Italy’s capital has long been a stalwart on the travel circuit. The Eternal City celebrates its long and rich history with monuments that take you back in time to the powerful Roman Empire. Immerse yourself in history by revelling in the magnificence of the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon and other ancient ruins. Make a wish at the Trevi Fountain and marvel at the breathtaking panoramic view from the top of the Spanish Steps, before indulging in some of the best gelato, pasta, pizza and prosecco in the world!

Things to do in Rome

Vatican City

Vatican City, officially Vatican City State or the State of Vatican City (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), is a country located within the city of Rome. With an area of approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and a population of 1,000, it is the smallest country in the world by both area and population. However, formally it is not sovereign, with sovereignty being held by the Holy See.
St. Peter's Basilica

The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St. Peter's Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the papal enclave within the city of Rome.
Colosseum

The Colosseum or Coliseum, also known as the Flavian Amphitheatre, is an oval amphitheater in the center of the city of Rome, Italy. Built of concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheater ever built. The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum. Construction began under the emperor Vespasian in AD 72, and was completed in AD 80 under his successor and heir Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). These three emperors are known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheater was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius).
Pantheon

The Pantheon is a former Roman temple, now a church, in Rome, Italy, on the site of an earlier temple commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). The present building was completed by the emperor Hadrian and probably dedicated about 126 AD. He retained Agrippa's original description, which has confused its date of construction as the original Pantheon burnt down so it is not certain when the present one was built.

There is a highly developed connection with the capital of Italy by all means of transport. Regular flights to Rome are operated by Aeroflot, Alitalia and others.

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Considering the fact that the Vatican is located in the center of the capital of Italy, Rome, for a traveler going to the Catholic center of the world, the expression “all roads lead to Rome” will be more appropriate than ever. Accordingly get to the Vatican possible through Rome.

There is a highly developed connection with the capital of Italy by all means of transport. Regular flights to Rome are operated by Aeroflot, Aerosvit, Alitalia and others.

How to get to the Vatican from Rome

From the center of the Italian capital (Stazione Termini) to the southern part of the Vatican follow buses routes 40 and 64.

In order to get there to the Vatican by metro You must take trains on Line A to the Ottavio - San Pietro (St. Peter's Basilica) or Cipro (Vatican Museums) stops.

Walking route: from Piazza Venezia along Via Plebiscito, Corso Vittorio and Via della Conciliazione and from Stazione Termini along Via Nacionale.

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The Vatican is a city-state inside Rome, completely independent from Italy, located on Vatican Hill - Mons Vaticanus. The name of the hill, Vaticinia, is translated from Latin as “place of fortune telling.” The Vatican is an absolute theocratic monarchy, that is, the country is ruled by a religious person.

The Vatican is the seat of the highest spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.

There is a thin white line on St. Peter's Square that many tourists don't even notice, but this is the state border. Having stepped over it, we find ourselves in another state, where there is a station and its own Railway about 900 meters long, bank and currency - formerly it was Vatican lire, but now it is the euro. There is also a flag - white with crossed yellow keys. It publishes its own newspaper and even has a gas station, post office and radio station, not to mention priceless works of painting and sculpture.

The Vatican is the smallest dwarf state in the world. Its area is 440 square meters. Due to the small area, foreign embassies are located on the territory of Rome.

Population is about 1000 people, length state border– 3.2 km, which basically coincides with the high and thick defensive wall built in the 9th century by Pope Leo VI. To protect the state, the Swiss Guard is used, subordinate directly to the papal throne. Their striking medieval form may have been invented by Michelangelo himself, although there is no direct evidence of this.

How to get to the Vatican

By metro - line A, towards Battistini - stop Cipro-Musei Vaticani or Ottaviano-S. Pietro. From both stops it takes about 10 minutes to walk to the Vatican
By bus - routes No. 32, 81 and 982 to Piazza del Risorgimento, from which it is a five-minute walk to the Vatican
By tram number 19, this is the longest line, starting from Piazza Gerani - Gerani, crossing the whole of Rome and ending at Piazza del Risorgimento.
If you arrive in Rome on cruise ship, then you do NOT need to go to central station Termini. You need to get off at San Pietro station. From Roma San Pietro station it is a 5-10 minute walk to the Vatican.

