The Vatican Museums

During the Roman holiday, a visit to the Vatican City Museum and Sistine Chapel is one of the essential things on any traveler’s list. The Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani) are Christian art museums inside Vatican City. There are masterpieces from the impressive collection gathered by popes throughout the centuries. Moreover, the collection includes Roman sculptures and works of art known worldwide as the Renaissance.

The museums contain almost 70.000 works, where 20.000 of them are on display. Also, 640 people work in 40 administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments. The museum exhibits 54 galleries (sale), including the Sistine Chapel, and is one of the largest museums in the world

Note that the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums are located in two different parts of the smallest government in the world. It is better to come earlier to the Vatican to explore it without crowds of tourists since there are many things to see. You can plan your visit to the Vatican by booking our private guided tour to pass through queues and discover the museums with maximum comfort.

Essential Things to Know Before Visiting the Vatican Museums

Tours of the Museums

The Vatican Museums offer group tours, which you can book on its official website for an additional payment. Another option is to get an audio guide. Moreover, a specific itinerary is incompatible with the guided tours for visitors in a wheelchair. Please note that it is better to visit the museums with a tour guide, who will explain everything since there are many things to see inside. Plan your trip and consider the option to visit the Vatican right before its opening to save your time and not stand in long queues.

A guided tour is an amazing option if you want to make the most of your visit.

Types of Tickets to Enter the Vatican Museums

The basic entry to the historical museums costs 17 euros (+4 euros for the reservation if you book tickets online). Planning your trip and reserving tickets online is always a good idea because thousands of visitors want to visit the art museum daily. Usually, queues at ticket desks are endless.

When you plan to visit the Vatican Museums, you should better avoid ticket offices in high seasons and choose admission tickets online with a reservation fee. However, suppose you decide to buy tickets offline in any ticket office. In that case, you can pay an additional price for the audio guide or guidebook or get a group tour.

If you use an online service, the languages used in the online ticket office are Italian and English. During the online reservation process, you must choose a particular ticket time to enter the museums. The Vatican Museums’ official site tickets.museivaticani.va only accepts Visa and Mastercard.

If you purchase tickets online in advance, the entrance fee cost is 17 euros + the booking fee is 4 euros, which helps you to skip the line. Don’t forget to take your passport!

Once you have completed the online purchase, you will receive two emails: one to confirm your payment and the second one containing your voucher for the Vatican Museums ticket. Print out the first page of the voucher. Then, come to the museums 15-30 minutes earlier on the day of your visit. Once you pass through security, go to the left, where the “cassa” is located, and turn in your voucher for an actual ticket.

Read step-by-step instructions on how to buy tickets to the Vatican Museums.

Many types of tickets have various prices, reductions, or unique free entry reserved for different visitors. Moreover, tickets cannot be refunded. The ticket is valid only on the day on which it is issued.

You should better buy Vatican Museum tickets in advance!

Night Openings

Friday Night Openings is a unique opportunity to visit the Vatican Museums after sunset. Every Friday from April 20 to October 26, the museums host visitors from 7 pm to 11 pm, with the last entrance at 9.30 pm. Night tickets have the same price as regular admission tickets.

Booking online for night openings is mandatory. Also, you have to exit from the galleries 20-30 minutes before the closing time

Breakfast at the Vatican Museums

Breakfast at the Museums is available with a guided tour or audio guide. The reservation includes an American buffet breakfast, the Museums, and the Sistine Chapel entrance. Notably, tickets can be reserved up to 60 days before the intended visit date. You can enter the Museums at 7.15 am, before the official opening time, and enjoy breakfast. The full price is 68 euros, while the reduced price is 59 euros. Identity cards of all participants are needed for the purchase online and before the entrance.

Pontifical Residence of Castel Gandolfo

The official pontifical residence is located in Castel Gandolfo, 24 kilometers southeast of Rome. It provides multi-lingual tours to the botanical garden and architectural gems that belong to the Vatican.

Also, there are special tariffs for families. Note that you can make a reservation up to 60 days before the needed date and change it up to 72 hours before the visit. For example, suppose you book a walking tour to the Barberini Gardens and to the Antiquarium of Villa (both individual and group guided tours are available) on the day of the visit. In that case, an admission ticket for the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo will have a reduced cost of 7 euros per person.

