Vatican City

David shares his tips on what to see when touring the Vatican.

The Grounds

The gardens on the Vatican grounds make up half of the 44 hectares of Vatican City and can be seen from the western side of the museum. On the grounds you will see lawns, woods, gardens, grottoes and fountains. Highlights of a visit to the gardens include: many rare trees, which were donated as gifts to the Vatican from countries around the world; a papal coat of arms made of flowers; a helipad, used by visiting bishops; the head gardener’s house, one of the few residential buildings in Vatican City; and a radio tower at the Marconi broadcast center, named for the scientist who set up the first Vatican broadcast for Pope Pius XI in 1931. You can purchase tickets for a guided tour of the Gardens.

The Courtyards

There are three courtyards enclosed by the Vatican museums. You will see nice views of them from the windows of the various galleries. The Cortile del Belvedere is on the southern end of the museum. It was designed by Bramante in 1503 to connect the two palaces at the north and south ends of what are now the Vatican Museums. The Cortile della Biblioteca is in the center of the museum and was created when Pope Sixtus V built the library across the courtyard. The Cortile della Pigna is at the northern end of the museum. It was also originally part of the Cortile del Belvedere. It is named after the large pinecone (la pigna) at the northern end. It is 13 feet tall and was cast out of bronze in the 1st or 2nd century AD. The pinecone was originally part of a fountain, then moved to the medieval St. Peter’s Basilica, and finally placed at its current location in 1608 when the church was rebuilt.

In the center of the courtyard is the Sfera con Sfera, or Sphere within a Sphere, created in 1990. The sphere has been a feature of Arnaldo Pomodoro’s work since the 1960s, and similar works can be found at the United Nations plaza in New York, the University of California at Berkeley, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tehran, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, and Trinity College in Dublin. The spheres have inspired many conspiracy theories, but most believe they are meant to symbolize the fragility and complexity of the world. From the courtyard you also have an excellent view of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pio Clementino Museum

You will start your visit in the Pio Clementino Museum, which is named after the two popes who oversaw its foundation in the 18th century, Clement XIV and Pius VI. The original collection, belonging to Pope Julius II (1503-1513), was expanded and opened to the public. This is the heart of the classical sculpture collection housed in the Vatican Museums.

Pass through the Square Vestibule and enter the Octagonal Courtyard. The two major sculptures here, the Laocoön and the Belvedere Apollo, have been standing in the same locations since the 1500s. The Laocoön dates from around 40 BC. Laocoön was a priest of Apollo. During the Trojan War he warned his fellow Trojans about the Greek wooden horse so Athena and Poseidon, who were supporting the Greeks, sent two giant sea-serpents to kill Laocoön and his two sons. The Belvedere Apollo belonged to Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere before he was elected Pope as Julius II, and he brought it with him from his villa. The god Apollo seems to have just released an arrow from the bow which he originally carried in his left hand. The statue dates from the 2nd century AD and is considered to be a copy of an original bronze statue by Leochares dating from 300 BC.

Wind your way through the museum until you reach the Hall of the Muses. The statues in this room were greatly altered by 18th century restorers. Some of the statues did not originally depict muses and were modified to complete the nine personifications of the arts. The frescoes on the ceiling also depict Apollo and the Muses. The walls behind the statues originally provided landscape backgrounds for the statues, but they were painted over with the red paint in the 1800s. The Belvedere Torso dates from the 1st century BC and is signed by the Athenian sculptor Apollonius. Though there is much speculation as to the identity of the sculpture, the current theory is that it is the Greek hero Ajax contemplating suicide. During the Trojan War, Ajax was so upset when Achilles’ armor was given to Odysseus instead of him that he killed himself. The theory of the statue’s identity is based on the fact that his head is leanly sadly toward his right hand which was gripping the sword. Can you see it? There is also a statue of Bacchus, the god of wine, and a statue of Pan playing the flute.

Next you will enter the Round Hall. The architecture is reminiscent of the Pantheon, with niches to display the Roman-era statues. It is dominated by the huge oval bath at the center of the room, with a circumference of over 42 feet. It was likely used in a large public space in imperial Rome. The floor was artfully reassembled in the 18th century with mosaics dating from the 3rd century AD that were found in two different locations and moved here. The gilded bronze statue of Heracles (or Hercules) was discovered in 1864 beneath the courtyard of a palazzo. It was found buried in a trench and covered with a travertine slab. According to Roman custom, the statue was given a ritual burial with a sacrificial lamb because it had been struck by lightning. The statue shows Heracles leaning on his club with the skin of the Nemean lion draped over his arm. It is dated somewhere between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.