Vatican - from history

Until 1871, the Vatican owned several so-called papal states, covering an area of about 16,000 square kilometers with a population of more than 3 million people. On May 13, 1871, these states were incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy.

IN modern form an independent Vatican arose on February 11, 1929 under Mussolini, when the Lateran Agreement was signed, according to which the king recognized the spiritual authority of the pope and his dominion over the Vatican, in turn, the pope recognized the king and promised to allow tourists into the Sistine Chapel and other museums remaining in his possession . In honor of this event, the Conciliazione street was cut through, leading from the Tiber embankment to St. Peter's Square.

The Pope is elected by a conclave of cardinals, and the role of government is performed by the Roman Curia, headed by the Secretary of State. Administrative affairs are carried out by the cardinal's commission, and it has something to do. It was recently found that the crime rate in the Vatican is almost the highest in the world, and compared to the surrounding Italy, it is 20 times higher. This is explained by the fact that tourists, overwhelmed by world masterpieces, completely lose their vigilance and become easy prey for thieves.

Sights of the Vatican

Among the main attractions of the Vatican are the following:

St. Peter's Square, designed by the great architect Giovanni Bernini and intended to become a meeting place for Catholics from all over the world
St. Peter's Basilica, built in the 15th-17th centuries, in the creation of which Donato Bramante, Michelangelo's Buonaroti and Giovanni Bernini took part. The cathedral is the world center of Catholicism
The Vatican or Papal Palace, consisting of more than 1000 rooms, including chapels and museums, the papal library. The most famous chapel of the palace is the Sistine Chapel with ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo and the Raphael Rooms, designed by the famous Italian artist Raphael
The Vatican Gardens, occupying more than half of the entire territory of the state.

Vatican Gardens

If you have climbed the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, you have seen how tempting the Vatican Gardens look, located behind St. Peter's Basilica.

The Vatican Gardens were laid out under Pope Nicholas III in the 13th century, when he moved his residence here from the Lateran Palace. Initially, medicinal plants, fruits and vegetables were grown in the gardens, and then a park was laid out here in the 16th century. The gardens contain many Mediterranean and exotic plants; there are antique sculptures and historical monuments, fountains and beautiful buildings.

You can only explore the Vatican Gardens with a guided tour by booking a ticket in advance on the website biglietteriamusei.vatican.va.

The duration of the excursion is two hours. You shouldn’t expect that while walking through the park you will be shown something unusual - neither railway station, you won’t see the barracks where the Swiss guards live. The most interesting place will be the garden pavilion of Pope Pius IV, which is a whole micro-city with an oval courtyard and curtain walls.

One of the attractions of the park is located near papal palace Galera fountain, shooting jets of water from all its guns. This fountain was very loved by the future Pope Urban VII, in the world of Matteo Barberini, who glorified this work of art with a Latin saying, translated meaning: “The machine for warfare, belonging to the popes, shoots not fire, but fresh water, which extinguishes the flames of war."

Official website of the Vatican

Please note that visitors wearing shorts, short skirts, backpacks or large bags are not allowed into the Vatican. You cannot bring knives, umbrellas or alcoholic drinks with you.

If you find yourself in Rome, take a day to visit the Vatican, even if you are far from any religion. It’s worth doing this if only to admire the world-famous frescoes, architecture of extraordinary beauty, and watch the changing of the guard of the Swiss Guards. Moreover, this is easy to do, without even contacting tour operators.

How to prepare?

You do not need a visa to enter the Vatican. The Schengen card you opened for your trip to Italy is enough. The Vatican has an open border with this country.
To visit the Vatican, you should choose clothing that covers your shoulders and knees. Short shorts and T-shirts or sundresses may not be allowed in. If you plan to climb to the observation decks, take care of comfortable shoes, as most of the stairs are metal spiral ones.
Take a small amount of cash (the official currency is Euro). Entrance to St. Peter's Basilica is free, and for the climb observation deck on the dome you will have to pay 5-7 euros. You can enter the Vatican Museum for 16 euros, but once a month (last Sunday) it receives tourists for free.

