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This page covers general background on Vatican City as a whole, tips on getting there and planning your visit. If you know all that you can skip ahead to our sketches of visiting the Sistine Chapel and Museums and Saint Peter's and Castel San Angelo. |
he State
of Vatican City would hold but 400 homes in a typical suburban home complex. Just 3,000
work in these 108 acres, and only 400 call it home.
Despite this insignificant physical presence, it's one of the most important states on the globe. Important for its influence on other countries and Roman Catholics around the world. Important because of its history.
Important, certainly, to visitors to Rome for its collection of art and architecture, both in the Museums and throughout the property ... which includes, of course, St. Peter's Basilica, Basilica San Pietro.
Did
you know? |
The museums and church fill a large portion of the city state, but much is quite private. Some of the private portions including the 'Scavi' (Necropolis ... City of the Dead and St. Peter's Tomb) and Gardens may be visited by tourists with reservations.
astel San Angelo, not now properly a part
of the Vatican, was once an important Papal property. It is conveniently visited at the
same time and is an important and interesting attraction in its own right.
lan on a long morning,
at least, at St. Peter's, the Vatican museums, and possibly (if your legs hold up) Castel
San Angelo. Better to plan an entire day.
Two hours at St. Peter's
will allow you time to climb to the lantern. The Museums require at least two hours, and
the Castel needs less than an hour. You really have time to do all three 'thoroughly' if
you give them the better part of a day.
Note, though, the Vatican Museums can eat up days. If your main interests are on subjects covered by one or more of the collections you'll (properly) laugh at our notion you can do all three in a day.
Likewise, St. Peter's really deserves more than an hour or two on your first visit. Castel San Angelo is secondary to the other two, but if you have time it represents an important segment of both Ancient Roman and Christian history.
Do bear in mind that the basilicas of Rome, particularly, are important places of worship revered by hundreds of millions. Of course any religious building is a place of worship, and we should show respect for its congregation. Getting There
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Gehrlein Traveling
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d and Julie dislike
identifying 'musts', but the Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums and St. Peter's merit this
label. If you go to Rome, you must see them. They're worth the trip by themselves.
or those concerned about
"appropriate" clothes for visiting St. Peter's and other churches, as well as
the Vatican Museums, the 'dress code' is considerably relaxed from earlier times. What
isn't appropriate is too much skin: e.g. shoulders, midriffs, legs. Short shorts are
definitely out and we'd personally feel uncomfortable even in Bermuda shorts. What most
of us wear for sightseeing is usually acceptable. 
f you go via subway you'll want to
visit the Vatican Museums first, which in any event is a good idea. (A line - Cipro is the
closest stop though not all trains stop there ... the (preceding) Ottaviano stop at which
all trains pause is only a couple of blocks farther from the Museums.) If you take a bus
to St. Peter's square you may want to visit the church first if you've not arrived early
in the morning. The walk between the Museums and the square is only a kilometer, about 15
minutes.) Better, take a bus to Piazza di Risorgimento if one is convenient to you; the
Piazza is just a few hundred yards from the Museums entrance. Or take a cab. The cost will
be under ITL15,000 from most any central city location.