{"id":2368,"date":"2020-07-02T06:39:46","date_gmt":"2020-07-02T06:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/?p=2368"},"modified":"2020-07-03T12:13:28","modified_gmt":"2020-07-03T12:13:28","slug":"a-visitors-guide-12-most-important-sights-to-see-in-vatican-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vaticantour.com\/blog\/a-visitors-guide-12-most-important-sights-to-see-in-vatican-city","title":{"rendered":"A Visitor’s Guide: 12 Most Important Sights to See in Vatican City"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Italian cities are oozing with charm and history.\nThat\u2019s exactly why wanderers couldn\u2019t help but get attracted to this\npasta-laden country.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vatican City<\/strong><\/a> is one of those popular Italian tourist spots, not only for Catholics but also for those who are curious about the culture and the belief.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry, the Holy See is not one to judge; you\u2019ll\nbe able to explore the main sites in the city as long as you know the basics\nwhile respecting the catholic church and its traditions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019ve been eyeing this city for a long time\nnow and your knowledge of the Vatican is limited to where the Pope resides,\nthen prepare to be surprised. That\u2019s because there are a lot more sights to see\nhere than you expect.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check your carry-on luggage dimensions<\/strong><\/a>, you might be needing more space in your bag for all the religious and historical trinkets you can bring home when you visit this city.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.  St. Peter\u2019s Basilica<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, first on the list is St. Peter\u2019s\nBasilica. There\u2019s no point in going to the Vatican without visiting one of the\nholiest Catholic shrines in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fact that the location of this basilica has\nseen almost every Holy Father who has\nassumed the chair of Peter is enough reason to make you want to walk inside its\nbreathtaking halls. It might bring a shiver down your spine, but you should\nexpect that especially if you\u2019re lucky enough to be in the presence of the\nPope.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aside from that, the St. Peter\u2019s Basilica has one\nof the most stunning displays of human artistry with its impeccable engineering\nwhich has taken 120 years to complete. Who in their right mind would say no to\nthat?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Sistine Chapel<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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If only the Sistine Chapel wasn\u2019t only a chapel\nand art aficionados had the opportunity to hang out here all day long, they\nwould probably grab that opportunity in an instant.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exquisite line of art that you can find in\nthis revered place of worship will make your jaws drop. To stare at one of Michelangelo\u2019s masterpieces<\/a> is something worth\nexperiencing in this lifetime.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The frescoed ceiling of the chapel took him four\nyears to finish, and it was definitely worth every ounce of frustration the\nartist probably felt during the entire process.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sistine Chapel is also the location where\ncardinals from all over the world gather to choose the next pope. It\u2019s known as\nthe Papal conclave and the happenings of the secretive closed-door ceremony are\nreleased to the public with white or black smoke notifying the public if a new\nleader has been chosen.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Pinacoteca<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Although it is a large part of the Vatican\nMuseums, the Pinacoteca Gallery (aka Picture Gallery) is often skipped by\nvisitors because it does not follow the traditional path of the Vatican Museums\none way touring system.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Picacoteca is filled with masterpieces of\nsome of the best Italian artistes of their time such as Raffaele, Carravaggio,\nCrepsi, Perugino and Fra Angelico. These galleries are only a short distance\nfrom the herds of visitors in the Vatican Museums but yet they are off the\nbeaten path so you can enjoy the paintings the way they were meant to be\nviewed, in peace and quiet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square)<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019ve seen enough movies set in the Vatican\nor documentaries about the Pope, then you are probably familiar with the Piazza\nSan Pietro.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the gateway to the Vatican so there is no\nway you could miss this huge square. It\u2019s famous for hosting a whale of a crowd\nduring public masses presided by the Pope or during special Catholic occasions.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When in Rome, the Pope will usually appear twice\na week in St. Peter\u2019s Square to hold mass and bless the square. The Wednesday\naudience and mass lasts around 2 hours and this is your best chance to see the\nPope up close and personal while he drives through the square in his \u2018pepe\nmobile\u2019. The Sunday blessing (aka Angelus) is only quick, the Pope will appear\nfrom his Papal Palace window and to bless the crowd, this experience lasts\naround 15 min.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See this link for all info regarding masses and blessings with the Pope<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Museo Pio Clementino<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Museo Pio Clementino is also located in the\nVatican Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It houses a deliberate collection of antique\nworks of art dating back to the time of Pope Julius II (14th<\/sup> century).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was many moons ago that they built this museum\nto safeguard these delicate pieces of art, but they are up to this day well\ntaken care of by the management of the museum.