Escaping from the rain to georgeous Vatican City


The afternoon of the second day in Rome turned out to be so rainy that it was impossible to stay outside. Luckily we had a guided tour booked in the Vatican City. We ran across Tevere River, fought ourselves through the crowd, and squeezed in the entrance. A bit wet, a bit exhausted after the rush, but we were ready for the 3-hour-long tour in the breathtaking world of religion, arts and mythology.





The tour did not start easily as the headsets, where we were supposed to hear our tour guide, broke after a few minutes. So some of us had to change it and the whole group was waiting. Then we started to walk slowly. We had to advance with the huge crowd. Every day 20.000 people (!!!) enter the Vatican.

Note: The entrance to the Museum is on the northern corner of Vatican. This is a new and bigger entrance due to the huge number of visitors.

Finally in the Vatican Museum
Modell of the Vatican City
We started our trip at the Museo Pio-Clementino, and visited the Gallery of the Candelabras, the Gallery of the Geographical Maps, the Gallery of the Tapestries (Renaissance art), the Raphael Rooms, the Sistine Chapel and finally the St. Peter's Basilica. Then we saw amazing paintings of Raphael and Leonardo, and sculptures of the Renaissance school.

In most of the rooms photography is permitted, except from the Sistine Chapel. This is the place where the 'conclave' elects the pope. This group of people locks themselves into the chapel and do not leave until they all agree in the pope. If they had an agreement they let white smoke out of the windows. In case they need more time they let black smoke out. 

Gregorian Museum
Gregorian Museum
Gallery of the Candelabras
Gallery degli Arazzi
St. Peter's Basilica
Michelangelo's Pieta

The dome of the basilica
The floor which is usually crowded
The St. Peter's Basilica from far

Important!


I had a little panic, because I traveled to Italy with my ID card as European Union citizen and I totally forgot that I would enter a sovereign country inside Rome. I was stressing that I would be asked to show my passport. But to my biggest relief it did not happen.

When you enter Vatican do not think that you can move freely. You buy your ticket and you have to stay on the route. So basically that is why nobody has to show any ID document because we stayed inside the museum and the tourist places all the time. (Just to be on the save side keep your passport with you.)

 
Tips:

  • Reserve your admission ticket online, this way you can skip the kilometer-long queue to the Vatican.
    Check out the website:
    http://www.museivaticani.va/
  • If you reserve a guided tour you can move much easier in the Vatican Museums. In the big crowd it helps.

  • It is possible to climb up to the dome of the St. Peter's Basilica for an extra fee. It is open till 5.30pm.

About Tiny Girl With Big Bag

Hobby writer and autodidact photographer whose passion is to travel and get to know new people and cultures. She has been on 4 continents and 30 countries, and the outcome is this travel blog where she shares travel stories, thoughts, tips and photography always through a subjective eye.

Follow her @ Twitter | Facebook | Google+

4 comments:

  1. Gorgeous pictures! Vatican city is incredible isn't it! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Scarlett :) yes, I've waited so much to finally get there. Many years ago when in Rome, Vatican was closed.. such a bad luck! Finally I made it and it was incredible to be surrounded with all those breath-taking paintings and sculptures :) have you had the chance to visit?

      Delete
  2. It's the first ever blog post I read about the Vatican. I visited when I was 18 years old and the impression of the fantastic art still stays with me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hope that some of my pictures were able to take you back in time and you felt like being in the Vatican again :)

      Delete