Opening Hours of the Vatican Museums in 2024

The Vatican Museums’ working hours are from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm, with the final entry at 4 pm. Every last Sunday of the month from 9 am to 2 pm (final admission at 12.30 pm) is free entry (if it does not coincide with Easter Sunday, June 29, Sts. Peter and Paul, December 25, Christmas day, and December 26th Feast of St. Stephen)

Below you can see the opening days and hours schedule of the Vatican Museums for 2024:

According to the timings indicated above, the Vatican Museums will have an extended opening time on the 18, 19,20,23,24, 25, 27, 29, and 30^th of April, the 2^nd and 4^th of May, and November 2, until 7 pm (final entry at 5 pm).

Closure days are Sundays, except the last Sunday of each month and January 1, February 11, March 19, April 22, May 1, June 29 ^th, 14^th, and 15^th of August, November 1st, 8^th, 25^th, and 26^th of December.

Free Entrances in 2024

Vatican Museum is free on the last Sunday of the month. In 2024, free admission to the Vatican Museums will be on April 28, May 26,  June 30, July 28,  August 25,  September 29, October 27, November 24, and December 29.

Where to Enter to the Vatican Museums

The Main Entrance is located on the street Viale Vaticano. A good landmark is the Caffè Vaticano located on adress Viale Vaticano, 100. Attention, in no case do not order in this cafe. Read the reviews on Google Maps first. Use this cafe only as a landmark for entering museums – it is opposite across the road.

There are different entrances to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica, so plan your visit in advance. St. Peter’s Basilica is not included in the Vatican Museums’ ticket; it is a church. However, there is no fee to go inside. It is closed on Wednesday mornings during the Papal Audience and reopens around 12-1 p.m. on that day. If you are on a group tour, there is a privileged passage directly from the Sistine Chapel to the Basilica.

How to Get to the Vatican Museums?

• Rome Metro: There is a station outside the Vatican walls at Ottaviano – S. Pietro. It is a 5-minute walk from the Metro to both St Peter’s Square and The Vatican Museums.
• Train: St Pietro train station is located within a 10-minute walk to St Peter’s Square.
• Public Bus: Buses 40 and 64 functions frequently between Termini station and the Vatican via the City Centre, including Piazza Venezia. Also, you can reach the Vatican by bus 62 or 81.
• Walking distance: The Vatican is not that far from the city center of the Eternal City. For instance, walking from Piazza Navona will take around 20 minutes.

Dress Code

The dress code for visiting the Vatican is the same as that for visiting any church in Italy. Both males and females must cover their knees and shoulders. Moreover, it is better to wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts. Following the dress code of the museums is mandatory.

History of museums in the Vatican

In the 15^th century in the Vatican, the famous Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina) was built. Architect Giovannino de Dolci created a modest church decorated from the inside by the greatest masters of Renaissance painting: Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, and Pietro Perugino. A gem of the chapel became a fresco by Michelangelo di Lodovico – “The Last Judgment.”

In the late 15^th – early 16^th centuries, another monument of architecture and art – the Borgia Tower (Torre dei Borgia), appears in the Vatican. Again, Pope Julius II founded the tradition of collecting fine items. In the 16^th century, he actively began to collect copies of ancient Roman sculptures and arranged a suitable space for their exhibit.

According to the statistics, the Vatican Museums are the 5^th most visited art museums in the world. There were 6 million visitors in 2017

The Museums trace their origin to the marble sculpture purchased in the 16^th century: Laocoon and His Sons. It was discovered in 1506 in a vineyard near the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) in the Eternal City. Pope Julius II asked Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarotti to examine the sculpture. Thanks to their recommendation, the pope purchased the sculpture from its owner. He put it on public display at the Vatican one month later after its discovery. Lately, Benedict XIV founded the Museum Christianum, where some of the Vatican collections gave birth to the Lateran Museum, which Pope Pius IX founded by decree in 1854.

On 1^st of January 2017, Barbara Jatta became the new Director of the Vatican Museums, replacing Antonio Paolucci

Vatican Collection – What to See First?

One of the wealthiest art collections globally represents worldwide known masterpieces from the most notable artists. Read about the best things to see in the Vatican Museums:

Belvedere Courtyard

The Belvedere Courtyard (Cortile del Belvedere) is considered a significant architectural work of the High Renaissance at the Vatican Palace. Donato Bramante designed it in 1506.

