Museo Pio Cristiano, Early Christian art museum in Vatican Museums, Italy.
The Museo Pio Cristiano displays numerous sarcophagi, sculptures, and inscriptions from the second to fifth centuries found in Roman catacombs.
Pope Pius IX established the museum in 1854, following the creation of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology to preserve Christian antiquities.
The collection features the white marble Good Shepherd statue from San Callisto Catacombs, representing Jesus Christ carrying a small lamb.
The museum operates within Vatican Museums schedule, requiring advance booking for entry, and offers specialized guided tours for religious art interpretation.
Visitors can examine detailed marble carvings depicting biblical scenes on the Junius Bassus sarcophagus, dating from 359 CE.
Location: Rome
Inception: 1854
Founders: Pius IX
Official opening: 1854
Part of: Vatican Museums
Address: Viale Vaticano
Website: https://museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/collezioni/musei/museo-pio-cristiano.html
GPS coordinates: 41.90650,12.45380
Latest update: March 2, 2025 22:49
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