Museums can be quite overwhelming, especially when they have eras of artifacts on display. The Vatican Museum is one of the best in the world and filled with collections from various civilizations. Every wall, ceiling, nook, and corner of this place has something to tell and one can get quite dizzy with the plethora of exhibits here. Fortunately, the Vatican Museum is very well cataloged and a visitor-friendly place with good displays and a good audio tour. My first visit to the Vatican was absolutely mesmerizing and I found myself getting lost in the Roman and Greek history – recollecting the various stories that I have had. And if you are an ardent fan of the Angels and Demons, you will find yourself equating each space with the ones in the story.

1) Octagonal Courtyard at the Vatican Museum









Note the amazing muscular features and the anatomy captured in the sculpture. This piece was a part of the Greek history and was considered to be a symbol of the Greek victory. Once the Romans defeated the Greeks, this sculpture was taken by the Romans. The precision and the art of this statue is said to have inspired many other Renaissance artists like Michelangelo.



2) Round Room (Sala Rotunda) at Vatican Museum












3) Etruscan Section









4) Gallery of Tapestries at the Vatican Museum






Watch out for the Tapestry with the image of Jesus shown in the picture about. I could not capture the entire tapestry but let me explain why I have specified this particular picture. As you move along the tapestry, you will find that Jesus follows your movement. Stunning, right? And I actually freaked when I found that really happens! Difficult to capture the same on camera – but make sure you note that when you are here.



5) Gallery of Maps



6) Raphael Rooms
These are a series of 4 rooms that were decorated by Raphael and his pupils. The rooms were used by Pope Julius II and are quite ornate and colorful. The plethora of paintings can overwhelm you as well. However, let me point out to one that I remember and found interesting.



Getting there:
- Vatican City is located and surrounded by Rome. There are plenty of flights into Rome.
- From Rome, there are plenty of buses that take you to the Vatican City. Metro too, is a convenient option from Rome. And so is Tram. Here is a useful site on how to get around to Vatican from Rome. The site also, has some handy tips for a first-timer to Vatican.
Travel Tips:
- Here is the official website for the Vatican Museum
- Vatican museum is generally closed on Sundays and hence, avoid the same while planning your trip.
- There is a lot of walking here and hence, remember to wear comfortable footwear.
- It is advisable to take a guide here at the Vatican who can point out some interesting facts related to various exhibits. There are group walking tours also, available for the Vatican Museum. These are cost-effective but the caveat here would be that you will have to move with the pace of the group – which may not always be to your advantage.
- There are downloadable audio guides available for the Vatican Museum. You could consider the same if you want to do the tour by yourself.
- Here is a useful packing guide for Italy. This will act as a ready reckoner when you are headed here.
prepforum
The fresco, ceiling and mosaic floor are absolutely gorgeous.
Ami Bhat
Totally – you should see it up and close. Pictures dont capture half of it.
Priyanka
Very beautiful place, plus the pictures. Frescoes have always been a favourite:)
Ami
Thank you Priyanka 😀
Maitreni Mishra
Breathtakingly beautiful pictures… The place seems super-intriguing! 🙂
Ami
Thanks Maitreni. The place was just amazing.
Arun
Amazing post Ami with such detailed description! I really had a virtual tour of the museum right now 🙂
The pictures are brilliant with the ‘Sphere within Sphere’ being my favorite!
Ami
Thank you Arun. The place is just amazing and I would want to go again for sure.
Indrani
A good series of pictures, you took me there again. 🙂
I still remember we didn’t have to face any queue to enter this and spent more than 5 hours inside the museum.
Ami
Same here, though we had booked in advance. Lucky for us as there was a huge queue when we went and I remember feeling so cool having by-passed it 😀
Archie
aha… made me nostalgic… 🙂 lovely pics Ami 🙂
Ami
Thanks Archie
violinteachergurgaon
It is looks spectacularly grand! I hope I will go there one day!
Ami
Absolutely. It is an amazing place.
Mridula Dwivedi (@mridulablog)
Ah that violin teacher is my husband’s id and it was somehow logged on my computer! 😀 That was me.
Ami
🙂 Now I know. Thanks for the same 😀
Jyotirmoy Sarkar
grand and gorgeous pics, nice captured.
Ami
Thanks Jyotirmoy
Soumya Nambiar
You took me there again, Ami. It is kind of sad that they don’t allow us to photograph the Sistine chapel.
Ami
Sad but I guess necessary, given the ancient paintings. Or maybe, it is just their best kept secret 😉
sellallyourstuff
Great photos! I feel like I was actually visiting.
Ami
Thank you. Glad you felt that way.
2traveldads
I really like and appreciate you you laid this out, especially as I just have been plotting out touring Rome and how to approach the Vatican Museums with kids.
Ami
Thanks Rob. Glad that this will help you. 😀
melody pittman
That is a fascinating video. What a way to explore. I did it the old fashioned way dragging two kids along, fighting my way through the pushy crowds, and sweating like mad in 100+ temperatures. 😉 This way is much better.
Ami
Thanks Melody. It does take a little fun out of the outing though am sure the exhibits and beauty of Vatican Museum must have made up for some of the discomfort.
Vyjay Rao
We loved the Vatican experience, its on a different plane altogether, especially the Sistine Chapel.
Ami
I completely agree.
Gearoid McSweeney
You cover everything here- history, art and practicalities. This is truly comprehensive and some of the photos are just top notch. Have you got an Instagram account?
Ami
Thanks Gearoid. Yep, my instagram account is http://www.instagram.com/amibhat. Catch you there.
Alok Singhal
The architecture there is an inspiration to many artists. Lovely captures you took!
Ami
Thank you Alok.
Sandy N Vyjay
The memories of our own visit to the Vatican Museums came flooding back reading your post and looking at the pictures. What an amazing place it is. Felt that we never did justice to the sheer treasures that it has and hope to go back. Loved the Sistine Chapel the most. What an experience it is to sit there and gaze up at the genius of Michael Angelo.
Ami
I know how you must have felt looking at the ceiling. I could not have enough of it. Hope I can visit again.