vatican museums

Vatican Museum

The Vatican Museums are one of the largest and oldest museum collections in the world. They are located within Vatican City and are the location of the Sistine Chapel.

Vatican Museums

With over 40 rooms viewable by the public containing thousands of pieces of art, the sheer size of the complex surprises most visitors.

The majority of the museums are rooms of ancient Roman sculpture and Renaissance paint work. You have to go through the Vatican Museums to get to the Sistine Chapel so all tours, including my own, start there.

Once inside, you have a choice of which route to take. Since the year 2000 the museums have been a one way system. Seeing all of the Museums would take about 4/5 hours, half would take 2, the minimum route lasts 1 hour before you can see the chapel. This is the same regardless of what guide or tour you choose.


Sections of the Vatican Museums

Entrance and North side of the Museums:

Pinacoteca
Garden overlook
Pine Cone Courtyard

Pio Clementine Museum

This Section was built by two Popes; Clement XIV Ganganelli (1769-1774) and Pius VI Braschi (1775-1799):

The Octagonal Courtyard
The Hall of Muses
The Round Room
The Room of the Greek Cross
Gallery of the Candelabra

Chiaramonti Museum

The Chiaramonti Museum is is named after pope Pius VII Chiaramonti (1800-1823) and is one long room linking the Papal Residence to the older Museum and a new wing or Braccio Nuovo:

The Gallery of the Busts
The Braccio Nuovo

Newer Vatican Museums Sections

Other rooms have been created and updated by Popes:

Tapestry Gallery
Gallery of the Maps
Sobieski Room Room of the Immaculate Conception
The Raphael Rooms

The Raphael Rooms were a set of Papal Apartments paid for by Pope Julius II (1503-1513) who didn’t want to sleep where his Borgia predecessor Alexander VI had slept. They were decorated by Raphael Sanzio and his assistants Giovanni Francesco Penni and Giulio Romano.
The Raphael Rooms


Borgia Apartments

The Borgia Apartments are where Pope Alexander VI (1492 – 1503) slept, they were primary decorated by Pinturicchio and his assistants:
The Borgia Apartments


The Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel was built by Pope Sixtus IV, hence the name – there is not another 15 of them, and is the private chapel of the Pope and where most Popes have been elected since 1482. It was decorated by various people including Ghirlandaio, Perugino, Botticelli and later Michelangelo.
The Sistine Chapel


The Vatican Library

The Vatican Library housed the library and archives of the Vatican State, now are are long corridor leading to exit of the museums.

The Vatican Library


My Vatican Tour reviews: Vatican Tour

Rated 5.0/5 based on a selection 10 customer reviews out of thousands.

  • Dara was an Excellent Tour Guide

    We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the Vatican and felt that we obtained a lot more information than we would have done on our own. Dara was an excellent tour guide who was well informed and able to deliver the information in an enjoyable way.
    5/5 Stars
  • Dara's Tour was Fantastic.

    Dara's tour was fantastic. He made 2000 years of history much more fun than expected. I would certainly take his tour again when I next visit Rome. I learned so much and had a great time. Thanks!
    5/5 Stars
  • By Far the Best I have Ever Experienced

    Having travelled a great deal, I have been on many tours in many places, but this tour was by far the best I have ever experienced! Dara delivered a lot of information in a quick and witty way. I am so glad we didn't try to visit the Vatican without a tour. Thanks so much for a wonderful day!
    5/5 Stars
  • Great Tour!

    Dara was excellent! Thank you for such a great tour!
    5/5 Stars
  • Easy to Understand

    Dara was a good guide and seemed to know what he was talking about, plus he was easy to understand.
    5/5 Stars
  • Excellent Tour

    It was an excellent tour. Would recommend it to anyone who was going to Rome.
    5/5 Stars
  • Take the Tour

    Take the tour, even if you will do it on your own later.
    5/5 Stars
  • Worth every penny.

    Worth every penny.
    5/5 Stars
  • Excellent Work

    Our tour guide was very informative and knew the history of all the statues and art paintings and frescoes on the walls and ceilings. We are very glad we took this guided tour. We would not have known what we were looking at. Excellent work to Vatican tour and guide. Thanks!
    5/5 Stars
  • Wonderful Job

    Dara did a wonderful job. I wish we would have had him as our tour guide the entire time we were in Rome. He made the tour wonderfully entertaining and very educational. He placed just enough detail in the explanation to teach us but not bore us. He did an outstanding job. Thank you Dara!
    5/5 Stars