Move on to the Greek Cross Hall. In the center of the floor there is a mosaic depicting a bust of Athena. The hall is dominated by the two sarcophagi. The Sarcophagus of St. Helena is believed to have held the remains of Helena, mother of Constantine, who died around 335 AD. It was brought to the Vatican in 1777. The sarcophagus is carved with military scenes of Roman soldiers on horseback and barbarian prisoners. The lid of the sarcophagus depicts cupids and victories holding garlands, with two lions at the very top. Scholars believe that the sarcophagus was originally made for a male family member, perhaps Helena’s husband or Constantine himself, given the military decoration. The Sarcophagus of Constantia was made to hold the remains of one of Emperor Constantine’s daughters, most likely Constantia who died in 354 AD. It is decorated on all four sides with garlands and grape vines, and cupids with grapes. Below there are two peacocks, a ram and a cupid with a garland. The lid is decorated with greenery as well.

As you continue upstairs you will enter the Gallery of the Candelabra, named for its massive marble candelabra. The statue of Artemis of Ephesus here is rather unique. The city of Ephesus was founded in what is now modern-day Turkey. The Ionian colonists substituted their Artemis for a local goddess, and the two eventually intertwined to create this version of Artemis. She is often depicted in a sarcophagus-like stance with outstretched arms and a tapered body, and always with the cluster of globules. Some say they represent breasts (as virgin Artemis was the symbol of fertility), but some argue that they represent bull testicles (as the local Ephesian goddess Cybele was associated with bull sacrifices). Be sure to look out the western windows for an impressive view of the Vatican Gardens.

From here you will move to the Gallery of Tapestries. This is a collection of 16th- and 17th-century tapestries. The Flemish tapestries were woven in Brussels by Pieter van Aelst’s school and based on drawings by Raphael’s students. On the other wall hang tapestries depicting the life of Pope Urban VIII.

Next is the Gallery of Maps. The gallery was commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in 1580. The maps in this room were based on drawing by Ignazio Danti and it took him three years to complete the project. There are 40 panels which run the length of the gallery and map the entirety of the Italian peninsula, including Sardinia and Corsica. Italy was not unified at the time, so each panel features a different region.

The Raphael Rooms

Follow the building around to the southern edge and the Raphael Rooms. These rooms were used by Pope Julius II as his residence, and he commissioned Raphael and his school to do the paintings.

The first room is the Room of Constantine, which was designed to be used for receptions and official ceremonies. The walls depict pivotal scenes from Constantine’s life. Raphael died before the room was completed.

That is followed by the Room of Heliodorus. This room was used for private audiences with the pope. The paintings depict historical moments when faith was threatened to show God’s protection of the Church. The four scenes from the Old Testament on the ceiling were also painted by Raphael.

Next is the Room of the Segnatura. These are Raphael’s most famous frescoes and the first works he completed in the Vatican.  The room is named after the highest court of the Holy See, the “Segnatura Gratiae et Iustitiae,” which met in this room around the middle of the 16th century. Pope Julius II used it as a library and private office. The frescoes represent the three greatest aspects of the human spirit: truth (both theological and philosophical), goodness and beauty. The frescoes on the ceiling depict the allegorical figures of Theology, Philosophy, Justice and Poetry.

In the School of Athens, the greatest philosophers of ancient times are gathered together to share their ideas.  In the center, Plato is pointing up and Aristotle is to the right holding the book Ethics. Pythagoras is in the lower left. Diogenes is lying on the stairs. Euclid is on the right teaching geometry to his pupils. Zoroaster is holding the heavenly sphere and Ptolemy is holding the earthly sphere (he has his back to us). To their right is a man wearing a black hat – this is Raphael’ self-portrait.

Last is the Room of the Fire in the Borgo. The frescoes were commissioned later by Pope Leo X and depict scenes from the lives of Popes Leo III and IV.

The Sistine Chapel

Back downstairs you will enter the Sistine Chapel. The Chapel was named after Pope Sixtus IV, who had the building restored. The frescoes on the walls were painted by some of the greatest painters of the time, including Signorelli, Botticelli, Roselli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino. The 12 frescoes on the side walls follow the lives of Jesus and Moses. Between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo painted the ceiling. The central stories in the middle of the ceiling depict the creation of the world and the fall of man. They are surrounded by other biblical figures and stories. Michelangelo also painted The Last Judgement on the altar wall, between 1536 and 1541. It shows the souls of the dead rising up to face God and those who are condemned being hurtled into Hell.

From the Sistine Chapel, you can exit to the left to head back to the museum entrance with the spiral staircase or you can exit to the right to enter St. Peter’s Basilica.

St. Peter’s Basilica

This is the heart of the Catholic Church, though it isn’t the official seat of the pope. A shrine was first erected here, at the site of St. Peter’s tomb, in the 2nd century. The first basilica was completed in 349 AD and commissioned by Constantine. In 1506, construction for the current basilica began under Pope Julius II, but it would take more than a century for the building to be completed. Many of the greatest architects from the Roman Renaissance and the Baroque periods played a part in its design. Bernini was most influential in the design of the interior and Michelangelo designed the dome.

