Vatican Museums, Art museum in Vatican City
The Vatican Museums are a group of art museums in Vatican City with several interconnected buildings and galleries displaying ancient sculptures, Renaissance paintings, and religious objects. The rooms spread across multiple floors and connect courtyards with long corridors filled with frescoes and marble.
A pope from the 16th century started the collection with an ancient marble group and later popes expanded it with works from across Europe. Many pieces came from Roman excavations or were purchased from noble families.
The name comes from the Latin term for papal palace and the rooms show how popes collected art over centuries. Visitors see ancient statues from Greece and Rome alongside religious works that once stood in papal gardens.
You should arrive early in the morning to avoid the largest crowds and book admission online in advance. The tour can take several hours, so comfortable shoes are recommended.
A long corridor displays hand-painted maps of Italian regions from the Renaissance on its walls. The maps were painted directly onto the plaster and show mountains, rivers, and cities with surprising accuracy for their time.
Location: Vatican City
Inception: 1506
Founders: Julius II
Official opening: 1771
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Address: Viale Vaticano 6, I-00192 Roma
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday 09:00-18:00; Sunday 09:00-14:00
Phone: +390669883145
Email: musei@scv.va
Website: http://museivaticani.va
GPS coordinates: 41.90639,12.45444
Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:01
Rome preserves more than 2,000 years of architectural history within its city limits, maintaining ancient temples and amphitheaters beside Renaissance churches and Baroque piazzas. The Roman Forum displays ruins from the first century BC through the fourth century AD, including government buildings and temples that formed the administrative heart of the Roman Empire. The Pantheon demonstrates Roman engineering with its concrete dome, while the Colosseum remains the largest ancient amphitheater ever built. The city evolved through subsequent centuries as papal patronage transformed medieval Rome into a showcase of Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture. The Vatican holds significant religious and artistic collections, including the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes and Saint Peter's Basilica, the world's largest church building. Throughout the historic center, public squares like Piazza Navona preserve the footprint of ancient Roman structures while displaying Baroque fountains by Bernini and Borromini. The Trevi Fountain draws thousands of visitors daily to its 18th century facade, and the Spanish Steps connect different elevation levels of the city. Rome's neighborhoods maintain traditional Italian life around these monuments, with restaurants, shops and residences occupying buildings from various historical periods.
Rome joins history with modern photography. The city spreads across several hills and holds buildings from different centuries, from ancient ruins to baroque churches and fountains. Photographers find subjects on every street corner, from large public squares to narrow alleys in old neighborhoods. The Colosseum and Roman Forum show the building techniques of ancient Rome. Trevi Fountain and Piazza Navona present baroque design with flowing water and sculptures. The Spanish Steps serve as a meeting point where people rest on the steps and watch the activity below. The Pantheon has stood for nearly 2,000 years and impresses through its dome with a circular opening at the center. In Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica rises with its tall dome, and the Vatican Museums contain long galleries filled with artworks. Castel Sant'Angelo stands by the Tiber River and offers a wide view over the city's rooftops from above. Trastevere sits on the other side of the river and shows a different face of Rome: small squares, narrow streets with laundry lines between buildings, and restaurants with tables on the pavement. The church of Santa Maria in Trastevere has a golden mosaic on its facade that glows in the evening light. Campo de' Fiori is a market in the morning with vegetables and flowers, and in the evening the square fills with people. Via Margutta is a quiet street with galleries and plants on the building walls. The Aventine Keyhole shows St. Peter's Dome through a small opening in perfect framing. The Janiculum hill and Villa Borghese Gardens offer green spaces for walking and views over the city. Caracalla Baths and the Appian Way show Rome outside the center, where ancient structures stand in the landscape.
Italy presents architecture from two millennia, from Roman temples to Renaissance museums. The country features volcanic zones near Naples, stone dwellings in Matera, and canals in Venice. Religious structures include St. Mark's Basilica, while art museums display Renaissance collections.
Laocoön and His Sons
4.1 km
Augustus of Prima Porta
11 m
Vatican Library
186 m
Apollo Belvedere
0 m
Mater Ecclesiae Monastery
405 m
Sphere Within Sphere
73 m
Cortile del Belvedere
248 m
Bramante staircases
4 m
Gallery of Maps
248 m
Pinacoteca Vaticana
157 m
Museo Pio Clementino
21 m
Apoxyomenos Pio-Clementino
0 m
Casina Pio IV
295 m
Gregorian Tower
143 m
Museo Chiaramonti
65 m
Anima Mundi
0 m
Nile
135 m
Gregorian Egyptian Museum
14 m
Belvedere Villa (Vatican)
248 m
Museo Pio Cristiano
55 m
Gregorian Etruscan Museum
42 m
Fontana della Galera
60 m
Gregoriano Profano Museum
154 m
Via Triumphalis necropolis
147 m
Fountain of the Eagle
367 m
Paintings Gallery of the Vatican Museums
192 m
Socha svatého Petra
376 m
Fontana della Pigna
0 mReviews
Visited this place? Tap the stars to rate it and share your experience / photos with the community! Try now! You can cancel it anytime.
Discover hidden gems everywhere you go!
From secret cafés to breathtaking viewpoints, skip the crowded tourist spots and find places that match your style. Our app makes it easy with voice search, smart filtering, route optimization, and insider tips from travelers worldwide. Download now for the complete mobile experience.
A unique approach to discovering new places❞
— Le Figaro
All the places worth exploring❞
— France Info
A tailor-made excursion in just a few clicks❞
— 20 Minutes