"The Greatest Love Story Ever Told" - Our Search for God through History's Masterpieces
The EWTN Vatican Bureau reports frequently on events and exhibitions at the Vatican Museums for TV News and Social Media. These productions have provided our network with access to approximately 20,000 precious works on display. Here is our list of must see paintings, sculptures, tapestries, galleries, and chapels inside the Vatican Museums.
Estimated Time: 5 Hours
Places to Visit:
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Sistine Chapel
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Raphael Rooms
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Gallery of Maps
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Pinacoteca (Raphael Tapestries, Caravaggio Painting)
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Ancient Antiquities Sections (Octagonal Courtyard, Braccia Nuova)
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Pius Christian Museum
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Pinecone Courtyard
Sistine Chapel
Commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV in the late 15th century, the Sistine Chapel was designed by Baccio Pontelli and built between 1473 and 1481 under the direction of Giovannino de Dolci. Pope Sixtus IV desired to have a private chapel where he could celebrate Mass undisturbed by the public. His second intention was to have a space to hold conclaves to elect future popes. It was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary upon completion. The first Mass was celebrated on August 15, 1483, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary.
The ceiling was orinally painted as a starry blue night sky, but the chapel underwent renovations under Pope Julius II. He commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling although the artist had never professionally painted in fresco. Michelangelo was notably displeased with the commission and signed the contract as "Michelangelo: The Sculptor". Legend has it that the architect of St. Peter's Basilica, Bramante, advised Pope Julius II to hire Michelangelo for the work thinking he would fail. Michelangelo instead delivered an artistic masterpiece that would become one of the keyworks of the Italian Renaissance and amaze visitors and pilgrims for generations still to this day. He began the work on May 12th, 1508, and Mass was celebrated four years later to inaugurate the completion of the ceiling's fresco on October 31st, 1512.
The paintings throughout the Sistine Chapel were delivered not just by Michelangelo but also by the Renaissance artists such as Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Cosimo Rosselli. Through their artistic perspectives and styles, they share the message of the Old and New Testament: from the Creation Story to the Life of Jesus Christ and His 12 Apostles, and finally the Last Judgement.
360 VR Tour provided by the Vatican Museums
Learn more about the artistic works of the Sistine Chapel in fuller detail
Raphael Rooms
Pope Julius II commissioned the Italian Renaissance painter, Raphael Sanzio, to paint his private apartments. Raphael was 25 years old at the time of the commission in 1508, and it took 16 years to complete. He passed away in 1508 before the final room, the Hall of Constantine, could be completed. His apprentices, who were part of the School of Raphael, completed the project in 1524.
360 VR Tour provided by the Vatican Museums
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Immerse yourself in the art of Raphael Sanzio through this EWTN Vaticano Special episode produced to honor the 500th Anniversary his death.
Visitors today begin their visit in the fourth and final room while working their way to the first. From there, one can find the Sistine Chapel either directly or after passing through the Contemporary Art Collection.
Select to see artworks of the four Raphael Rooms below:
Key frescoes include Constantine's Vision of the Cross, The Expulsion of Heliodorus, The Mass at Bolsena, The Liberation of Peter, The School of Athens, The Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, The Fire in the Borgo, and the Coronation of Charlamagne
Gallery of Maps
Displaying 40 painted maps and stretching 120 meters, the Gallery of Maps is a sight to behold with its incredible details, golden ceiling, and natural light during the daytime. Pope Gregory XIII commissioned the work in 1582 and hired a team of painters and cartographers led by Dominican monk, Ignazio Danti. They traveled throughout Italy and the Mediterranean to study geography and bring their findings back to the Vatican. Recent studies have concluded that the maps are 84% accurate when compared to modern geographical analysis, a remarkable achievement considering their limited technology compared to today.
Ancient Antiquities Sections
Ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian statues and artifacts are seemingly ubiquitous throughout the museums. While numerous works depict emperors, statesmen, kings, queens, philosophers and poets, many others also depict pagan gods and godesses. The Vatican preserves them for the purpose safeguarding the culture of humanity. In carrying out this work, the Vatican Museums also strives to help visitors understand our own search for the Divine since the beginning of time. Many cultures, due to time or geographical location, have never had the opportunity to encounter Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Gospel story.
The Vatican Museums originated from the desire of the Popes to preserve the beauty and remnants of ancient times. The very first work, the "Laocoön Group" dating to the first century AD, was added to the Octagonal Courtyard by Pope Julius II. Michelangelo and other Italian Renaissance artists would study the ancient collections in this courtyard and bring them into their designs. Scholars still today note the remarkable influence that the "Apollo Belvedere" had on the depiction of Our Lord Jesus Christ in the "Last Judgement" of the Sistine Chapel.
Notable galleries and outdoor spaces visit include the following:
Pinacoteca
The painting gallery of the Vatican Museums hold significant, beautiful, and highly educational works of art from the Middle Ages, High Renaissance, and Baroque period. The building was constructed relatively recently in 1932 when compared with the rest of the Vatican Museums. In the main hall, surrounded by tapestries by Raphael and his pupils that traditionally hang in the Sistine Chapel, Raphael's notable painting that are not part of the papal apartments stands here, the "Transfiguration of Christ".
Continue through the hallways while returning to the rest of the museum, and encounter one of Caravaggio's only works in the Vatican Museums, "The Deposition of Christ".
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"Lent at the Vatican Museums" on EWTN Vaticano takes you to both the Pinacoteca and the Pius Christian Museum to inform you how Christians throughout the ages have depicted Chrst's Death and Resurrection.
Sister Emanuela, Head of the Educational Activities at the Vatican Museums, along with her fellow guides offers thematic tours on Saturdays depending on the liturgical period:
Pius Christian Museum
Founded in 1854 by Pope Pius IX, the museum holds artificacts meant to showcase the presence of early Christian communities in Rome. Throughout the collection, one can witness countless sarcofoghi dating to the 4th Century just after the legalization of Chiristianity. During this period, Christian art became public for the first time, and many wealthy converts began displaying scenes from the Old Testament and Life of Christ as reliefs on the side of their tombs. Previously, these reliefs would have depicted pagan gods and goddesses, as well as stories of Greek and Roman mythological heroes. By looking at the masterpieces, visitors walkaway with a firm understanding of the origins of Christian art that orients their experience viewing the other collections throughout the Vatican Museums.
For a closer view of the exhibit, please view the "Lent at the Vatican Museums" video above that also features the Pinacoteca.
Pinecone Courtyard
This large open space is noted for its bronze pinecone sculpture dating back to the second century, a marble staircase made by Michelangelo, and large busts such as the "Augustus Metei" that line the walls. It is also a pleasant place to enjoy breakfast, lunch, or an aperitivo at the restaurant near the middle of the courtyard. At the very center is the "Pomodoro", otherwise known as the "Sphere within a Sphere", which takes its name after its sculptor, Arnaldo Pomodoro. It is one of the staples of contemporary art at the Vatican Museums.