The Interior

After much back and forth between the architects over the shorter Greek cross plan and the longer Latin cross plan, the basilica was eventually built on a Latin cross plan. The nave, or long part of the cross, is richly decorated with Baroque stuccos, mosaics, statues and marble columns. The basilica is 615 feet long. As you walk down the nave you will see markings on the floor that compare the length of St. Peter’s to other churches. The niches contain 39 statues of saints who were founders of various religious orders. The vaulted ceiling is decorated with gold stucco. The “paintings” that line the walls are actually mosaics. The pieces of glass are so small that they only appear to be paintings, and some are replicas of actual works.

The nave is lined with chapels, featuring many important religious works. In the first chapel on the right stands Michelangelo’s Pietà. He was only 24 when he completed this work, in 1499. It is the only work that he signed; his name appears on the belt. Most striking about this sculpture is Mary’s youthful, sweet face and Michelangelo’s gift for making stone look like flesh and capturing the folds in drapery. It has been protected by thick glass since an attack in 1972.

At the end of the line of chapels on the right is a statue of St. Peter in the nave. There is some controversy over the date of the statue, but most believe that it was made by Arnolfo di Cambio in the 13th century. The foot of the statue has been worn thin by the millions who have come to the Vatican on pilgrimages over the centuries to touch or kiss St. Peter’s foot.

There are four huge pilasters where the transept (or shorter part of the cross) meets the nave. The four statues represent important moments of the passion of Christ. The four Evangelists: Mark, Luke, John and Matthew are depicted on the four spaces between the arches. The papal altar, a plain slab of marble, stands in the middle of the church. It is located directly above the tomb of St. Peter in the grottoes below the basilica, where many other popes are buried. Only the pope is allowed to say mass here. Bernini’s Baldacchino, an extravagant Baroque canopy, stands above the altar at nearly 100 feet tall and weighing over 100,000 pounds. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in 1624 to fill the empty space between the altar and the dome.

The 448-foot dome was designed by Michelangelo, but it was not completed until 1590. He worked on it until his death in 1564, when his pupil, Giacomo Della Porta, took over the work. The gold inscription at the base of the dome reads “You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church, and I will give you the keys to heaven.” The drum of the dome alternates double columns with gabled windows. It is possible to climb to the top of the dome and out onto the rooftop for some stunning views of both the interior of the basilica and panoramas of Rome. In the transept, to the right of the altar is the monument to Pope Clement XIII, built in 1784 by Antonio Canova. To the left is the monument to Pope Alexander VII, Bernini’s last work in St. Peter’s completed in 1678.

In the apse behind the altar, is the chair (or throne) of St. Peter, or the Cathedra Petri in Latin. The wooden chair is placed inside a bronze casing designed by Bernini. The upholstery on the casing depicts Christ giving St. Peter the keys to heaven. The window above the chair portrays the Holy Spirit as a dove and is surrounded by a cloud of angels and cherubs.

The Exterior

The façade dates to 1614 and was designed by Carlo Maderno, who lengthened the basilica to create the Latin cross plan. The central window is known as the Benediction Loggia. It is from this balcony that the pope blesses the people gathered in the square on Easter and Christmas. The center bronze door is the Filarete Door, which dates to the 15th century and the old St. Peter’s. The entrance to the dome is on the far right.

St. Peter’s Square

St. Peter’s Square is partially enclosed by two colonnades designed by Bernini. The colonnades are made of four rows of columns, each 5 feet in diameter and 65 feet high. The 140 statues atop the colonnades depict former popes, martyrs, evangelists and other Christian figures and were added over a span of 40 years. Bernini constructed the colonnades between 1656 and 1667.

The marble disks on the ground mark the geometric foci of the square. Standing here, the rows of columns line up perfectly and only one row is visible. This is a testament to Bernini’s architectural genius. There are two fountains in the square. When facing the basilica, the Maderno Fountain is on the left. Pope Paul V commissioned Maderno to replace an older fountain at the site in 1612. He left the lower stone of the old fountain but redesigned the rest. The basin is decorated with steps and small columns and the pedestal on top with four scrolls of stone. The Bernini Fountain was commissioned by Pope Clement X. It took Bernini 10 years to complete it, from 1667 to 1677. To maintain the symmetry of the square, this fountain is an exact replica of the Maderno Fountain.

In the center of the square is an 84-foot ancient Egyptian obelisk. It was brought to Rome from Alexandria by Caligula in 37 AD. The obelisk was removed from the “Circus of Nero” in Rome and placed at the center of the square under Pope Sixtus V in 1586. Moving the obelisk required a workforce of about 900 men and almost 100 horses and took over a year to complete.

To read about sites in Ancient Rome, click here. 

To read about sites in Rome’s Baroque city center, click here.

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