Alongside the basilica, the other great draw of the Vatican is its museums – one of the largest and most important art collections on earth, built up by the popes over five centuries. A visit winds through kilometres of galleries before reaching its climax in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted some of the most famous images in all of Western art.
The Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums hold ancient Egyptian and Roman antiquities, Renaissance masterpieces, tapestries, maps and modern religious art. Highlights include the Raphael Rooms, frescoed by Raphael and his workshop, the ancient sculpture of the Laocoön, and the breathtaking Gallery of Maps, its vaulted ceiling glittering with gold. The collection is so vast that visitors are guided along set routes – you could spend days here and still not see everything.
The Sistine Chapel
At the end of the route lies the Sistine Chapel, the pope’s own chapel and the place where new popes are elected. Michelangelo painted its ceiling between 1508 and 1512, covering it with scenes from the Book of Genesis – including the celebrated Creation of Adam, in which God reaches out to give life with an outstretched finger. Decades later he returned to paint the immense Last Judgement on the altar wall. Photography is forbidden and silence is requested, in keeping with its sacred role.
The Conclave
The Sistine Chapel is more than a gallery. When a pope dies or resigns, the cardinals of the Church lock themselves inside to elect his successor in a secret vote known as the conclave. The world watches the chapel’s chimney: black smoke means no decision, while white smoke announces that a new pope has been chosen. It is one of the oldest continuous electoral traditions on earth.
Planning a Visit
The museums are extremely popular, so booking a timed entry ticket online in advance is strongly recommended to avoid queues that can stretch for hours. They are closed on most Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month when entry is free and especially crowded. Wear comfortable shoes, observe the modest dress code, and allow at least half a day.
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