Located in the heart of Rome, the eternal city, the Vatican is the smallest country in all of Europe and the epicenter of the Catholic Church. The papal residence is located in such a small space, a palace surrounded by beautiful gardens that can be visited with prior reservation.
Inside the Vatican, in addition to the Vatican Museums, is the Basilica of Saint Peter, which stands out for the dome and for the Pieta by Michelangelo. You can also visit St. Peter's Square and outside the Vatican grounds and within minutes, the Castel Sant'Angelo.
Next, we will learn more about the main tourist attractions of the Vatican City and how to buy tickets.
St. Peter's Square
St. Peter's Square is one of the largest and most beautiful in the world. Its dimensions are astonishing as it is 240 meters wide and 320 meters long. It is located at the foot of the Vatican and in the most important events it has reached more than 300.000 people.
St. Peter's Square was built between 1656 and 1667 by Bernini's work and with the support of Pope Alexander VII. It is shaped like an ellipse and is surrounded by a colonnade with 140 statues of Catholic saints created by Bernini's disciples around 1657.
In the center of the square is the obelisk and two fountains, one by Bernini (1675) and the other by Maderno (1614). The obelisk was brought to Rome from Egypt in 1586 and stands 25 meters high.
As a curiosity, the Place de la Concorde in Paris was designed in 1755 following the image of Saint Peter's Square since the obelisk and the fountains are in a very similar distribution.
St. Peter's Basilica
Entering St. Peter's Basilica is one of the most unforgettable experiences that can be lived in Rome. It is the most important building of Catholicism because here is the Holy See and from there the pope celebrates the most outstanding liturgies.
It owes its name to the apostle and first pontiff Saint Peter, whose body is buried inside. Its construction began in 1506 and ended in 1626, being consecrated at the end of that same year. Figures of the stature of Bramante or Carlo Maderno participated in the tasks. Some of the works of art that can be found inside are the Baldachin by Bernini or the Pieta by Michelangelo.
One of the things that most attracts the attention of St. Peter's Basilica is its astonishing 136-meter-high dome. Michelangelo started it, Giacomo Della Porta continued with the work and Carlo Maderno finished it in 1614. The climb to the dome is not suitable for everyone because in the last section there is a steep and narrow spiral staircase that can be quite overwhelming . However, the reward is great because from it you can admire St. Peter's Square in all its splendor and, if the day is clear, much of Rome.
Vatican Museums
The origins of these museums date back to 1503, when Pope Julius II began his pontificate and donated his private art collection. From this moment, the following popes and various private families made contributions and increased the collection until it became one of the largest in the world.
In it there are objects from India, the Far East, Tibet, Indonesia, Africa and America. Also a collection of medieval ceramics, Flemish tapestries from the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries, Greek and Roman works and a feature length, etc.
Currently, the Vatican Museums receive more than six million visitors a year and one of the compelling reasons is the Sistine Chapel, which is known for its rich decoration and for being the temple in which popes are chosen. Its construction was carried out during the mandate of Pope Sixtus IV, to whom it owes its name. Some of the most important artists who worked on it were Miguel Ángel, Botticelli, Perugino or Luca.
Tickets for the Vatican
The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel are the tourist attraction in Europe with the longest entrance queues. On especially busy days you can wait up to four hours in line at the ticket offices. That is why the best option is to reserve tickets online through the Vatican Museums website, which are nominated and only valid for a certain day and time. The date and time of the visit can be changed whenever there is availability.
If you want to do the visit on your own, the best time to do it is around 13:XNUMX p.m. weekday. Weekends, the last Sundays of each month (free admission) and Holy Week are not recommended to visit the Vatican since it is when there are more people, especially in high season.
Precios de las entradas
General admission reserved online to avoid the entrance queue has a price of 21 euros. Without online reservation it costs 17 euros and the reduced ticket price is 8 euros (without online reservation) and 12 euros to avoid queues.
Visiting hours
The opening hours of the Vatican Museums are 9 a.m. at 18pm. although ticket sales end at 16pm, two hours earlier.