When?

There are always long queues at the Vatican Museums, so it is better to arrive to the “city within a city” before 8 o’clock in the morning. Guides assure that the fewest visitors are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the most on Wednesdays, when the Pope gives audiences and makes an address in St. Peter's Square. Sunday is a day off in the Vatican, all museums are closed. You can enter the museums until 16.30 and leave at 18.00. To avoid waiting in long lines, buy tickets to museums on websites in advance and print them out. With this ticket you can skip the line. On “free” days there are especially many people, and you will have to spend several hours before entering the museum.

How to get there?

You can get there by metro line A (red), get off at the Ottaviano-San Pietro station and walk 10 minutes to St. Peter's Square. From almost anywhere in Rome you can get to the Vatican by bus:

No. 64 - you can board it at the Rome train station (Stazione Termini), in Piazza Venezia or Argentina,
No. 60 – from the Republic Square (Repubblica), Venice and Argentina, from Spanish Steps,
No. 40 is an express bus to the Vatican with limited stops from the station.

Buses 62 and 40 stop between Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Square, and bus number 64 stops south of the square and the cathedral. If you're not sure where to get off, ask the bus driver: "Vaticano?"

You can also take a pleasant walk from the station along Via Nazionale or from Piazza Venezia along Via Plebescita, Corso Vittorio Emanuele and Via della Concigliazione. The closest place to St. Peter's Square is Navona Square on the other side of the Tiber. Driving around the Vatican without special permission is prohibited.

If your goal is not Rome and Italy, but specifically the Vatican, it makes sense to stay in one of the Roman hotels nearby (there are no secular hotels in the Vatican itself).

What should you be prepared for?

The entrance to the Vatican is guarded by Swiss Guards. They have the right to check your documents and the contents of your pockets and bags. This needs to be treated with understanding, since we are talking about everyone’s safety. You should not take a backpack with you, as it is guaranteed to be checked at the entrance to each museum.
On some holidays and during official visits, parts of the Vatican area are closed to tourists.

The Vatican in Rome is a unique “state within a state”, the residence of the Pope and the center of the entire Catholic world. In addition, it is also a real cultural treasury, full of architectural, sculptural and pictorial values, an amazing historical monument, and for Christians - the center of the most important Christian relics. And although all this is located on a piece of land with an area of only 44 hectares, sometimes you need to visit Rome and the Vatican several times to see all the beauties of this tiny state.

What's the best way to plan a visit to the Vatican? Given the incredible wealth of the museum's collections, the sheer size of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, and the variety of attractions, it makes sense to plan a visit to the Vatican yourself. This will give you a wonderful opportunity to proceed from your own interests and capabilities. Standard excursions, as a rule, allow you to walk “over the top” and “run through” the most famous places in the Vatican. But only independent travel allows you to consider what is interesting to you, explore places at your rhythm and in accordance with your preferences. Let's figure out how to visit the Vatican on your own and get the most out of it.

How to choose a time to visit

Despite the modest size of the Vatican, huge queues of tourists and believers from all over the world flock to it every day. To save energy, have time to see more and avoid crowds, it is best to go to the Vatican in the morning, while you are full of energy and before it is filled with tourist groups. St. Peter's Cathedral is open from 7 am, the Vatican Museums - from 9.00.

According to the observations of many travelers, the days freest from crowds are Tuesday and Thursday. The busiest day is Wednesday, as the Pope speaks in St. Peter's Square on Wednesdays. On Sunday the Vatican is quite free, but only because all the museums are closed.

The time of year also affects the number of visitors to the Vatican. January and February are the most best months for those who appreciate art and want to enjoy it to the fullest, at a relatively relaxed pace and without ending up in the incredibly dense crowd that gathers in the Sistine Chapel.

On the last Sunday of the month, admission to the Vatican Museums is free. Many tourists are tempted by this, however, the incredible overload of the Vatican with the number of visitors these days can spoil the impression and bring nothing but fatigue.