Its concept and details were taken for the architectural planning of courtyards, squares, and gardens throughout Western Europe for centuries. The long Belvedere Court is an open space that connects the Vatican Palace and the Villa Belvedere with many terraces connected by stairs. Unfortunately, Bramante did not see his work completed. Moreover, by the end of the sixteenth century, the artwork had been altered by a building across the court, which separated it into two courtyards.

The Museum of Pio Clement

Popes Clement XIV and Pius VI commissioned the Museum of Pio Clement (Museo Pio-Clementino) to collect Greek and significant Roman artifacts in the Vatican. Visitors first passed through a square vestibule and a small room with a marble cup to enter the Cabinet of Apoxyomenos, named after a Roman copy of an original Greek bronze masterpiece by Lysippos in 320 BC.

Bramante’s Staircase stands in the next room, which Julius II commissioned in 1512. The Staircase connects the Palace of Innocent VIII and the city of Rome. In addition, the Museum of Pio Clement contains the Octagonal Courtyard (1772), named after its shape. Next to the courtyard is the Room of the Animals, with a collection of Roman statues and animals. Also, there is a Gallery of Statues, Room of Busts, Room of Muses, Round Room, Greek-cross Room, and Cabinet of Masks, where visitors can find art masterpieces from different epochs.

Gregorian Egyptian Museums

Pope Gregory XVI founded the Gregorian Egyptian Museum (Museo Gregoriano Egizio) in 1839. It occupies nine rooms and a terrace of the “Niche of the Pinecone,” where different sculptures are located. The collection of the museums contains material from Roman Egypt and Egyptian-influenced Rome. However, there are many masterpieces of Roman production. They serve as an embodiment of an important moment in the history of pharaonic culture.

The Court of the Pigna

The Court of the Pigna (Cortile Della Pigna) forms the northern end of the Belvedere Courtyard. The Court takes its name from the large bronze pine cone, bounded by the Braccio Nuovo on the south side, east by the Chiaromonti Gallery, north by Innocent VIII’s Palazzetto, and on the west side by the galleries of the Apostolic Library. Publius Cincius Salvius cast the bronze statue in the 1st or 2nd century. Initially, the pinecone was situated in Campus Martius and served as a fountain. However, in the 8^th century, it was moved to the entrance hall of the medieval St. Peter’s. In 1608, the giant pinecone fountain was dismantled and moved to the place where you can find it today.

Apostolic Palace

Apostolic Palace (Palazzo Apostolico) is the official residence of the Roman Catholic Pope and Bishop of Rome. Moreover, it is known as the Papal Palace or the Vatican Palace. At the same time, the Vatican refers to the building as the Palace of Sixtus V. Inside, there are the Papal Apartments, offices of the Catholic Church, private and public chapels, Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Library, Raphael Rooms, and Borgia Apartment.

Raphael Rooms

The four Raphael Rooms (Stanze di Raffaello) are famous for their frescoes painted by Raphael and his workshop. Along with Michelangelo’s ceiling art in the Sistine Chapel, these frescoes mark the High Renaissance in Rome.

Originally, the rooms were intended as apartments for Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work to Raphael. The Raphael Rooms are located on the third floor of the Palace of the Vatican.

Borgia Apartments

The Borgia Apartments (Appartamento Borgia) are a suite of rooms in the Apostolic Palace, constructed for private use by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrigo de Borgia). In the late 15^th century, the representative of the Borgia family commissioned the work of the Italian painter Bernardo di Betto (Pinturcchio) to decorate apartments with frescoes. The paintings were executed between 1492 and 1494. The masterpieces are connected to themes from encyclopedias, including an eschatological layer of meaning.

Most of the rooms are now used for the Vatican Collection of Modern Religious Art, inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1973

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Pope Gregory XVI founded the Gregorian Etruscan Museum (Museo Gregoriano Etrusco) in 1837. One of the first museums dedicated to Etruscan antiques contains the artifacts from excavations carried out during the preceding years in the sites of the most important cities of ancient Etruria.

There are collections of Falconi (1898), Benedetti Guglielmi (1935), Mario Astarita (1967), and Giacinto Guglielmi (1987). In addition, the museum includes a section dedicated to Roman antiquities (Antiquarium Romanum) with artifacts from the end of the Western Empire (5^th century A.D.), where works are made of bronze, glass, and terracotta and ceramics from Rome and Latium. The section dedicated to the Greek collection of figurative vases allows visitors to observe the history of ancient paintings.

