Vatican city — St Peter’s Basilica & Sistine Chapel
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Overview:
The home of catholic spirituality, the Vatican City is home not just to the Pope and the catholic church, but also two unique wonders of the world in the grand St Peter’s Basilica and the inspiring Sistine chapel that sits within the Vatican Museum, with this religious sanctuary being a place of true worship, invaluable art and unique history making it a spectacular and life changing wonder of the world.
Dating back to 4 AD, the Vatican City is also the smallest of all countries in terms of population, with just 800 celibate individuals residing within it’s palaces and at just 0.6 miles in land is officially the smallest country in the world, despite sitting in the heart of the Italian capital of Rome. The real wonders of this city though is found in it’s two unique and storied sights, with St Peter’s Basilica being not just one of the largest and most spectacular churches in the world and holding a special place in the heart of all Catholics, but also being the final resting place of St Peter and being home to the unique cupola – a dome at the top of the church reached by 551 steep steps that allows viewers to look out over the wonder of the Vatican City and into the heart of Rome.
In addition to this the world-famous Sistine chapel, which sits at the end of the stunning Vatican Museums, is unquestionably the greatest and most beautiful chapel in the world, with the awe-inspiring Michelangelo’s ceiling which depicts the creation of man and the last judgment form the 16th century being not just one of the most stunning pieces of art on the planet but a true testament to the faith, belief, love and spirituality of billions of people.
With the beauty of the chapel, the spirituality of the basilica and the millions of people who came to hear from the head of the Church every Sunday making the small but beautiful and spiritual Vatican City a truly unique wonder of the world.
Where:
The Vatican City – whilst being is own independent city and country – sits in the heart of Rome and is easily found by a range of public transport options, with the highlights being all found with the 0.6 miles that make up the city.
Getting there:
With the Vatican City sitting in the heart of Rome it is easily reachable and accessible by a range of Italian Transport ‑the most easiest and simple of which is by Metro with the Vatican city being a 5 minute walk from either the Ottaviano or the Cipro station – just follow the signposts or walk towards the big dome,
Secondly by bus and the Vatican City is served by the number 64 bus from the main train station in Rome the Termini train station, with the stop being at the end of the line and then again walkable by following the following the signs.
Finally, you have the more expensive option of Taxi – of which there are many waiting in the tourist hotspots of Rome to head to the Vatican, just be sure to make sure you get out before the main exit as the cities Swiss Guard will stop you as you approach.
When inside the Vatican City you’ll find yourself directly in St Mark’s Square and the wonders of St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums will be straight in front of you – alternatively look for one of the many tour guides holding large umbrellas and flags who will take you round the Vatican City.
Best time to Visit:
Regardless of when you visit you can expect the Vatican City and St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums to be a busy and crowded.
That being said the best time to visit is unquestionably in the early morning with a skip the line guided tour during the week with the exception of Wednesday – when the Basilica is closed for blessings from the Pope. We’d also suggest visiting in the months of April – May or September – December (avoid Christmas day) as these months are considered off season and prices will be reduced and crowds slightly smaller.
Explore:
Unfortunately, the whole of the Vatican city is not open to visitors – it’s only the main three parts of the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica and St Peter’s square — but these themselves are truly unique wonders and worth spending a good half day exploring.
Before we get into what to see and explore, it has to be underlined that the best way to see the sights of the Vatican City is with an early morning skip the line guided tour – not just so you know what you’re looking at but also so you don’t waste hours queuing to get into the museums and the Basilica – which will drain the fun out of your visit.
St Peter’s Basilica:
A renaissance era church and one of the largest churches in the world, St Peer’s Basilica holds a unique place in the hearts of all Catholics and is the house not only of the enclave of the Pope, but also of stunning pieces of the Vatican’s wealth the most famous of which is unquestionably Michelangelo’s Pieta which itself is a must see – although unfortunately a madman attacked it with an axe once so it now sits behind class.
Officially declared open on the 18th November 1626, the Basilica is a fantastic and awe inspiring church which allows visitors to reflect and repent, and is also believed to the be burial site of St Peter – Jesus chief apostle and the first bishop of Rome.
The highlight of the Basilica is unquestionably the cupola – a dome that sits on the top of St Peter’s basilica and which allows for rooftop view of the whole of both the Vatican city and Rome. Just be warned in advance that it gets very crowded and it requires 551 steep steps to reach the top – although you can grab an elevator (no from the renaissance period) up the first 320 if needed – with notable sights from the top being the Vatican Gardens, the Colosseum and the below St Peters Square.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel:
The Vatican museums will make up most of the exploration of the Vatican City, and they house exquisite pieces of art, gold ceilings and the world-famous Sistine chapel. Beginning with the chapel first (although this is at the end of most Vatican museum tours) and the first thing you’ll notice (alongside the crowds) is the magnificent and beautiful ceiling made up of Renaissance frescoes by Michelangelo – the most famous of which is the last judgement and the creation of Adam which took Michelangelo four years to complete between 1508 and 1512.