It should also be remembered that in some cases the Vatican is completely closed to tourists - this is due to events and visits of high-ranking guests.

Opening hours of St. Peter's Basilica: from October 1 to March 31 – 7.00-18.30 (closed January 1 and 6); from April 1 to September 30 – 7.00-19.00.

Opening hours of the Vatican Museums: from Monday to Saturday – 9.00-18.00 (entrance and ticket office – until 16.00). From May 6 to July 29 and from September 2 to October 28, the museums are also open on Friday nights (19.00-23.00, entry until 21.30). Closed on Sundays, except the last Sunday of the month (from 9.00 to 12.30 admission is free!)

How to best plan a visit to the Vatican

Two places in the Vatican attract especially many tourists. And each of them is distinguished by its gigantic size and abundance of attractions. This Saint Paul's Cathedral And . Each of these places has a separate entrance (to the Museums - paid, to the Cathedral - free). When planning your visit, keep in mind that exploring the museum's collections alone can take a whole day! And this despite the fact that only a small part of the treasury of world art is on display for tourists in museums - some rooms are closed to the public. As, incidentally, the part of the Vatican where the Pope and the administrative bodies of the Catholic Church live and conduct their business is also closed.

Is it worth visiting both the cathedral and the Vatican Museums on the same day? It depends on your interests and physical capabilities. If you plan to carefully study the rich collection of Museums, we recommend planning a visit to them on a separate day. Even a simple walk through the vast Vatican Museum complex can be tiring, and if you linger in each of the halls to look at the exhibits, the visit will definitely be lengthy. Will you still have the strength to explore the cathedral after this? It's very individual. And St. Peter's Cathedral deserves a separate careful study.

You only have to pay for admission to the Vatican Museums. There is no charge to visit St. Peter's Basilica, and it is accessible to visitors throughout the day (except when the entire Vatican is completely closed). Thus, you can save energy by dividing your visit to the Vatican into two parts, one of which will be entirely devoted to exploring the museum complex, and the second to visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and the adjacent square.

If you have little time in Rome, and you want to do as much as possible in a short time, then you can easily visit both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica in one go. But in this case, determine in advance what exactly you want to see in the Museums so that you can immediately rush to the halls that interest you. Otherwise, you risk staying there for a long time.

If the standard program is not enough for you, and time allows, you can also order an additional excursion to Vatican Gardens (Giardini Vaticani)- the “green heart” of the tiny state. Beautiful sculptures, historical fountains, rare plants, and magnificent landscape design make this park area, which occupies more than 20 hectares, a pleasant island of nature and art. Visiting the Vatican Gardens is only possible with an organized tour, which must be booked in advance.

One of the most inaccessible but interesting places in the Vatican - ancient necropolis, located under St. Peter's Basilica, under the Vatican Grottoes, at the floor level of the oldest basilica, built in the 4th century. Ancient frescoes from the early Christian period have been preserved in the necropolis. And the main shrine and value of these “Vatican dungeons” is tomb of St. Apostle Peter. It was above it that the basilica was once built, it is the resting place of the apostle that is the spiritual center of the Vatican, it is above this tomb that the main altar of the cathedral is installed. Access to St. Peter's Tomb and the ancient Roman necropolis requires special advance reservations.

How to get to the Vatican on your own

As an enclave state, the Vatican is located on the territory of Rome, the Italian capital. And despite the formal status of a city-state, the border between Italy and the Vatican is very arbitrary and is crossed freely.

It is convenient to get to the Vatican by metro. If you plan to start your visit to the Vatican from St. Peter's Basilica, the nearest station is Ottaviano – San Pietro. From the metro exit to the Vatican is a 7-10 minute walk. If you are visiting the Vatican Museums first, then go to the metro station Cipro. From here you will quickly reach the entrance to the museum complex. To avoid getting lost, use the offline map in our.

Tickets to the Vatican

For entry to Saint Paul's Cathedral There is no charge, nor is there a fee to visit the magnificent square in front of it. But to climb the dome of the cathedral you need to purchase a ticket (if it includes an elevator ride, it costs a little more than usual).

Visit Vatican Museums paid. You can pay only the entrance and explore the museum treasures on your own, or you can book a tour or take a museum audio guide (in the Vatican Museums it is issued with special equipment, which is handed over upon exit). The official audio guide in the Vatican Museums is available in Russian.

ADVICE. The official audio guide will “guide” you through all the halls, telling you in detail about the exhibits, but this can also lead to the fact that by the end of the route you will be left completely exhausted. But the famous Sistine Chapel is located right at the end of the route! Therefore, consider the size of the museum, your interests and time frame. Perhaps it makes sense to skip certain rooms so as not to miss the main thing. After all, if you linger in each of the halls, even a day may not be enough to explore the museum!

As a rule, there is a long queue before entering the Vatican Museums. Depending on the season, day of the week and time of day, it can be simply long or incredibly long. Wasting valuable time in Rome waiting in line is simply a crime. And it’s very easy to avoid long waits - book tickets to the Vatican Museums online. The entrance to the museum is divided into two streams - a huge queue stands at the museum ticket office and consists of tourists who do not have tickets. And for those who have a printout of an online reservation, there is a special queue, which is never large (and sometimes there is none at all) and moves very quickly. If you speak English, the most economical and convenient option is to book tickets on the official Vatican website.

The Vatican on your own: what to consider when visiting

When visiting St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, you should remember that this is a temple that is a shrine for millions of people. Therefore, here, as in other basilicas, it operates dress code– knees and shoulders must be covered. You shouldn't go to the Vatican Museums in shorts and miniskirts either.

It is important to choose a light and comfortable one shoes, because you will spend the whole day on your feet. And if you decide to climb the dome, you will also have to climb the spiral staircase.

The Vatican takes issues seriously security. You should not take large bags, backpacks, cane umbrellas or long tripods with you to the Vatican Museums - all this will have to be left in the storage room. It is better to go to the Vatican lightly - this will not only simplify the verification procedure, but will save energy, which will require a lot.

Bring a bottle with you water. You will probably spend a lot of time in the Vatican, and you will need it. Especially in the vast area of St. Peter's Basilica, where there are no shops. There is a cafe in the Vatican Museums, but take into account the incredible flow of people - it is rare to find a free place there.

The Vatican accepts payment Euro. Moreover, those coins minted by the Vatican (each Eurozone country produces coins with its own symbols on one side) are themselves souvenirs and are valued by collectors.

In the Vatican cards don't workRoma Pass.

Vatican Museums: what to look for

Numerous exhibits in the halls of the Vatican Museums cover a huge historical period. Antiquity, Renaissance, Baroque and even modern religious art are presented here in all their fullness and splendor. Collections of outstanding works of art have been collected over the centuries. Even if you choose the best time to visit the Vatican and prepare well, it is likely that you will not have time to fully explore all 54 rooms open to the general public.

The halls in the Vatican Museums are arranged in such a way that visitors go sequentially all the way through numerous collections of the most valuable works of art to one of the most coveted places - the Sistine Chapel. You won’t be able to get into the most famous chapel in the world right away - you must go through many other museum halls to get to it.

So, what should you pay special attention to? Everyone has their own tastes and interests, we will highlight only the most famous and popular halls.

Pinacoteca Vaticana

The Vatican Pinacoteca is definitely worth paying special attention to. The Pinakothek was founded in the second half of the 18th century. Amazing paintings on religious themes are collected here. These are mainly works by Italian masters: Giotto, Beato Angelico, Melozzo da Forli, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Caravaggio, Guido Reni, Titian. Among the pearls of the Pinakothek collection are the Stefaneschi triptych by Giotto; "Madonna and Child and Saints" and "Resurrection" by Perugino; “Madonna di Foligno”, “Transfiguration”, “Coronation of Mary” by Raphael; "Saint Jerome" by Leonardo da Vinci; "Entombment" by Caravaggio; “The Wedding of Our Lady” by Lippi and other masterpieces.