Vatican Apostolic Library

The Vatican Apostolic Library (Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana) or the Vatican Library (the Vat) is the Holy See library established in 1475. It is one of the world’s oldest libraries and has one of the most important collections of historical texts. There are 75 thousand codices and 1.1 million printed books. Moreover, it is considered a history, law, philosophy, science, and theology research library.

Photocopies from the library for private study of pages from books published between 1801 and 1990 can be requested in person or by mail in digital version. The library contains online manuscripts catalog.

The Chiaramonti Museum

The Chiaramonti Museum (Museo Chiaramonti) is set among the small Palace of the Belvedere and the Vatican Palaces. The museum is named after Pope Pius VII Chiaramonti (1800-1823). In 1797, under the terms of the Treaty of Tolentino, Napoleon ordered the Papal States to transfer a significant part of the artworks in the Pio Clementino Pio Museum to France. The museum contains over one thousand examples of antique sculptures on display. It represents one of the most important collections of Roman portrait busts. Moreover, there you will find masterpieces of idealistic and funerary sculpture.

Vatican Historical Museum

The Vatican Historical Museum (Museo Storico Vaticano) was founded in 1973 at the behest of Pope Paul VI. Later, in 1987, it was moved to the main floor of the Apostolic Palace and opened in 1991. There is an impressive collection of portraits of all the Popes, essential items of the Papal Military Corps of the 16-17^th centuries, and religious paraphernalia connected to rituals of the papacy. In addition, the floor plan contains Popemobiles, carriages, and motorcars of Popes and Cardinals.

Carriage Pavilion

Pope Paul VI inaugurated the Carriage Pavilion in 1973. The Papal Carriages Museum of carts has an exciting history of the movement of pontiffs: dozens of carriages, 12 cars, the steering wheel of a racing Ferrari, palanquins, harnesses, saddles, aircraft model, locomotive, and even a ship.

Highlights from the Painting Collection

The Vatican Museums encompass some of the most essential and famous works of art globally, from Roman and Egyptian antiquities to paintings by Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

St Jerome in the Wilderness

St Jerome in the Wilderness is an unfinished painting by Leonardo da Vinci that depicts Saint Jerome during his retreat to the Syrian Desert. The painting represents him kneeling in a rocky landscape, looking toward a crucifix with a rock in his right hand. The lion, the stone, and a cardinal’s hat serve as the traditional features of the saint.

Stefaneschi Altarpiece

The Stefaneschi Altarpiece is a triptych by the Italian medieval painter Giotto, commissioned by Cardinal Giacomo Gaetani Stefaneschi to present as an altarpiece for one of the altars of St. Peter’s Basilica. Nowadays, the triptych is at the Pinacoteca Vaticana.

Lament Over the Dead Christ

Lament over the Dead Christ by Giovanni Bellini formed the upper part of the altarpiece that the painter created in Pesaro for the high altar of S. Francesco between 1473 and 1476. The Lament sees Mary Magdalene, Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathaea around the dead body of Christ. The composition has a sorrowful tone and binds the protagonists with an intimate emotional connection.

Oddi Altarpiece

The Oddi Altarpiece is an altarpiece of the Coronation of the Virgin created in 1502-1504 by Raphael for the altar of the Oddi family chapel. Today, it is moved from the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia to the Vatican Pinacoteca.

The Transfiguration

The Transfiguration is the last masterpiece by the Italian High Renaissance artist Raphael. Cardinal Giulio de Medici (Pope Clement VII) commissioned the painting. Moreover, it represents the culmination of Raphael’s career and is located in the Pinacoteca Vaticana.

Madonna of Foligno

Raphael’s Madonna of Foligno artwork was first painted on the wood panel but later transferred to canvas. The painting was previously located on a high altar of the church of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli. Today, one can find the masterpiece in the Pinacoteca Vaticana.

The Entombment of Christ

The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio was created in 1603-1604 for Santa Maria in Vallicella (Chiesa Nuova), but now it is in the Vatican Pinacoteca. Moreover, artists such as Rubens and Fragonard have copied the painting.

