In the heart of the Italian capital is the Catholic center of the world called the Vatican. This is the smallest country on the planet, in which, however, a tourist can see a lot of interesting things. Here is the residence of the Pope. The museums of this country have the greatest cultural values. Many pilgrims and tourists come here every year to see for themselves the sights of the Vatican. Let's look at the main ones.
St. Peter's Basilica
This Catholic church is the most impressive building in the country, in addition, it is considered the main shrine of Christian believers. The snow-white dome of St. Peter's Basilica has been bathing in the blue of the Italian sky for five centuries. There are not enough words to tell in colors about this grandiose building, this must be seen with my own eyes. And when you are inside the cathedral, the surrounding beauty is simply breathtaking. It is recommended to start exploring the sights of the Vatican from this temple.
St. Peter's Basilica is remarkable not only for its enormous size, but also for its huge number of masterpieces of art. Each tourist is advised to get a guide in advance to consider all the sights and not to miss anything. If you wish, you can climb under the dome of the basilica through a narrow staircase, only you have to pay for it.
Many just come to Rome for a few days. The Vatican, whose sights are particularly sophisticated, even they try to visit, because there may not be a second such chance.
The Sistine Chapel
This church is built in the shape of a rectangle. Inside the chapel on the floor you can see beautiful mosaic patterns, and in the middle there is a partition made of marble.
The walls of the church are made in the form of horizontal stripes that intersect with special frames. Below you can see the beautiful draperies with the coat of arms of the Pope. In the center are paintings by famous artists: Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Luca Signorelli, Pinturicchio, Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli. The last strip, located under the ceiling, is decorated with portraits of the first Roman popes, all of them thirty.
Michelangelo 's stunning paintings are on the far walls of the church, as well as on the ceiling. This famous creator spent several years creating such splendor; as a result, hundreds of square meters of ceiling were decorated. It should be noted that the long and almost continuous work negatively affected the well-being of the artist, because he constantly inhaled the paint, and it penetrated into his lungs. But the efforts of Michelangelo, no doubt, were worth it, because he literally transformed the church, and now tourists simply freeze with delight, looking at his masterpieces. It is for this that many go to the Vatican. Italy, whose sights are amazing, attracts tourists from all over the world.
Today in the Sistine Chapel, secret meetings are held by the Pope.
St. Peter's Square
It is the most magnificent Italian architectural ensemble that Bernini built. From the square you can clearly see the famous Colonnade. This is truly amazing. It seems that the columns diverge to the sides, but at the same time they invite to the cathedral. The illusion of movement is created thanks to the oval shape.
In the middle of the square is a brown granite obelisk, its length is 42 meters. He was brought from Egypt by order of Caligula. It was back in the 1st century. And only after a long time, in 1586, Sixtus V ordered to put him on the square. Now it adorns the Vatican. Sights, the photos of which you see, it is better to inspect slowly, so that nothing escapes the eye.
But back to the obelisk. At the top of the pillar is a ball of bronze. There is an interesting version that inside it are the remains of Julius Caesar. Among other things, the obelisk can be considered a kind of sundial, and markings on the ground also play their role.
Papal palace
It includes several buildings, twenty courtyards and more than a thousand rooms, chapels and other premises. The bronze gate is the main entrance, passing through which you can get into the courtyard of San Damaso, around which the palace is spread from all sides. On the fourth (highest) floor are the rooms in which the Pope lives. Below are another of his apartments. And the secretary’s rooms are on the second floor. In the center of the palace is a chapel, where Pope conducts services every day. His guests, house workers, and secretaries come to pray there.
Many people who came to Rome seek to enter the Papal Palace . The Vatican, whose photo you see in front of you, is an amazing place, and everyone understands this.
Apostolic Library
Here are collected many documents dated to the Middle Ages. In the library, located inside the palace, there are approximately 65 thousand books, among which the oldest Bible, dated 325 AD. e.
University professors, famous scientists, teachers, and teachers regularly come here. Here you can also meet students. But only last-year students are allowed here, but for schoolchildren, for example, the doors to the library are closed.
Raphael's rooms
The small rooms of the palace are named after the famous artist, because it was he who decorated the walls and ceiling with paintings. The creations of this master are real masterpieces of the Renaissance. It’s good that the sights of the Vatican are accessible to everyone, isn't it?
Today, Raphael's rooms attract many tourists. They cause no less interest than during the Renaissance. Every year, the most beautiful rooms are visited by thousands of pilgrims who are delighted with the great masterpieces. You can just take your time walking around the palace and carefully consider the paintings of the famous artist. Some tourists then even complain of pain in the neck, because the ceiling is no less interesting than the walls.
Vatican Gardens
Once upon a time, medicinal herbs grew on the site of these gardens, and after a while there was a beautiful park, attracting tourists with its Mediterranean plants, among which there are often quite unusual and rare. In addition, there are a fairly large number of monuments of antiquity, historical structures, fountains and various beautiful buildings. The most interesting sights of the Vatican are located here.
Pilgrims are tempted by the opportunity to stroll along the beautiful and well-groomed paths along which the popes walked for many centuries. Many note the calm and peaceful atmosphere that reigns in the gardens. She fully disposes to relaxation and contemplation of the surrounding beauty.
Vatican Museums: opening hours
Museums in the country are open from Monday to Saturday, that is, six days a week. They are open from 8:45 to 18:00, however, keep in mind that you can only buy a ticket until 16:00. Museums are closed on public holidays and Sundays. But there is one exception. On the final Sunday of the month from 9:00 to 12:30 you can go to the museum for free. As for the cost of tickets, then for a child (under 18 years old) you will have to pay 8 euros, and for an adult - 15. Each tourist should visit museums, there really is something to see.