The Vatican Museums ( it, Musei Vaticani; la, Musea Vaticana) are the public museums of the

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

and the

papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

throughout the centuries, including several of the most well-known

Roman sculpture The study of Roman sculpture is complicated by its relation to Greek sculpture. Many examples of even the most famous Greek sculptures, such as the Apollo Belvedere and Barberini Faun, are known only from Roman Imperial or Hellenistic "copies". At ...

s and most important masterpieces of

Renaissance art Renaissance art (1350 – 1620 AD) is the painting, sculpture, and decorative arts of the period of European history known as the Renaissance, which emerged as a distinct style in Italy in about AD 1400, in parallel with developments which occ ...

in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display, and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.

Pope Julius II Pope Julius II ( la, Iulius II; it, Giulio II; born Giuliano della Rovere; 5 December 144321 February 1513) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1503 to his death in February 1513. Nicknamed the Warrior Pope or t ...

founded the museums in the early 16th century. The

Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its nam ...

, with its ceiling and altar wall decorated by

Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (; 6 March 1475 – 18 February 1564), known as Michelangelo (), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was ins ...

, and the Stanze di Raffaello (decorated by

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual ...

) are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vatican Museums were visited by only 1,300,000 persons, a drop of 81 percent from the number of visitors in 2019, but still enough to rank the museums fourth among the most-visited art museums in the world. There are 24 galleries, or rooms, in total, with the Sistine Chapel, notably, being the last room visited within the Museum.

History

The Vatican Museums trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased in the 16th century: ''

Laocoön and His Sons The statue of ''Laocoön and His Sons'', also called the Laocoön Group ( it, Gruppo del Laocoonte), has been one of the most famous ancient sculptures ever since it was excavated in Rome in 1506 and placed on public display in the Vatican Museums ...

'' was discovered on 14 January 1506, in a vineyard near the

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its nam ...

Santa Maria Maggiore The Basilica of Saint Mary Major ( it, Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, ; la, Basilica Sanctae Mariae Maioris), or church of Santa Maria Maggiore, is a Major papal basilica as well as one of the Seven Pilgrim Churches of Rome and the large ...

in Rome. Pope Julius II sent

Giuliano da Sangallo Giuliano da Sangallo (c. 1445 – 1516) was an Italian sculptor, architect and military engineer active during the Italian Renaissance. He is known primarily for being the favored architect of Lorenzo de' Medici, his patron. In this role, Giu ...

and

, who were working at the Vatican, to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the Pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner. The Pope put the sculpture, which represents the

Trojan Trojan or Trojans may refer to: * Of or from the ancient city of Troy * Trojan language, the language of the historical Trojans Arts and entertainment Music * ''Les Troyens'' ('The Trojans'), an opera by Berlioz, premiered part 1863, part 189 ...

priest

Laocoön Laocoön (; grc, , Laokóōn, , gen.: ), is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology and the Epic Cycle. Laocoon was a Trojan priest. He and his two young sons were attacked by giant serpents, sent by the gods. The story of Laocoön has been the su ...

and his two sons, Antiphantes and Thymbraeus being attacked by giant serpents, on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery.

Benedict XIV Pope Benedict XIV ( la, Benedictus XIV; it, Benedetto XIV; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 17 August 1740 to his death in May 1758. Pope ...

founded the ''Museum Christianum'', and some of the Vatican collections formed the

Lateran Museum The Lateran Museum (''Museo Lateranense'') was a museum founded by the Popes and housed in the Lateran Palace, adjacent to the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome, Italy. It ceased to exist in 1970. Pope Gregory XVI (1831–1846) establish ...

, which

Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

founded by decree in 1854. The museums celebrated their 500th anniversary in October 2006 by permanently opening the excavations of a

Vatican Hill Vatican Hill (; la, Mons Vaticanus; it, Colle Vaticano) is a hill located across the Tiber river from the traditional seven hills of Rome, that also gave the name of Vatican City. It is the location of St. Peter's Basilica. Etymology The a ...

necropolis to the public. On 1 January 2017,

Barbara Jatta Barbara Jatta (born 6 October 1962) is an Italian art historian who has been the director of the Vatican Museums since June 2016. Early life and education Jatta has joked that she was born among the smell of solvents. Her mother was a painter an ...

became the Director of the Vatican Museums, replacing

Antonio Paolucci Antonio Paolucci (born 29 September 1939) is an Italian art historian and curator. In 2007 he was appointed director of the Vatican Museums by Pope Benedict XVI, a post he held until 2017 when he was replaced by his former deputy, Barbara Jatta. ...

who had been director since 2007.

