Afternoon Vatican Small Group Tour

When entering the Vatican Museums, one of the first scenes we come across is the phenomenal “Cortile della Pigna”. The courtyard was designed by Renaissance genius Bramante and its architecture became a model for garden design in western Europe for centuries to follow. This grass covered patio is the perfect place to escape the buzzing galleries for a moment and soak up the magnificent view of the dome of St. Peter’s, which appears to be only a stone's throw away. The courtyard also serves as a mini-museum, boasting both antique sculptures and a highly contemporary piece in the form of a cracked, metallic globe.

The Apollo Belvedere is a perfect example of a sculpture from the Classical period. The marble wonder was rediscovered in the late 1400s and takes its “surname” from the Belvedere Palace, where it has resided since 1511. Apollo is portrayed as a slender young man with a flawlessly proportioned physique. The body is in perfect harmony in a counterpoise, with the weight on the right leg. The left arm is stretched out, and the draped clothing falls in soft folds over his arm. What makes the piece so remarkable is that the sculptor has captured Apollo’s spirit of light, which seems to radiate from within the vigorous figure.

Although it’s a mere copy of a 2nd century AD bronze original, this sculpture is amongst the most admired and influential pieces in all of western art. For centuries, it lay buried in a Roman vineyard until unearthed by chance in 1506. Upon its rediscovery, Michelangelo praised the sculpture as a "miracle of art" and the German scholar Winckelmann hailed it as the model of the classicist ideal of "noble simplicity and quiet grandeur”. The Laocoön became the quintessence of ancient art and to this day, the scene of the Trojan priest and his sons, desperately struggling for their lives, is a theme frequently reproduced by artists.

This fragmented sculpture from the 1st century AD is one of the most enigmatic artifacts in the Vatican – both the author and the identity of the man portrayed is unknown. Differing opinions about who the sculpture is meant to depict have inspired many attempts to reconstruct the original appearance of the figure to thus provide a clue for its interpretation. Some have suggested that it may be Hercules, sitting on an animal skin, while others are convinced that it’s Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon. In recent years, however, most specialists agree that it’s a representation of Ajax the Great, contemplating his suicide.

The illustrious Round Room is a stunning example of Neoclassical interior design, built on the request of Pius VI in the late 1800s. The architect Michelangelo Simonetti, had already been entrusted to design several other rooms in the Apostolic Palace, but this hall would become one of his most celebrated accomplishments. The oculus in the towering dome shines a light on the ancient artworks on display. Look out for the antique Hercules statue in gilded bronze and the marine themed 3rd century mosaic on the floor, which perfectly enfolds Emperor Nero’s massive porphyry basin at the center of the room.

Sadly, this cross-shaped hall is often used merely as fast-track passage to the Sistine Chapel and most visitors rush through without taking the time to recognise its wonders. This is a mistake not to be made, because there are some truly interesting artefacts exhibited in this Egyptian style room. Apart from the colourful millennia-old mosaic on the floor, the main protagonists of the hall are the two magnificent sarcophagi. Both of the ancient coffins were carved from single blocks of invaluable red marble in preparation for the burial of Emperor Constantine’s mother and daughter in the 1st century AD.

This spectacular gallery is part of the Profane Museum, a subdivision of the Vatican Museums, dedicated solely to Pagan art. The over-250-foot long corridor is divided into six sections by arches supported by columns of coloured marble. On both sides of these arches, you can behold the beautiful marbled 2nd century AD candelabras, after which the gallery is named. Along the galleries, between the arches, you can find Roman mosaics, sarcophagi, altars, urns and statues. The gallery also boasts exquisite flooring, intricately designed in geometrical shapes of different coloured marble.

After 3,5 years of restoration (significantly longer than it actually took to make the 40 panels of maps in the first place), the Gallery of Maps is finally back to its stunning 16th century appearance. It is said that Pope Gregory VIII ordered the painting of the maps because he wanted to explore every part of Italy without leaving the safety of the Apostolic Palace, and we can only assume that he must have been more than happy with the result. With vivid wall paintings featuring the peninsula’s blue sea and green mountains, and a lavish golden ceiling to top it all off, this gallery is the perfect mix of art, geography and opulence.

When entering this remarkable gallery one can immediately see where it takes its name from, the 90-foot-long hallway is covered from floor to ceiling with enormous woven masterpieces. The carpets were made in the 16th century by request of Pope Clement VII and only the most accomplished craftsmen of the trade were allowed to take part in the weaving. While the tapestries are certainly astonishing works of art, the gallery’s incredible ceiling is also worthy of admiration. Its embellishments were painted using a particular technique called trompe l'œil (French for "deceive the eye"), making it appear 3-dimensional.

In the early 1500s, Pope Julius II, who was a famous patron and philanthropist, requested Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Incredibly, the artist created the immense fresco almost completely on his own since he feared that his apprentices would not be able to understand and implement his vision. The area of the chapel ceiling is 12,000 square feet, and the number of painted figures is in the 100s, making the job a Herculean task that took over 4 years to complete. Decades later, Michelangelo returned to the chapel to paint his celebrated Last Judgment on the chapel’s altar wall.

St. Peter’s Square was designed by the outstanding Italian architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini on the commission of Pope Alexander VIII in the mid-1600s. The dimensions of Bernini’s creation are so huge that it’s difficult to accurately comprehend its enormity; stretching 1115 feet long and 787 feet across, surrounded by a 284-column colonnade topped with sculptures of 140 saints, the square is comprised of truly epic proportions. The vast space serves as an important gathering place for up to 400,000 faithful at any given moment who come here to celebrate important religious festivities or receive the Papal blessing.

At the beginning of the 4th century, Rome’s first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great, ordered the construction of a basilica to mark the site of the Apostle Peter's tomb. The first version of St. Peter’s Basilica was completed in 326 and quickly became universally recognised as the most notable destination for Christian pilgrimages. Over the course of the centuries however, the Basilica slowly started to crumble and, by the 1600s, it was in desperate need of a make-over. Pope Julius II took on the task of building the stunning Renaissance Basilica we admire today, a grandiose project that wasn’t completed until 120 years later.