Friday, March 30, 2012

Vatican Museums & Picture Gallery


Viale Vaticano

The Vatican Palace holds one of the largest art collections founded in the 16th century by Pope Julius II.
Later Popes added other museums and galleries over the centuries.
Access to the Sistine Chapel with frescoes by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Peregino and Ghirlandaio is though the museums which include The Borgia Apartments by Pinturicchio, The apartments of Pius V by Giorgio Vasari and The Raphael Rooms commissioned by Pope Julius II.
The Vatican Picture Gallery holds a huge collection of priceless artworks and the museums house tapestries, Etruscan and Egyptian mummies, sarcophagi and pottery, early Greek and Roman Statues (some from Hadrian's Villa), mosaics and glassware, early Christian inscriptions from the catacombs and ancient cemeteries of Ostia, Porto and Rome.

 Artists in the Pinacoteca Vaticana
Giotto
Beato Angelico
Perugino
Raphael
Leonardo
Caravaggio
Pietro da Cortona
Bernini
Filippo Lippi
Titian
Ludovico Carracci
Domenichino
Guercino
Guido Reni
Orazio Gentileschi

The Vatican Museums are not included in the Roma Pass as the Vatican City is a separate state from Rome.
The ticket office is open from 9am until 4pm.
The Museum is closed on Sundays.
Tickets can be bought online to skip the queue which is usually very, very long.
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Helpful Hints

Getting Around

I found walking around Rome was the best way to see everything but the metro, trams and buses are an easy and cheap option also.

Most buses and metros do get crowded and tickets must be bought before boarding and validated when you first get on but it is a great way to get around and see Rome if you are short on time or suffer from sore feet.

Buses #40 and #64 starts at Termini and ends near St. Peter's traveling past other places of interest, returning the same way.

Bus #75 takes you past the Colosseum

Bus #910 takes you to Villa Borghese


#64 & #40 Express Bus

Pantheon

Piazza Venezia

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II

Campo de'Fiori

St. Peter's


The Electric buses that are around Rome can travel into the older parts of the city and wind around the narrow streets. Bus #116 travels though the streets of Centro Storico.


Ticket Options

B.I.T (Biglietto Integrato a Tempo) is the standard ticket valid for one metro,tram or bus ride for a 100 minute period.


B.I.G ( Biglietto Integrato a Giornaliero) is a daily ticket valid for unlimited metro, tram, bus and train travel within Rome.


B.T.I (Turistic) is a 3 day tourist ticket and the same as B.I.G but for more days of travel.


Purchasing Bus and Metro tickets.

Newsstands, train stations, metro stations, kiosks with the ATAC logo and tabacchi shops sell tickets for trams and buses.

Large fines apply to travelers not holding ticket. Tickets once they are validated, start from the time they have been stamped.



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These are a few of my favourite books about Rome

The Cardinal's Hat by Mary Hollingsworth
This book tells the story of one of the sons of Lucrezia Borgia who became a cardinal during the 16th century.

The Tigress of Forli by Elizabeth Lev
I love this book telling the story of Caterina Sforza who was fighting against the Borgia pope to retain the rights of her land and her freedom.

The Popes by John Julius Norwich
A detailed but easy and enjoyable book to read about the history of the papacy and the popes.

The Pope's Daughter by Caroline P Murphy
This book describes in beautiful detail, the life and times of Pope Julius II daughter, Felice della Rovere.

The Families Who Made Rome by Anthony Majanlahti
I love this Book! It explains the families who made Rome what it is as we see it today and also looks at their triumphs, scandals and failures.

Rome by Robert Hughes
This book explains Rome from its beginning and expands on the Renaissance and Baroque until present times.

The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr
Another of my favourite reads about a lost Caravaggio painting and the search for its provenance.