I was a sixth grader when I read Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons for the first time. A 12-year-old boy reading a story of cunning murders and secret society of Illuminati. The book enthralled me with its fast thrilling plot as there were always surprises on every corner of the pages. Most importantly, it took me to the very heart of Italy, Rome and Vatican.
More than a decade later, here I was.
In Vatican, I spent a whole day mainly in the Museum of Vatican or what a Roman said, Musei Vaticani. It is the largest private museum in the world. It began as a private collection of Pope Julius II in his summer palace. Having spent a day in the museum, it equals to walk for about 7.5 kilometers! Goodbye Car Free Day in Dago.. Prepare yourself because you will walk A LOT here. Don’t forget to wear your most comfortable shoes (though this tips is broadly applicable throughout your Euro Trip)
Funny story. The best time to visit this top-visited-museum in the world is around November to early March, yet I came in right on the weekend of Easter.. it’s exactly mimicking how crowded Mecca on Hajj time. So folks, before you plan your trip kindly double checked whether that National Holiday on your calendar has something to do with your holiday destination 🙂
Along the tour in the Museum, you will find dozens of exhibition area, like Pinacoteca, Tapestry Wall, Map Room, and of course the Sistine Chapel. Before visiting any of those, try to see the famous staircase. The Bramante Spiral Staircase maybe one the most photographed art in the museum. Finding where is the staircase is a bit tricky. After scanning your ticket on the entrance you’ll come up with an escalator. After getting to the top, you will see lot of options and signs for the exhibition area but don’t get too excited yet because you need to head right to the Vatican Museums gift shops. This is where the famous staircase lies.
For a common person like me who know classical arts by the bare minimum, the museum was stunning. It was a series of high ceiling rooms, famous paintings, beautiful sculptures and constant Google search of who-is-this-artist and what-this-painting-means. You will see some of the most famous and important paintings: Raphael’s Transfiguration, da Vinci’s St. Jerome in Wilderness, Caravaggio’s Entombment, Raphael’s Adoration of the Magi and hundreds of others.
By the end of the tour, you will come to the beautiful Sistine Chapel. If you are aware of the Papal election or have read the Angels and Demons, you know exactly that the Chapel is the place for the Cardinals to cast their ballot for the new Pope. The new Pope is chosen under the mural masterpiece of Michaelangelo. You’re not allowed to take any picture here, the museum staff looks closely to each and every one of the visitor. Since the mural is so famous, you can easily google them.
I had read enough “How to visit Museum Vatican” as it gave me tips for entering the one cathedral, Basilica of St Peter. It directed me to take the exit on right side of Sistine Chapel (though there was an obvious sign of “Group Tour only”). The secret passage allows us to directly enter the cathedral without having to queue again, which God knew how long that queue would be..
The number one cathedral is indeed the one. It is super huge, as it is the largest cathedral in the whole world and the most famous work of Renaissance architecture. The ceiling is so high as it made you wonder how did they make it on the 16th century when the technology was far behind now. The walls, columns, ceilings and basically every corner of the interior were adorned by beautiful sculptures and paintings. You’ll spot famous ones like Michaelangelo’s Pieta, St. Peter sculpture, mosaic of Raphael’s Transfiguration, etc.
Vatican is the smallest country in the world yet it witnesses the most important history of the world.
-R
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