Vatican City Facts:
Vatican City, also called the Holy See, is a tiny sovereign independent state. Vatican City is only .44 sq. km. and has a population of less than 1000. Vatican City gained independence from Italy on 11 February, 1929. In 2005, over 3.8 million people visited Vatican City.
The Holy See is the seat of the Catholic religion and home of the Pope since 1378. The pope lives in the papal apartments in the Vatican and the church of the Pope, St. Peter's Basilica, is in Vatican City.
Vatican City Location:
Vatican City is surrounded by Rome. Visitors enter Vatican City through St. Peter's Square. The best way to walk to Vatican City from historic Rome is over the Ponte St. Angelo bridge. Across the bridge, one arrives at Castel St. Angelo, just outside Vatican City. Castel St. Angelo has a connecting passage to the Vatican once used by fleeing popes.
Vatican Museum:
The Vatican Museum is the largest museum complex in the world with over 1400 rooms. The Vatican Museum includes the museum, galleries with 3,000 years of art, the Sistine Chapel, and parts of the papal palace. There is an astonishing amount of art, including a room of works by Raphael. The Pinacoteca Vaticana is probably Rome's best picture gallery with many Renaissance works. One of the most impressive halls is the Hall of Maps, with murals of old maps of the papal lands.
Visiting the Vatican Museum:
Enter the museum from Viale Vaticano. The museums are closed Sundays and holidays except the last Sunday of the month when they are free. Here are
current hours and prices.
When you enter the Vatican Museums, you can choose from 4 different itineraries all ending with the Sistine Chapel. Because of the vastness of the museum it may be wise to take a guided tour. Visitors with guided tour reservations enter without waiting in line.
According to Carla, a Vatican tour guide, the best time to visit is Wednesday morning during the Pope's audience when there are fewer people in line. Tuesdays and Thursdays are the worst.
Sistine Chapel:
The Sistine Chapel was built from 1473-1481 as both the pope's private chapel and the venue for the election of the new pope by the cardinals. Michelangelo painted the famous ceiling frescoes, with the central scenes depicting creation and the story of Noah. Michelangelo also decorated the altar wall with the Last Judgement. The Biblical scenes on the walls were created by several famous artists, including Perugino and Botticelli. Read about the
Sistine Chapel Ceiling on Art History.
St. Peter's Basilica:
St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest churches in the world. Entrance is free but visitors must be properly dressed, with no bare knees or shoulders. St. Peter's Basilica is open daily, 7AM - 7PM (until 6PM October - March). Masses, in Italian, are held all day on Sundays.
The cornerstone of St. Peter's Basilica was laid in 1506 on the site of a church covering Peter's tomb. Inside are many important art works, including Michelangelo's famous Pieta. You can also visit the Pope's tombs.
Vatican City Transportation and Tourist Information:
Vatican City Tourist Information is on the left side of St. Peter's Square and has lots of good information and a small shop selling maps, guides, souvenirs, and jewelry. Tourist information is open Monday-Saturday, 8:30-6:30.
The closest Metro stop to the museum entrance is Cipro-Musei Vaticani near Piazza Santa Maria delle Grazie, where there is also a parking garage. Bus 49 stops near the entrance and tram 19 also stops nearby. A number of buses go close to Vatican City (see links below).
The Swiss Guard:
The Swiss Guard have guarded Vatican City since 1506. Today they still dress in the traditional Swiss Guard costume. Guard recruits must be Roman Catholic Swiss nationals, between 19 and 30 years of age, single, high school graduates and at least 174cm tall. They must have also completed Swiss military service.
Castel St. Angelo:
Castel St. Angelo, on the Tiber River, was built as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian in the second century. In the Middle Ages it was used as a fortress until it became a papal residence in the 14th century. It was built over the Roman walls and has an underground passageway to the Vatican. You can visit Castel St. Angelo and in the summer, concerts and special programs are held there. It's a pedestrian area so it's a good place for strolling and enjoying the river.
Special Visits and Useful Links:
- The Pope: The Pope holds Wednesday General Audiences with the Holy Father at 10:30 but you must have a ticket to attend (see link below). On Sundays at noon, the Pope delivers a blessing from his window for people gathered in St. Peter's Square except during summer when he's at his summer residence. The Pope also presides over special services and masses.
- Vatican Gardens: 23 hectares of beautiful gardens with a small villa and medieval fortifications seperate the Vatican from Rome on the north and west sides. Guided tours of the gardens are available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays by sending a request to visiteguidate.musei@scv.vg
- Underground Vatican: You can visit the Tomb of St. Peter and the Vatican excavations on a guided visit by reservation only. See link below for details.
- St. Peter's Dome: St. Peter's spectacular dome can be visited for a fee, 8AM-5:45 (4:45, October-March). Entrance is from the right side of the Basilica's porch.
- Guided Tours: Although I'm not a big fan of guided tours, I was very happy to have one at the Vatican. The Vatican Museum is huge and crowded so having someone knowledgable to direct me and tell me interesting information about the Museum and its displays, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica was very useful and made my visit more enjoyable. I took a tour with Miles&Miles. Tours can also be arranged at the entrance desk.
Useful Links for Visiting Vatican City:
