Here are details and photos from our Vatican Museums tour including Raphael Rooms and Loggia, the Borgia Apartment, (Sistine Chapel – no photos were allowed), and St. Peter’s Basilica. Our tour guide was great and very informative! We could have easily spent the entire day and more in these museums … but we had other places to see.
The Vatican Palace – official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City
Joe and the revolving metal sculpture in the courtyard of the Vatican
Greco-Roman sculptures in the Pius-Clementine Museum
Sculptures in the Sala Rotunda
The dome in the Sala Rotunda
Bronze sculpture of Hercules
River Tiber – an Imperial Roman period sculpture of the River God Tiber
Our very knowledgeable and bright tour guide
Marble sculpture of Apollo Belvedere or Apollo of the Belvedere
Apollo and the Muses by Tommaso Conca in the Sala delle Muse
Another ornate ceiling in the Vatican
The Hall of Tapestries
Gallery of the geographical maps
Map details
Raphael’s Room
The School of Athens (Scuola di Atene) – one of Raphael’s most famous frescoes
The ceiling in Raphael’s Room
More ornate ceilings – can’t remember the rooms’ names
Tiles in the Borgia Apartment
The altar with Bernini’s baldacchino in Saint Peter’s Basilica
Michelangelo’s dome in Saint Peter’s Basilica
Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica
I have been to the Vatican before and although I was impressed and had a great appreciation for the numerous awe-inspiring artworks I’ve seen, I didn’t have a grasp of the “insider details” that made the artworks more interesting.
I highly recommend a guided tour. There was so much to see and take in, our tour guide did a great job of focusing on the highlights and important details of the Vatican Museums. Joe and I had an awesome time and will be back again, someday.
♥ Emms
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