Pinacoteca Vaticana

The Vatican Pinacoteca is simply a painting gallery and is part of the Museums. It contains many excellent works from artists such as Raphael Sanzio, Carravaggio, Perugino, Romano, Leonardo Da Vinci and others.

The collection itself is quite old and the process was started over 200 years ago when Pope Pius VI assembled a selection of 118 Catholic paintings he liked from around Italy.

Twenty years later Napoleon invaded Italy and took many of these paintings back to Paris and put them in Louvre. Toppled by the British in 1817, the collection was returned to the Vatican and sat in the Borgia Apartments.

Once returned, various Popes added to the collection either by buying paintings they liked or commissioning new ones. The current building was completed in 1932 for then Pope Pius XI who wanted to ensure the paintings received the best lighting conditions available.

Today, there 460 paintings which are divided up chronologically in to 18 rooms, dating from the 12th to the 19th centuries.
They give the visitor a chance to see the development of Christian and Catholic painting over the last 800 years.

Noteable Works Include:

The Stefaneschi Triptych by Giotto di Bondone

The Stefaneschi Triptych is a three panel painting which used to sit on the altar in the first St. Peter's Basilica. It was painted by Giotto di Bondone, the master painter of his time.
Crowning of the Virgin by Filippo Lippi

The Coronation of the Virgin shows Mary the mother of Jesus being crowned Queen of Heaven by her son. It is a common Catholic scene and was painted by Filippo Lippi, a friar and painter.
Angel Frescos by Melozzo da Forli'

Melozzo da Forli was one of the best fresoists of the late 1400s and an entire room in the Pinacoteca is dedicated to his work, showing angels with musical instruments and Pope Sixtus IV creating the Vatican Library.
Madonna and Child by Perugino
The Crowning of the Virgin, The Transfiguration of Christ, and Madonna of Foligno by Raphael (Sanzio)

The Transfiguration of Christ shows Jesus talking with the prophets Moses and Elijah on Mount Tabor, while the rest of the Apostles encounter a possessed youth (shown above). It was Raphael's last work and is considered one of his masterpieces.
The Sistine Chapel Tapestries by Raphael

These tapestries, or hanging carpets, were designed by Raphael and made by Pieter Van Aelst, for the Sistine Chapel. They hang on the bottom of the side walls when they elect the Pope (conclave).
St. Jerome by Leonardo da Vinci
Crowning of the Virgin by Giulio Romano

The Madonna di Monteluce was a colaborative painting between Giovanni Penni and Giulio Romano, two friends and assistants of Raphael. It shows two scenes and in fact used to be cut in half.
Deposition from the cross by Caravaggio
Martyrdom of St Erasmus by Nicolas Poussin
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Wenzel Peter

Peter Wenzel was a famous Catholic artist from Poland. The Vatican has dedicated the last room of the Pinacoteca to his work showing animals and scenes from the Bible.

The Pinacoteca would suit those with a genuine interest in painting and its development or those who really want to see the tapestries which are used in the Sistine Chapel during conclave.

The Pinacoteca is off the beaten track and the majority of people who visit the Vatican do not see it.
There are numerous paintings in the Vatican usually on walls and ceilings in the Museums, in the Raphael Rooms and of course in the Sistine Chapel.

What People Say - My Tour Reviews

"Our guide, Dara, was excellent. He was entertaining and informative."
Steve and Ro Sunshine - 09/11/2010 - 5 out of 5
"All four people in my group thoroughly enjoyed the information and explanations
that our wonderful tour guide demonstated to us. His knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject-matter
was quite evident throughout his entire presentation. Loved the whole tour very, very much
and will reccommend it to all our friends who visit Rome."
Sheryl and Ronald Klein ; Connie and Roger Martel - 08/11/2010 - 5 out of 5
"The whole experience was terrific.
Dara added a lot of insight into the Vatican that we had no knowledge of prior to this tour.
His use of humor made this tour very interesting and memorable.
We consider Dara to be the very best leader of any of the 6 tours we took during our time in Europe."
Cecil and Karen Memory - 04/11/2010 - 5 out of 5
"Dara was great--we enjoyed his tour of the Vatican, and learned so much.
He was insightful, clever and warm.
Highly recommend this tour company."
Paula & Tom Wuori - 04/11/2010 - 5 out of 5
"Informative and pleasant."
Bill Marks - 03/11/2010 - 5 out of 5
"A really good and informative tour."
John Lubbock - 29/10/2010 - 5 out of 5
"I was incredibly impressed with Dara's knowledge and the tour given.
I have even purchased a book about the art of the Sistine Chapel in order to develop my knowledge!!
Very impressed and would highly recommend."
Lisa McMonagle - 24/06/2009 - 5 out 5
"Excellent tour.
Our guide was wonderful and really cared about everything.
Dara was great . .... very knowledeable and answered all questions. Very nice."
Peggy Collias - 01/07/2009 - 5 out of 5
"Dara did a fantastic job.
His sense of humor was a definite plus and kept us all engaged."
Roger Koppy - 03/07/2009 - 5 out of 5
"Worth every penny."
Scott Kalkin - 04/07/2009 - 5 out of 5

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