial berlins that belonged to Popes or princes of the Holy Roman Church are showcased. In addition to the "protocol" carriages, the museum displays two historic travel berlins: one used by Pius IX upon his return from exile after the revolutionary upheavals of the Roman Republic, and the other for the last journey as a "Papal King." The collection also includes litters, court attire, and horse trappings, which present a valuable historical testament to papal mobility. The Pavilion also illustrates the transformation and advancement of papal means of transportation with the advent of the first automobiles. The first car to enter the Vatican, a Bianchi Tipo 15 donated to the Pope by the Catholic Women's Association of Milan, arrived shortly after the beginning of Pius XI's pontificate. However, it was with the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929 that major international car manufacturers began competing to donate their best vehicles to the pontiff. Of particular note is the gestatorial chair, used until the pontificate of John Paul I to carry the Pope on the shoulders of his chair-bearers, a symbol of ceremony and papal royalty before its replacement by the more modern popemobile. The Carriage Pavilion reflects not only the technical evolution of means of transport but also the transformation of the papacy: from a ceremonial figure, often inaccessible, to a dynamic and approachable presence, especially from the 20th century onwards.

Art Gallery

The Vatican Pinacoteca is one of the most important art galleries in the world. It was inaugurated on October 27, 1932, at the behest of Pope Pius XI, who entrusted architect Luca Beltrami with designing a building specifically constructed within the 19th-century Quadrato Garden, an isolated area completely surrounded by pathways. This choice was driven by the desire to ensure the best natural light conditions, essential for both the proper preservation and the optimal aesthetic enhancement of the paintings. The establishment of the Vatican Pinacoteca finally resolved the long-standing issue of showcasing paintings, which until then had been continually moved within the Apostolic Palaces, lacking a suitable venue for them. The history of the collection dates back to the 18th century: an initial collection of 118 fine paintings was established around 1790 by Pope Pius VI, but it was short-lived. Indeed, following the Treaty of Tolentino in 1797, many masterpieces were transferred to Paris. The idea of a modern gallery, understood as a stable and public exhibition, took shape only in 1817, after Napoleon's fall and the return of many works to the Holy See, thanks to the decisions of the Congress of Vienna. Since then, the collection has progressively enriched through donations and acquisitions, reaching today a core of around 460 paintings, distributed in eighteen rooms organized according to chronological and artistic school criteria, ranging from the Primitives of the 12th and 13th centuries to the 19th century. Visiting the Pinacoteca, one can admire true masterpieces of Italian painting, such as the famous "Transfiguration" by Raphael, the artist's last work, renowned for its luminous intensity and compositional power. Also striking is Leonardo da Vinci's "Saint Jerome," an unfinished yet emblematic painting of the Leonardesque genius, with its anatomical study and expressive faces. The dramatic intensity of Caravaggio’s "Deposition of Christ," with its contrast between light and shadow, leaves an indelible impression. Alongside these, the collection includes works by pivotal artists such as Giotto, Fra Angelico, Melozzo da Forlì, Perugino, Titian, Veronese, Guido Reni, Poussin, Murillo, Sassoferrato, and many others. The Pinacoteca also houses altarpieces, polyptychs, and icons that represent eight centuries of sacred art, in a continuous dialogue with the Christian faith.

Gregorian Profane Museum

The Gregorian Profane Museum, now part of the Vatican Museums, houses an extensive collection of classical antiquities from the Greek and Roman eras. It was founded on May 16, 1844, by Pope Gregory XVI in the Lateran Apostolic Palace, with the aim of collecting and enhancing the archaeological finds from excavations in the Papal States, particularly from areas such as Rome, Cerveteri, Veio, and Ostia. In addition to archaeological materials, the museum also welcomed many works already kept in the papal repositories. In the 1960s, by the will of Pope John XXIII, these collections were all transferred to the Vatican. The new museum building, designed by the Passarelli studio, was inaugurated in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. The architecture favors natural light, thanks to large windows and skylights, while the modular walls in metal grids allow for flexible space organization, maintaining an arrangement based on the origin of the works. The exhibition route is divided into five sections, illustrating the evolution of classical art from ancient Greece to the late Roman imperial period. It begins with original Greek sculptures, such as funerary steles, votive reliefs, and architectural fragments. This is followed by a section dedicated to Roman copies of Greek works, including portraits and ideal sculptures. Finally, the museum presents Roman sculptures and sarcophagi dated to the early centuries of the Empire, arranged in chronological order. Among the most notable pieces are the Statue of Sophocles, a Roman marble copy of a Greek bronze original, found in Terracina in 1839 and donated to Gregory XVI; the Niobide Chiaramonti, a Roman marble copy of a work attributed to either Skopas or Praxiteles, originating from the Temple of Apollo Sosianus in Rome; and the marble portrait of Cleopatra VII, dating between 50 and 30 BC. The collection also includes busts, votive altars, and other Roman sculptures dating from the 1st to the 3rd century AD. Towards the end of the 19th century, a section dedicated to pagan epigraphy was added, further expanding the displayed heritage. The museum entrance is located within the Vatican Picture Gallery, in the direction of the Vatican Museums' entrance vestibule. The Gregorian Profane Museum thus offers a fascinating journey through the art, culture, and funerary history of classical antiquity.

Pio Christian Museum

The Pio Cristiano Museum was founded in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, a few years after the establishment of the Commission of Sacred Archaeology, created to coordinate excavations in the Roman catacombs. The museum was born with the intent to collect and preserve those early Christian artifacts that could not be left on-site. The initial setups were curated by two pioneers of Christian archaeology, Father Giuseppe Marchi and Giovanni Battista de Rossi, and the museum found its first home in the Lateran Palace. In 1963, under the initiative of Pope John XXIII, the collections were transferred to the Vatican, into a new building designed by the Passarelli studio, which had already worked on the expansion of the Gregorian Profane Museum. The new exhibition was inaugurated in 1970 by Pope Paul VI. The museum focuses on early Christian art from the 2nd to the 5th centuries AD, with a unique collection of statues, sarcophagi, inscriptions, mosaics, and other artifacts sourced mainly from the Roman catacombs. The exhibited works tell the story of life, faith, and culture of the first Christian community. The tour is divided into two main sections. The first displays sculptural, architectural, and mosaic monuments, featuring an extraordinary collection of sarcophagi organized by iconographic themes and biblical scenes, following a didactic and chronological criterion. The second section is dedicated to epigraphic material, organized by era and subject, accessible primarily to scholars upon request. Among the most emblematic artifacts is the statuette of the Good Shepherd, dating back to the early 4th century AD. It is an 18th-century reworking achieved by transforming a sarcophagus fragment into a full-round sculpture, with the addition of missing parts. The image of the shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders represented for Christians the iconography of Christ as the "good shepherd," a central figure in the Gospel. Other significant pieces include the Sarcophagus of Via Salaria, decorated with images of the shepherd and the praying figure, and the Sarcophagus of Jonah, which depicts biblical scenes related to salvation and resurrection. The Christian sarcophagi in the museum are not only masterpieces of funerary art but also precious testimonies of early Christian beliefs about the afterlife. Decorated with symbols such as the fish, the cross, and scenes from the New Testament, many feature inscriptions that provide historical information about the deceased and the Christian communities of the time.