Explore Vatican City, the heart of Roman Catholicism, with its iconic landmarks including St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Castel Sant’Angelo, and Vatican Gallery of Maps.
Discover the rich history, art, and culture of this sovereign city-state nestled within Rome, Italy.
Vatican City – Overview
Explore Vatican City, the heart of Roman Catholicism, with its iconic landmarks including St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Castel Sant’Angelo, and Vatican Gallery of Maps.
Discover the rich history, art, and culture of this sovereign city-state nestled within Rome, Italy.
Vatican City is an independent city-state located in Rome, Italy. This city houses the world’s largest church and the world’s oldest and largest museum of arts.
Vatican City is one of the most famous tourist spots in Rome. In this article, you will know about the things you must explore on your trip to Vatican City.
Things to do in Vatican City:
1. St. Peter’s Basilica:
“Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican” is the other name for this church. This Renaissance-style church is located in Vatican City and is the largest church in the world by interior measure.
It holds the position of the greatest of all the churches of Christendom. The dome of the St. Peter Basilica is the tallest in the world with a total height of 136.57 meters. The dome is built in a single shell of concrete made of volcanic stones tuff to make it lightweight. This church opens from 7 am to 6 pm. Admission to this church is free.
2. Vatican Museums:
These are the public museums located in Vatican City. This museum displays work from the collection of the Catholic Church and the Papacy. This museum houses about 70,000 works out of which 20,000 are displayed to the public.
The collection of modern religious art was added to the museum in 1973. Vatican Historical Museum was founded in 1973 and displays a unique collection of portraits of Popes.
The admission fee ranges from euro 8 to 17 varying from museum to museum. The museums are open from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm.
3. Sistine Chapel:
It is an apostolic palace located in Vatican City. It is the official residence of the Pope. During the rule of Sixtus IV, a group of Renaissance painters created a series of frescos depicting the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ.
The chapel is rectangular and is unadorned by architectural and decorative details. There are 3 stories of this building. At the lowest story, you will find a very tall basement and a doorway opening to the exterior court.
The mid-story is the main space with a vaulted ceiling rising to 20.7 meters. The building has six arched windows. The third story has the wardrooms for guards.
This chapel opens at 9 am and closes at 4 pm. The entry fee to this chapel is euro 14.
4. Castel Sant’Angelo:
This place is also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian. It is a towering cylindrical building in Parco Adriano and was once the tallest building in Rome. In the 14th century, the Popes converted this structure into a castle.
The castle connected St. Peter’s Basilica through a severed fortified corridor called the Passeto di Borgo. It also served as a prison named Giordano Bruno, and executions took place in the small inner courtyard.
Authorities decommissioned this castle in 1901.. This castle is now serving as a museum. It is open every day from 9 am to 7:30 pm. The entrance fee to this place is euro 14.
4. Vatican Gallery of Maps:
This gallery of maps is located on the west side of the Belvedere Courtyard in the Vatican city. This gallery contains a series of painted topographical maps of Italy. All the maps here are 80% accurate.
When you walk through the gallery, after the series of regional maps you will find two general geographical maps of ancient Italy and modern Italy. The entrance fee is euro 20.
How to reach Vatican City:
1. Reach by flight:
The nearest airport to Vatican City is the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO). It is located about 28 km from the city centre.
You will get city buses and private taxis from outside the airport to reach the city centre.
2. Reach by bus:
You can reach Vatican City from any major city in Italy. Bus 49 will drop you in front of the Vatican museums and Bus 40 will drop you at Piazza Pia.
3. Reach by bus:
Vatican City has a railway station by the name of St. Pietro. The first train departs from here at 5:35 am and the last arrives at 10:35 pm.
You can reach Vatican City from all the major cities nearby.
