Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel Tickets with Audioguide

This will be the fastest option offered that will also make it available for you to make your own plan. Additionally, audio guidance is also included.

Spend some time to explore sarcophagi, which are hand-carved down to the last detail and is thought to be home for the remains of old-time well-known queens and kings, at the Greek Cross Gallery. Visit the Sala degli Animali and explore virtually some imaginary as well as some real figures of fantastic beasts – or you can also visit the Cabinet of the Masks.

Do you want to see how the world map by map-makers changed with the time? Yes? Then you should certainly visit the Upper Galleries that also includes the Gallery of Maps. Check Raphael Rooms to see some work of arts by the hands of some Renaissance masters and to have a rest, visit the Borgia Apartments.

Next thing in the plan? It is time to be astonished by different work of arts like Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo’s artwork or Vatican’s crown jewel and many other.

Perhaps more than for anything else, the Vatican Museums are famous for their collections of Greek and Roman sculpture. Pope Julius II began to form this collection in the 16th century, but it was not until 200 years later that Clement XI and his successors conceived the idea of a museum proper. Under Benedict XIV the first of the Vatican Museums, dedicated to Christian antiquities, was opened (1756) in the Vatican Library.

About Vatican Museums

The current Vatican Museums complex underwent significant expansion from its Renaissance origins under popes Sixtus IV, Innocent VIII, and Julius II. With Bramante as one of the principal architects, substantial additions continued well into the 18th century. Notably, this sprawling complex encompasses two remarkable treasures: the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms.

MUSEO GREGORIANO EGIZIO:Dedicated to Egyptology, this captivating museum showcases artifacts discovered during archaeological excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries. Explore ancient mummies, ornate sarcophagi, and striking Roman sculptures influenced profoundly by Egyptian artistry. Particularly intriguing is Room III, featuring Egyptian-style Roman statues from Villa Adriana.

MUSEO CHIARAMONTI AND MUSEO PIO- CLEMENTINO: These adjoining museums house an impressive collection of classical sculpture. The Chiaramonti Museum includes numerous bust portraits and a celebrated statue of Augustus. However, the Museo Pio-Clementino steals the spotlight, offering exceptional pieces such as the Apoxyomenos, a remarkable 1st-century Roman copy of a Greek athlete scraping oil from his skin, and the revered Apollo Belvedere (circa AD 130). Equally compelling is the legendary Laocoön group, excavated from Emperor Nero’s Domus Aurea and famously misassembled initially by Michelangelo.

MUSEO GREGORIANO- ETRUSCO: With eighteen richly furnished rooms, this museum contains unparalleled Etruscan artifacts primarily excavated from sites such as Cerveteri and Tarquinia. The impressive Room II houses exquisite gold objects and furniture from the illustrious 7th-century BC Tomba di Regolini-Galassi. Other rooms vividly narrate the story of Etruscan civilization through sculptures, ceramics, and ritual offerings, with Room XII notably highlighting Greek sculptures that significantly influenced Etruscan artistry.

SALA DELLA BIGA: Visit this fascinating chamber to view an authentic two-horsed chariot from the 1st century BC. Remarkably, this ancient chariot once served as part of the episcopal throne at San Marco Church until the 18th century.

GALLERIA DEI CANDELABRI: This enchanting gallery, originally designed by Bramante, features elegant marble candlesticks from Imperial Rome, accompanied by an extensive array of stunning marble statues.

GALLERIA DEGLI ARAZZI: Named after its magnificent tapestries (arazzi), this gallery showcases ten remarkable Brussels tapestries, woven based on cartoons from Raphael’s workshop. These intricate works depict vivid biblical scenes, accompanied by additional tapestries celebrating the accomplishments of Pope Urban VIII.

GALLERIA DELLE CARTE GEOGRAFICHE: Adorned with forty detailed map panels created during the 16th century, this gallery visually encapsulates Italy’s diverse regions, territories, and islands, serving as a testament to the cartographic brilliance of the Renaissance.

GALLERIA DI PIO V: Admire rare and valuable 15th-century tapestries from Tournai, depicting moving episodes from the Baptism and Passion of Christ, carefully preserved within Pius V’s Gallery.

SALA DI SOBIESKI: Dominated by an immense painting, this room commemorates King Jan III Sobieski of Poland’s triumphant victory against the Turks at Vienna in 1683.

SALA DELLA CONCEZIONE: Decorated with evocative frescoes, this chamber celebrates Pope Pius IX’s declaration of the Immaculate Conception in 1854 and houses Michelangelo’s original model for the iconic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

STANZE DI RAFFAELLO: Commissioned by Julius II in 1509, Raphael beautifully redecorated these papal apartments, covering works by earlier Renaissance artists like Perugino. Although Raphael himself completed just three rooms before his untimely death, these frescoes remain among the most celebrated masterpieces of Renaissance artistry.