MUSEI VATICANI

Vatican Musem, Rome

The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani), in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City, are among the greatest museums in the world, since they display works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries.Pope Julius II founded the museums in the 16th century. The Sistine Chapel and the Stanze della Segnatura decorated by Raphael are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums.As of 2007, they were visited by 4,310,083 people for the year.

Pinacoteca Vaticana
The collection was first housed in the Borgia Apartment, until Pope Pius XI ordered construction of a proper building. The designer was Luca Beltrami. The museum has works of art of painters including Michelangelo, Raphael and Fra Angelico.

Collection of Modern Religious Art
The Collection of Modern Religious Art houses paintings and sculptures from artists like Carlo Carrà and Giorgio de Chirico.

Sculpture museums
The group of museums includes several sculpture museums surrounding the Cortile del Belvedere.

Museo Pio-Clementino
Pope Clement XIV founded the Pio-Clementino Vatican museum in 1771, and originally it contained the Renaissance and antique works. The museum and collection were enlarged by Clement’s successor Pius VI. Today, the museum houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture.There are 54 galleries, or “salas” in total, with the Sistine Chapel, notably, being the very last sala within the Museum – visitors need to proceed through the other 53 salas before earning their reward with access to the Sistine. Some notable galleries are:

  • Sala a Croce Greca: which houses the sarcophagus of Constance and Saint Helen, daughter and mother of Constantine the Great.
  • Sala Rotonda: holding several ancient mosaics and statues.
  • Gallery of the Statues (Galleria delle Statue): Houses, as says its name, important statues like Ariadne sleeping and Meandrus. It also houses the Barberini Candelabrums.
  • Bust Gallery (Galleria dei Busti): Several busts are displayed.
  • Mask Cabinet (Gabinetto delle Maschere): The name comes from the mosaic in the floor of the gallery, found in Villa Adriana, which represents several masks. Along the walls, several famous statues are shown like the Three Graces.
  • Sala delle Muse: Houses the group statues of Apollo and the nine muses. Statues from important Greek sculptors are exhibited.
  • Sala degli Animali: So named because of the several statues of animals that it houses.

Museo Chiaramonti
This museum is named after Pope Pius VII (whose last name was Chiaramonti before his election as pope), who founded it in the early 1800s. The museum consists of a large arched gallery in which sides are exhibited several statues, sarcophaguses and friezes. The New Wing, Braccio Nuovo built by Raphael Stern, houses important statues like The Prima Porta Augustus and The River Nile. Galeria Lapidaria is another part of Chiaramonti museum, with more than 3,000 stone tablets and inscriptions, which is the world’s greatest collection of its kind. However, it is opened only by special permission, usually for reasons of study.

Museo Gregoriano Etrusco
Founded by Pope Gregory XIII in 1836, this museum has eight galleries and houses important Etruscan pieces, coming from archaeological excavations. The pieces include: vases, sarcophagus, bronzes and the Guglielmi Collection.

Museo Egiziano
Founded by Pope Gregory XVI, this museum houses a grand collection of Ancient Egyptian material. Such material includes papyruses, the Grassi Collection, animal mummies, and the famous Book of the Dead.

OPENING HOURS

Musei Vaticani – Cappella Sistina
From Monday to Saturday
Entrance : 09 a.m- 04 a.m.
Closing time : 18.00

Appartamento del palazzo storico lateranenze
From Monday to Saturday
Visits at set hours: 09 a.m.-10 a.m.-11 a.m.-12 a.m.

PRICE
26,50 euro

BOOKING TICKETS
http://www.rome-museum.com/vatican2ind.php

CONNECTION

  • Subway : Cipro and Ottaviano- San Pietro- Musei Vaticani stations