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the reign of Napoleon many of these\namazing statues were brought to Paris however after he was defeated the\nmajority of the works have returned to the Vatican for us to enjoy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Vatican Necropolis<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Considered to be one of the most important places\nin the Vatican, Vatican Necropolis sits directly below the dome and central\naltar of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three storeys down, and you\u2019ll find yourself\nimmersed in astounding holiness as you explore where the said bones of St.\nPeter lay. You can also find remnants of the first Basilica which was built on\nthe same location.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to visit, make sure you book a tour\nbefore you arrive as only the Vatican staff are allowed to bring guests down to\ntour this holy place. Take note that they only allow a limited number of people\nat a time and so you must reserve your slot well in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tour is referred to as the Scavi Tour and\nreservations can be made directly with the Vatican\u2019 Scavi Office on the following\nemails, scavi@fsp.va<\/a>; uff.scavi@fabricsp.va<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Vatican Gardens<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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The 23-hectare Vatican Gardens are proof that a\nsimple stroll around a park-like setting could be so breathtaking. Not only by\nthe beautifully manicured gardens but also the impressive view of St. Peter\u2019s\nBasilica and it\u2019s dome like you\u2019ve never seen it before.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although all visitors are allowed to explore the\ngardens, this must be done with a special reservation so again it is best to\nplan in advance.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Etruscan Museum<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For a bit of history that isn\u2019t only about the\ndawn of Catholicism in the country, this is the place to be.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Etruscan Museum is an ode to the Etruscan\ncivilization that flourished around the areas of Rome, just before the Romans\n(8th<\/sup> \u2013 3rd<\/sup> centuries BCE). You\u2019ll see here a wide range\nof jewelry, pottery, tools, and weapons during the pre-Roman civilization.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Vatican Library Museum<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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You\u2019ll never run out of history exposure when\nyou\u2019re in the Vatican, much more when you visit the Vatican Library. That\u2019s\nbecause this library houses some of the most precious treasures that ever\ngraced the planet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, not everyone is allowed to enter the Vatican Library as it is reserved for special academic scholars and researchers. Their vast collection of books holds oldest pages from the beginning of time to the newest manuscripts of the pope. However, we are able to visit the Vatican Library Museum which offers some documents, pages and books which are on loan from the library itself and displayed for our pleasure in the Museum. You will soon notice that the art collection displayed around the library could be the sole reason you\u2019ll go back to this place over and over again.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Egyptian Museum<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Egyptian Museum (Vatican Museums) Photo credit Erik Drost<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another great collection that you can find at the\nVatican Museums is the Egyptian Museum where you can see plenty of antiques and\nEgyptian works. It\u2019s divided into nine rooms, one of which is taken from the\nformer Papal apartment of Pius IV.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compared to the rest of the Vatican Museums\ncollection, the Egyptian Museum is relatively small however it is a great place\nto visit with children as you have the chance to get face to face with more than\none mummy dating back to almost 1000 BCE.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Hall of the Animals<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Hall of the Animals comprises 2 rooms within\nthe Pio Clementino Museum and acts as a \u2018stone zoo\u2019. Like any zoo, children\noften find this small section of the Vatican Museums most enjoyable.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A majority of the works were completed in the\n1700s and depict an array of animals. Some animals are easily recognizable,\nwhile others seem to be a figment of the artist\u2019s imagination. It\u2019s interesting\nto think that many of these artists may have never actually seen the animal\nthat they are sculpting, and are simply working off the descriptions from\nothers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

12. The\nRooms of Raphael<\/span><\/p><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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The 4 Rooms of Raphael were once part of the\nPapal apartments of Pope Julius II and were beautifully decorated by the master\nRaphael, and his school. Once entering these rooms, it should not take too long\nto see why Raphael stood out so much compared to his peers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most important paintings in the four\nrooms is Raphael\u2019s famous \u2018School of Athens\u2019 which shows the most important\nGreek and Roman minds together in what seems to be the construction of the\nsecond St. Peter\u2019s Basilica which was being built at the exact same time just a\nfew hundred meters away.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you find the two faces staring out at you on\nthe far right-hand side of the painting? One is the face of Raphael, and the other his forbidden\nlover.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Whether you\u2019re visiting the Vatican City out of\nlove for traveling, or because you want to pay tribute to the foundation of\nCatholicism, it\u2019s best to bring plenty of your curiosity as you will find\nsurprises and new joys at every turn.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

———-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article has been written by Geraldine Mills is a self-confessed wanderlust from the land\ndown under, Australia! She funds her adventures by working as a brand\nconsultant and as a travel writer. She loves sharing the allure of backpacking and\nbeing one with nature.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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