7 Key Points You Can’t Miss in the Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums house one of the world’s largest art collections. This space, a testament to the Catholic Church’s artistic patronage over the centuries, is made up of 10 museums filled with paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and other artistic elements. Throughout your visit, you’ll encounter a vast number of rooms and objects that will catch your attention.

The Vatican Pinacoteca

This collection of 460 paintings, displayed across 18 rooms, is one of the most fascinating points during a tour of the Vatican Museums. It was inaugurated in 1932 by Pope Pius XI, featuring works previously located in various apostolic buildings within the Vatican.

In the Pinacoteca, you’ll find works by artists like Leonardo, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Giotto, making it a must-see for Renaissance art enthusiasts.

The Gallery of Geographic Maps

One of the most fascinating spaces within the Vatican Museums, this long gallery features topographical maps of Italy’s regions painted on the side walls by Ignazio Danti, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII.

If that wasn’t enough, the hall is crowned by a luminous vault you won’t be able to take your eyes off. The Gallery of Maps is a space where it’s worth spending a few minutes to appreciate its details during your visit to the Vatican Museums.

The Pio-Clementino Museum

If you’re a fan of sculpture, especially classical Greek sculptures, you won’t want to miss this museum.

It houses two of the most important sculptures in the entire Vatican Museums complex: the Apollo Belvedere and the Laocoön group, both Roman copies of the Greek originals.

This complex of twelve rooms and a courtyard was the first of the Vatican Museums, founded in 1771 by Pope Clement XIV. It’s another key point of any Vatican Museums tour.

The Raphael Rooms

While Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel, another great Renaissance artist was commissioned to paint the rooms of Julius II. As their name suggests, these rooms were painted by Raphael, who began the work in 1508 and continued until his death in 1520, after which his pupils carried on for four more years.

These four rooms contain impressive frescoes on their walls and ceilings, making it a fascinating experience to stop and admire them.

The Carriage Pavilion

The Carriage Pavilion is located in the Papal Apartment of the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran, in a separate section of the Historical Museum. It was created by Pope Paul VI in 1973.

As its name suggests, this curious room holds carriages, saddles, automobiles, and palanquins used by various popes over the centuries. While it may not rival the magnificence of the other rooms, it’s quite unique and worth a look during your visit to the Vatican Museums.

Bramante’s Staircase

At the end of the tour, as you exit the Museums, you’ll find a spectacular spiral staircase called Bramante’s Staircase.

The original staircase was designed in 1512 by Donato Bramante to connect the Belvedere Palace of Innocent VIII with the city. It was later replaced by the current version, created by Giuseppe Momo in 1932.

We recommend looking at the perspective from both the top and bottom of the staircase at the end of your visit to the Vatican Museums. We promise it won’t disappoint.

The Sistine Chapel

Finally, the most visited and anticipated point of the Vatican Museums tour: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

It’s one of the most recognized works of art in history, so it’s normal to find large crowds inside. Still, despite being smaller than many of the other rooms in the Museums, seeing it in person is an unforgettable aesthetic experience you can’t miss during your visit to the Vatican Museums.

We recommend taking a few minutes to view the paintings covering the ceiling, depicting scenes from the world-famous Creation of Adam (perhaps the most reproduced fragment of the entire Chapel) to the Last Judgment, which covers the Altar wall.

Visiting the Vatican Museums is truly an unparalleled opportunity to see some of the world’s greatest masterpieces. Book your visit today and dive into this unique experience with us.