Decemviri Altarpiece

Decemviri Altarpiece, created by Pietro Perugino in 1495-1496, is housed in the Pinacoteca Vaticana. The Decemviri (Ten Men) of Perugia commissioned the artwork for the chapel in the Palazzo dei Priori.

Papal Throne

The Vatican Museums contain the red marble papal throne taken from Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano (the Bishop’s official seat in Rome). The red marble material represents royalty and includes mosaics and frescoes. Moreover, there are depictions of two engraved lions.

Collection of Modern Religious Art

The Collection of Modern Religious Art of the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani Collezione Arte Religiosa Moderna) represents a collection of paintings, graphic art, and notable sculptures. It includes 55 rooms with the Apartment of Alexander VI, the two floors of the Salette Borgia, several rooms under the Sistine Chapel, and other rooms on the ground floor.

Pinacoteca Vaticana

The Pinacoteca Vaticana was located in the Borgia Apartment until 1932. Nowadays, it houses a variety of notable paintings such as Raphael’s “Oddi Altarpiece” or Leonardo Da Vinci’s “St. Jerome in the Wilderness” mentioned above. You should visit if you are a Renaissance art lover.

Gallery of Maps

The Gallery of Maps is on the west side of the Belvedere courtyard. There are many painted topographical maps. It was commissioned in 1580 to Ignazio Danzi, who completed the 40 panels within three years. Moreover, the gallery is 120m in length.

Sistine Chapel

The Vatican Museums are primarily famous because of the Sistine Chapel. It was built by the architect Giovannino de’ Dolci at the end of the 15^th century by order of Pope Sixtus IV. The chapel is always open for visitors, except when the procedure of electing a new pope is processed. Moreover, it has Michelangelo’s famous frescoes on the ceiling. In addition, tourists are not allowed to take photos inside, and there are always crowds of tourists interested in visiting the chapel. Therefore, it is better to visit the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with a tour guide and prepare for your visit in advance.

Note: You can’t visit the Sistine Chapel solely without buying a ticket to the Vatican Museums

Online shop

The Vatican Museum shop contains many interesting products connected to the smallest government in the world. For instance, you can buy accessories, jewelry pieces, medals, watches, prints, or books there. The production is unique and highly popular among all visitors to the Holy See.

There are different prices, and because of the impressive variety of the saint’s things, one can find an unusual and perfect souvenir that matches his preferences. For example, the average price for watches is 60-70 euros, while prices for books start from 10 euros per book.

Interestingly, one can also buy features for home décor, such as sculptures or busts, where the prices for artistic reproductions start at 50 euros. For visitors interested in the history of the Vatican, there are various books and DVDs on various historical topics. Moreover, there are puzzles depicting the most notable artworks in the city-state territory.

Top 5 Things to Buy in the Souvenir Shop of Vatican Museums

1. Poster Creation – Creation of Adam (1508-1510) is a fresco located on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo created one of the most recognized and notable paintings worldwide. The price is 10 euros, and it can become a nice feature for your home.
2. The Face of Pieta – a sculpture made from a single block of Carrara marble and commissioned from Michelangelo by Cardinal Jean de Villers de la Groslaye to Rome. The Pieta by Michelangelo is displayed in the chapel of the Basilica of St Peter. The sculpture of the head of the Virgin costs 410 euros and represents the artwork that made the young artist famous.
3. Jigsaw Puzzle 1000 Pieces (Sistine Chapel Ceiling) – one of the most original options for home décor. The puzzle represents the famous ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo in 1512. The price is only 16 euros.
4. Cosmatesque Style Plate – the art reproduction of Cosmatesque style floors comes from the 12^th century A.D. Cosmati was the name of the Roman family of marble artisans. The Sistine Chapel’s floors have floors in this style, and you can buy a plate for 80 euros.
5. Christmas decorations – one of the most beautiful souvenirs or present options from the Vatican. There are ornaments decorated with angels, represented in the artworks of Melozzo da Forli, Raphael, Titian, and others. The price is only 16 euros.

A visit to the Vatican Museums is a unique experience since it will take lots of time to explore all the notable collections on the territory of the smallest government in the world. Have you ever been inside the Vatican Museums? Tell us about your experience in the comments!

Author: Kate Zusmann

I have lived in the Eternal City for the past 12 years. They say every angle of Rome has its history, and I'm here to tell you about the most intriguing historical facts and city legends. :)

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