Idea #433 – Visiting the Vatican’s Museum and the Sixtine Chapel
Mecca of the Christian world (!), Vatican City testifies of a big history and a prodigious spiritual adventure. Within the limits of this tiny State, the smallest of the world, we can admire a unique concentration of masterpieces of Art. The Museums of Vatican establish a cultural set of twelve museums, which represents five galleries and 1 400 rooms. The set shelters one of the biggest collections of art in the world, because it exposes the enormous collection of works of art accumulated in the course of the centuries by the popes. Museums are partially accommodated in the Palace of Vatican.
The birth of museums is connected with the will of pope Jules the IId to make move at the beginning of the XVIth century of the antique statues, as the Apollo of the Belvedere and the Lacoon, in the gardens of the Belvedere. After a period of decline, museums find their development in the XVIIIth century. After Napoleon’s fall, Vatican demands in France the return of the works which had been seized by the emperor. For their return, a new building is built, Braccio Nuovo, inaugurated in 1818.
Today, it is possible to visit the Pio-Clementino museum (antiquity Greek and Roman), Raphaël’s Chambers (four rooms painted by Raffaello), the Gallery of Cards (40 cards of the Italian territories of the XVIth century), the Egyptian Gregorian Museum (Egyptology), the Etruscan Gregorian Museum, the Profane Gregorian Museum, the Pio Cristano museum (early Christian works), the museum of the Apostolic library, the Chiaramonti museum (busts and portaits Roman), Braccio Nuovo (works got back from the flights of Napoleon), the Museum of Coaches (collection of the papal coaches), the ethnological museum missionary (40 000 objects éthnos), the philatelic museum and the numismatics, and the chapel Sixtine.
The Sixtine Chapel, called originally chapel of Sixth, was built between 1477 and 1483. Its vault, decorated with frescoes realized by Michel-angel in two phases, was inaugurated by Jules II in 1512. A part of frescoes are world-famous, as God giving life to Adam. Traditionally, for the XVth century, the chapel is one of in particular places where meet the conclaves of the cardinals which elect the new pope. If you have a little of energy, try the visit of the papal gardens.
Some Pictures
Where is it ?
Vatican City, Vatican State