Ancient art (ancient, Egyptian, Etruscan)

Among the halls dedicated to ancient art, it is worth highlighting Pius-Clementino Museum, which houses the famous sculptural group “Laocoon and Sons” and a huge number of other works of Greek and Roman classical art. Antique works of art can also be seen in Gallery of candelabra (Galleria delle Candelabri), Chiaramonti Museum.

If you are interested in history and culture ancient egypt, large collection Egyptian antiquities, including mummies, you will find in Gregorian Egyptian Museum). A Gregorian Etruscan Museum (Museo Gregoriano Etrusco) will introduce you to the ancient culture of the Etruscans, which had a huge influence on the culture of Ancient Rome.

Early Christian art is represented in Museum Pio-Cristiano– here you will see works of art from the Roman catacombs, sarcophagi, reliefs, tombstones.

Tapestries and antique maps

In the luxurious upper galleries you can see many rare works of art. For example, in Galleria degli Arazzi there are magnificent ancient tapestries made according to sketches by Raphael Santi by his students. A Gallery geographical maps(Galleria delle Carte Geografiche) stores almost fifty old maps of various areas.

Paintings by Pinturichio in the Borgia apartments

Apartment Borgia (Appartamento Borgia), formerly the personal residence of Pope Alexander VI Borgia at the end of the 15th century, they are distinguished by their lavish interior. The famous painter Bernardino Pinturicchio also worked on it.

Raphael's Stanze di Raffaello

Among the most “tasty” things that the Vatican Museums can show, it is also worth noting the famous “Raphael’s dances”. Stanzas are the living rooms of Pope Julius II, the painting of which was once entrusted to the young Raphael. It's hard to believe that once upon a time a great genius was essentially involved in residential interior design. Raphael himself painted 3 stanzas, and the fourth was designed by his students based on his sketches after the artist’s death.

The Sistine Chapel (Capella Sistina)

The Sistine Chapel is perhaps the most famous landmark of the Vatican, rivaled only by St. Peter's Cathedral. The name of the chapel is associated with the name of Pope Sixtus V, who ordered the construction of the chapel, which served as a house church. The chapel is famous, first of all, for its paintings, in which the genius of Michelangelo was so clearly demonstrated. Visitors are especially impressed by the ceiling painting, which is a whole cycle of frescoes depicting biblical scenes, as well as the painting of the altar wall, illustrating the “Last Judgment.” In addition, such Renaissance masters as Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino worked on the design of the chapel.

The Sistine Chapel is not only a monument of the Renaissance, but also religious building. It is here that conclaves are held - meetings of cardinals to elect the Pope.

ADVICE. The Sistine Chapel is located almost at the very end of the path through the numerous halls of the museum complex. For this reason, many visitors enter the chapel already very tired. Let's add to this the incredible density of the crowd in the chapel (especially in summer season) and we get what many tourists call disappointment. After all, being exhausted, it is very difficult to appreciate the brilliant paintings. Therefore, we recommend setting priorities and calculating your strength in order to perceive art, and not think about tired legs.

Please be aware that taking photographs in the Sistine Chapel is strictly prohibited, as is talking loudly.

Exit from the museum complex

There are two ways to leave the Sistine Chapel - through the general exit, which leads to Michelangelo's famous spiral staircase, and through the side door, which is intended for the exit of tour groups and guides. Using the general exit, you will find yourself in several more museum halls, and after that a dressing room and the official exit from the museum will await you.

If you realize that you have absolutely no strength left, or you want to quickly and without waiting in line to get into St. Peter’s Cathedral, then you can use a trick and try to use a small “cheat” by leaving the chapel through the side door on the right, which is almost always open. This is not entirely according to the rules, but usually no one prevents this - participants in group excursions come through the door, and you may well pass for one of them. Once out the door, you can quickly and without queues enter St. Peter's Basilica.

ATTENTION. You should use the “service” door only if you did not leave things in the cloakroom and did not pick up an audio guide at the entrance to the museum. Keep in mind that if you cross the passage to St. Peter's Cathedral, then you will no longer have a way back to the museum complex.