Vatican. Галерея карт
With 1400 rooms embedded in Vatican City, there is simply not enough time to visit all the galleries and chapels with their impressive and endless art collection. As the official residence of the Pope, the Vatican City boats one of the largest collections of art and sculptures in the world with a mass viewing by at least 20,000 visitors a day. With the crowds in mind, the best way to view the Vatican is to condense it, here are some of the best museums in the Vatican that are not to be missed.
Gregorian Egyptian Museum
You don’t need to book a trip to Egypt to see Ancient Egyptian artefacts as the Vatican has got you covered. Founded in 1839, there are 9 rooms that are comprised of bronze objects, sculptures and figures that were brought to Rome on the Emperor’s orders at the time. Artefacts from Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli can now be seen in this museum which showcases the major influence that Egypt had on Rome. Initially brought over to embellish the shrines, temples and villas of the city, Rome’s cultural interest of Egypt spans back through thousands of years.
Pinacoteca
Walk through 16 rooms to view the remarkable Papal collection of artworks from Medieval paintings to Renaissance masterpieces. Artwork featured by artists such as Da Vinci, Caravaggio and Raphael line the halls of these rooms, most notably housing a tapestry from Da Vinci’s famed ‘Last Supper’ painting. As one of the newer additions to the Vatican, this art gallery was inaugurated in 1932 and shouldn’t be overlooked. Art lovers will admire the sketches from master painters and the chance to view the iconic ‘Transfiguration’ by Raphael.
Gallery of Maps
This room is for not only the lover of maps but that of geography as well. Ranging in 120 metres in length, this wing features topographical maps of Italy and its regions painted from drawings by Ignazio Danti. It’s easily one of the most aesthetically pleasing wings in the Vatican and showcases the glorious age of exploration in cartography that was underway in the Renaissance era. In the 15th century, Pope Gregory XIII commissioned this room with a total of 40 maps however despite this figure, the room only took 18 months to finalise. In 2016 the gallery underwent a major restoration and today is passed by on the way to view the Sistine Chapel.
Vatican Historical Museum
Many of us won’t be able to meet a figure as elusive and powerful as the Pope, so this museum founded in 1973 by Pope Paul VI is your best bet. Located in the Papal Apartment, this collection features the portraits of Popes and the iconic Pope-mobile ranging from its early days as a cart to the motorised super vehicle that it is today. Items from the Papa Military Corps can also be seen as well as Papal carriages. You’ll find this museum in the Lateran Palaces, which acted as the residence of the Pope for hundreds of years before that title was moved to the Apostolic Palace.
Advertisements
