The Vatican museums are immense, with more then four miles of corridors.
Note that the ramp up which you walk from the lower entrance is a double helix. There are two ramps nestled inside one another. If you leave the museum the same way you’ll actually walk down a different pathway.The Sistine Chapel is the piece de resistance. It’s easy to get sidetracked onto secondary exhibits. We suggest getting in line for the museums by 8am. Go first directly to the Sistine Chapel. You’ll have to share it with only a few hundred people, as opposed to thousands. Then make you way back to the beginning of the museums. You may chafe at not being allowed the privilege of an unhurried, private view of the chapel. Perhaps you’ll feel a bit better understanding there are over 4 million visitors a year who find their way here.
Michelangelo first gained fame as a sculptor and always considered himself such. The Pieta, David, Moses and others are unsurpassed. It was Pope Julius II who, literally, forced Michaelangelo to paint the ceiling. Michelangelo did not want to since he knew nothing of painting.
Julius, in the end, was clearly correct in his assessment of the artist’s skills, as nothing has come close to matching the Sistine Chapel frescoes. And despite being probably the most artful sculptor the world has seen, Michelangelo’s Sistine works clearly class him as en even better painter.
We’ll leave you on your own to view the Sistine Chapel. While usually crowded, it’s always stunning – particularly since the restorations.
Once back at the beginning of the museums, take advantage of the CD tour. clearly worth the money on your first visit. Watch your time and focus on the most important items. The secondary exhibits are better than most of the top ones in other museums. Days, literally, may profitably be spent in this treasure trove. The Vatican Museums is in fact really an assembly of nearly two dozen collections. These range from an excellent Etruscan Museum through Modern Religious Art, Apostolic Library and include, of course, the Sistine Chapel.
While most of the statuary, with a few notable exceptions, is not first rate, you do want to pause at the Apollo Belvedere to see the remarkable Laocoon, and the Belvedere Torso.
While you likely won’t want to spend a lot of time reading ancient manuscripts, do make at least a short stop in the Apostolic Library. It contains a huge portion of the extant writings from earlier times, running to 150,000 ancient texts. And typical of almost all the Vatican areas, the decoration is superb, the frescoes were executed by 100 artisans over a one year period.
The Raphael Stanze (Raphael rooms) are extraordinary. In particular, take your time looking at the magnificent “School of Athens.” The crowd is there for good reason. The Pinacoteca is near the exit to the Rotunda. If you have time, there are a few excellent works. Note especially the “Deposition” by Caravaggio, “San Girolomo” by da Vinci, and “The Transfiguration” by Raphael.