While here, it’s important to remember to stay in silence to allow for these truly unique wonders of the world to be soaked in and their beauty to be really appreciated, with the ceiling which while a little worn has the power to inspire and transform individuals and is considered a significant landmark in the development of western art culture and one of the greatest achievements of man – just be sure not to snap any photos (you can buy prints from the gift shop) as flashes can cause damage and the Chapel guards will eject you if you do.
Whilst also being rich in catholic history and the chapel of the pope and hosting the Papal conclave, the Sistine chapel is not the only place where unique beautiful art is on display – with the Vatican museum also being the site of Raphael’s transfiguration – which shows the battle between human and Jesus and the Gospel of Matthew.
Further alongside multiple pieces of unique art collected by the catholic church which dot the hallways of the museum, the spiral staircase sculptured in the shape of the helix DNA and the Map gallery – which like the Sistine chapel features incredible art on the ceiling are also stops that must be seen within the museums.
Finally most tours will finish with the Tapestries hall, an exquisite golden hall that leads to the Sistine chapel and a trip the Vatican Grottoes – the final resting place of both Saint Peter and the Popes which have followed in his wake from the catholic church, making it a unique place for Catholics to pay homage and reflect upon their spiritualty and faith.
St Peters Square:
Alongside the highlights of St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, the actual courtyard in the Vatican City – St Peters Square is itself unique. While hosting the famous Swiss guard that guard the Vatican and are dressed in attire from the early 1500’s these guard have a special role on Sunday’s in managing the crowds that come to see the Papal address at noon – and monitor the courtyard as visitors to the Vatican pose in St Peter’s Square and flock here to take in the unique view of the Basilica and soak in the history, inspiration and Spirituality of the Vatican city – of which no trip would be completed without a visit to the Basilica, the Vatican museums and St Peter’s Square itself.
How long to stay:
It’s advised to budget a long half day to explore the Vatican city and all it’s beauty, this should give you enough time to visit St Peters Basilica, the Sistine chapel, the Vatican museums and St peters square – but be warned the half day budgeting is with an early morning day tour with skip the line access to the sites of the city.
Otherwise you can expect a full day – with most of it spent in the notoriously long and slow moving queues into the museums and the basilica eating up your time.
For those who wish to attend the audience with the Pope on the Sunday at noon – we’d suggest arriving at 9am to get a good spot and treating the mass as a half day event separate from an exploration of the Vatican City.
Top Tip:
While it’s possible to enter the museums and the basilica for free – you going to pay for it with long queues with little access to food and toilets – so we’d strongly recommend a guided tour in particularly one that starts in the early morning to give you some alone time in the Sistine chapel before it fills up – it really is worth the extra money !
Alongside that note that a dress code is enforced at the Vatican City – which is predominantly no shoulders or knees showing – so make sure to ditch the tank tops or skirts when visiting.
Finally bear in mind that photos in the Sistine chapel are off limits – not just because the flash damages the magnificent art, but also as there are strict copyright laws in place – so even social media photos are out – you’ll just have to settle for the photos from the view from the top of the St. Peter’s Cupola.
Cost:
While there is a fee to enter the Vatican museum (About 15 Euros) entrance to St Peter’s basilica is free – but expect to pay for the free entry with a long queue which will sap the fun out of the visit.
Instead, a skip the line, early morning tour is the best option with a tour for the Vatican Museum, St Peters Basilica and the Sistine Chapel – which will set you back about 50 euros, which is well worth it for an enjoyable Vatican City experience.
For those wishing to see the Pope on the Sunday address the crowds, there is no cost, just be in St Peter’s square by noon.
Fun Fact:
While (hopefully !) not relevant to your trip to the wonder, nobody is actually born in the Vatican – as there are not hospitals and most of the residents are celibate men – there’s also no jails either, but this isn’t an excuse to not be on your best behaviour.
Best photo spot:
Unfortunately, as photos in the Sistine chapel are out – due to both copyright law and the Flash damaging the majestic piece of art – the best place to grab a photo is atop the Cupola in St Peter Basilica where the steep climb of 551 steps brings you to a rooftop view of the beauty of St Peter’s square and highlights of Rome.
