There is a staggering amount of artwork on display here. It is said that if you stood at each piece for just one minute, it would take you four years to see everything. Created by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century, the museums have expanded over the past 500 years to their current size of more than 12 acres! Highlights include the Borgia Apartments, the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, and of course, the sublime Sistine Chapel.
Italy, Rome, Vatican City, Museum, Spiral Staircase, elevated view
Stefan Deutsch/age fotostock
Rome. Italy. Vatican City. Vatican Museums
Oscar Fdez. Santana/© Oscar Fdez. Santana
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Wonderful and Grand
This has to be one of the most impressive, opulent and colorful museum I have ever been to. Take your time to go thru the Vatican Museum, there is a lot to see, so make sure you have plenty of film, and or batteries because you will have a hard time deciding what not to take a picture of. Bring comfortable shoes and be prepared for an overload of your senses. Make sure you don’t miss the highlight of the museum which is the Sistine Chapel like I did because I walked thru it without realizing where I was, it is a big room with no pious, and an incredibly high ceiling, so it’s actually hard to identify the most famous painting (the creation of Adam) in the room unless you look up and mesmerize in awe of the beauty you are experiencing , when I did, I could not go back, so I toured the entire museum once again, which was not bad at all !
This Statue Feels Your Pain.
I stared and stared at this sculpture in the Vatican Museums. I couldn’t figure out if I’d seen it before--maybe in an art history text book?--or if I was just fooling myself. And then it came to me: this statue bears a striking resemblance to the 42nd president of the United States.
Vatican Museum - Vatican, Italy
You know, when you are inside an art museum, you are busy consumed by the surroundings. When you are in the Vatican Museum, take a peek outside of the window sometimes, you might get a different feel. Plus, at the right location, you can see the celling of the sistine chapel and the top of St. Peter’s at the same time.
