Visit Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, as part of a study tour! The Vatican City State is an absolute monarchy, the head of which is the Pope, and the Holy See, as a non-state, independent subject of international law, which is distinct from the Vatican City State, represents the miniature state at the international level. Admire the main attractions of the Vatican City State such as St. Peter’s Basilica, St. Peter’s Square, the Sistine Chapel, the Guvernatorium Building, the Leonine Wall or the Vatican Museums, and other sights that you will remember forever. Enjoy a tour of the Vatican City State.
Vatican Museums
If you come to Rome, you shouldn’t miss a visit to the Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani). These are so immense that you could spend weeks there, but even a cursory pass is already extremely impressive.
An overview of the art collections
The papal art collections, which are not in Italy but on the territory of the Vatican City, are among the largest and most important collections in the world. They include ancient Egyptian and Assyrian art from pre-Christian times, Greco-Roman art from classical antiquity, and Etruscan-Italian artifacts from Italy before the Roman era. This is followed by early Christian and medieval arts from the 3rd to the 14th century, the art of the Renaissance from the 15th century and newer collections up to the 19th century. There is also a department for contemporary art with predominantly sacred-Christian themes and a department for ethnology. The absolute highlight of every visit to the Vatican Museums is a visit to the Sistine Chapel, created by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. However, the rush is correspondingly large.
The time frame of a visit
As the name suggests, it’s not just a museum, it’s the Vatican Museumx. The many different museums and exhibitions are summarized in an unmistakable variety, for which one would have to take many weeks or even months. The exhibitions include not only the topics mentioned above, but also others. In the Museo Storico (historical museum), the papal carriages of the centuries, the car fleet of the popes and, as an interesting curiosity, even the first steam locomotive in Vatican City are on display. Most visitors visit the Pinokothek, in which the important masters of the Cinquecento and Seicento are brought together, and then connect to the Sistine Chapel at the end. Access to this is strictly regulated due to the high demand with advance registrations and waiting times.
