The Vatican Museums

On the day of your visit, head to the Vatican Museums with your mobile voucher and display it on your phone to the security guards and after the security check, scan your voucher at the CASSA ONLINE E GRUPPI, the Vatican ticket office at the museums. Once you have scanned the voucher and received the tickets, you are free to explore the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel for as long as you like.

The Vatican Museums are home to a number of classical sculptures, tapestries, and paintings by Renaissance greats such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Leonardo da Vinci. A section of the museum is also dedicated to Modern Religious Art. Paintings and sculptures here come from artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso. The iconic sections of the Vatican Museums that one should visit are the Raphael Rooms, the Gallery of Maps, the Sala Rotunda and the Gallery of Statues and the Hall of Busts. Situated at the end of the Vatican Museums and neighboring St. Peter's Basilica is the famed Sistine Chapel. Built in the 15th century, its walls and ceilings are covered by some of the most astounding frescoes ever produced. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is especially famous. Painted by Michelangelo in a span of 4 years, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel are considered to be a cornerstone of western art. The Last Judgement covers the wall behind the altar and is probably the most famous single work of art in the Sistine Chapel.

Note: Entry to the museums is by obligatory online booking.

The Pontifical Gardens

Head to Castel Gandolfo. Lying on the edge of Lake Albano, in the Alban Hills just south of Rome, this place is commonly known as the Pope’s city, housing the Pope’s summertime residence - The Apostolic Palace. This was the place the Pope escaped to when Vatican pressures built up. The palace dominates the town and is seated on a scenic spot overlooking the lake, with picturesque gardens built on the site of the ancient villas. Displaying a mixture of Medieval and Baroque architecture, the palace is a sight for sore eyes. The Papal Villas here are styled gardens of Italian wonder consisting of archaeological treasures and works of art. Enjoy a regenerating walk in the vast gardens of Villa Barberini. This was the private garden of the Pope himself. A close relationship with nature is ever-present across the decorations found in the gardens with cascades of flowers and reflections on the passage of time. The Papal Villas extend over the remains of the famous Villa of Domitian. Equipped for cold and harsh weathers, rich in natural beauty, sumptuous buildings, monuments, and works of art, this was the villa that once housed emperor Domitian. The villa was once a huge complex which was built on three terraces, with three courtyards, some water features which looked out on the Avenue of Nymphaea, a cryptoportico (covered passage), a theatre and a circus.