Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums have built up an astonishing collection of works since the 16th century, supported by the Roman Catholic Church.  This makes the Vatican Museums a must-see attraction for anyone interested in ancient culture and it competes with the British Museum of London and the Louvre of Paris as the World’s finest centre of art and culture.  Indeed, in 2007, a total of four million people visited the Vatican Museums to marvel at the historic uniqueness of the site, which includes a tour through the Sistine Chapel and Raphael’s Stanze della Segnatura.  The collection was started by Pope Julius II and celebrated its 500th birthday in October 2006, and one can trace its origins to the purchase of a single, marble sculpture of the priest Laocoön who, according to Greek mythology and the famous story of Ulysses, warned the people of ancient Troy about the Greeks' "gift" of a hollow horse.  There are 54 collections in total, culminating in the Sistine Chapel which can only be reached after passing through the other 53. 

Some notable galleries are:

Pinacoteca
Bust Gallery (Galleria dei Busti)
Gallery of the Statues (Galleria delle Statue)
Sala degli Animali
Mask Cabinet (Gabinetto delle Maschere)
Sala della Rotonda
Sala a Croce Greca
Gregorian Egyptian Museum
The Gallery of the Candelabras
The Gallery of the Tapestries
The Gallery of the Maps
Sistine Chapel
Raphael's Rooms

Collections inside the Vatican Museums form a complete display of Classical art, from both Greek and Roman traditions, preserved in some of the most historical buildings in the Vatican.  The Vatican Museums have also recently added a new entrance, created in 2000, which contains a stunning spiral staircase and combines modern style with the Vatican Museums’ classical grandeur.

Trevi Fountain
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Spanish Steps
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Navona Square
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Pantheon
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Vatican
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Gianicolo
01:44

Tivoli
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Gaeta
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Sperlonga
01:48

Terracina
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