Pinacoteca Vaticana

The art gallery was housed in the

Borgia Apartment The Borgia Apartments are a suite of rooms in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, adapted for personal use by Pope Alexander VI (Rodrígo de Borgia). In the late 15th century, he commissioned the Italian painter Bernardino di Betto (Pinturicchi ...

until

Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

ordered construction of a dedicated building. The new building, designed by

Luca Beltrami Luca Beltrami (November 13, 1854 – August 8, 1933) was an Italian architect and architectural historian, known particularly for restoration projects. Biography Beltrami was born in Milan. He was initially a student at the Politecnico in Mila ...

, was inaugurated on 27 October 1932. The museum's paintings include: *

Giotto Giotto di Bondone (; – January 8, 1337), known mononymously as Giotto ( , ) and Latinised as Giottus, was an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He worked during the Gothic/ Proto-Renaissance period. G ...

: ''

Stefaneschi Triptych The ''Stefaneschi Altarpiece'' is a triptych by the Italian painter Giotto (c. 1267 – 1337), commissioned by Cardinal Giacomo Gaetani Stefaneschi to serve as an altarpiece for one of the altars of Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is n ...

'' *

Olivuccio di Ciccarello Olivuccio Ceccarello di Ciccarello (died 1439) was an Italian painter. Little is known of his life. He was a native of Camerino and was active from 1388 until his death. In 2002 works formerly attributed to an obscure painter named Carlo da ...

: ''Opere di Misericordia'' *

Filippo Lippi Filippo Lippi ( – 8 October 1469), also known as Lippo Lippi, was an Italian painter of the Quattrocento (15th century) and a Carmelite Priest. Biography Lippi was born in Florence in 1406 to Tommaso, a butcher, and his wife. He was o ...

: ''

Marsuppini Coronation The ''Marsuppini Coronation'' is a painting of the Coronation of the Virgin by the Italian Renaissance painter Filippo Lippi, dating to after 1444. It is in the Pinacoteca Vaticana, Rome. History The panel was commissioned by the chancellor of t ...

'' *

Giovanni Bellini Giovanni Bellini (; c. 1430 – 26 November 1516) was an Italian Renaissance painter, probably the best known of the Bellini family of Venetian painters. He was raised in the household of Jacopo Bellini, formerly thought to have been his fath ...

: ''Pietà'' * Melozzo da Forlì: ''Sixtus IV Appointing Platina as Prefect of the Vatican Library'' * Pietro Perugino: ''Decemviri Altarpiece'' and ''San Francesco al Prato Resurrection'' *Leonardo da Vinci: ''Saint Jerome in the Wilderness (Leonardo), Saint Jerome in the Wilderness'' *

: ''Madonna of Foligno'', ''Oddi Altarpiece (Raphael), Oddi Altarpiece'' and ''Transfiguration (Raphael), Transfiguration'' * Titian: ''Frari Madonna'' * Antonio da Correggio: ''Christ in Glory'' * Paolo Veronese: ''The Vision of Saint Helena'' * Caravaggio: ''The Entombment of Christ (Caravaggio), The Entombment of Christ'' * Domenichino, ''The Last Communion of Saint Jerome (Domenichino), The Last Communion of Saint Jerome'' * Nicolas Poussin, ''The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus (Poussin), The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus'' * Jan Matejko: ''John III Sobieski, Sobieski at Vienna''

Collection of Modern Religious Art

The Collection of Modern Religious Art, Vatican Museums, Collection of Modern Religious Art was added in 1973 and houses paintings and sculptures from such artists as Carlo Carrà, Giorgio de Chirico, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Marc Chagall, Paul Klee, Salvador Dalí, and Pablo Picasso.

Sculpture museums

The group of museums includes several sculpture museums surrounding the Cortile del Belvedere. These are the Museo Gregoriano Profano, with classical sculpture, and others as below:

Museo Pio-Clementino

The museum takes its name from two popes: Pope Clement XIV, Clement XIV, who established the museum, and Pius VI, who brought it to completion. Clement XIV came up with the idea of creating a new museum in Pope Innocent VIII, Innocent VIII's Belvedere Palace and started the refurbishment work. Clement XIV founded the Museo Pio-Clementino in 1771; it originally contained artworks of Classical antiquity, antiquity and the Renaissance. The museum and collection were enlarged by Clement's successor Pius VI. Today, the museum houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture. Some notable galleries are as follows: * Octagonal Court (aka ''Belvedere Courtyard'' and ''Cortile delle Statue''): this was where some of the first ancient classical statues in the papal collections were first displayed. Some of the most famous pieces, the Apollo of the Belvedere and Laocoön and His Sons have been here since the early 1500s. * Sala Rotonda: shaped like a miniature Pantheon, Rome, Pantheon, the room has impressive ancient mosaics on the floors, and ancient statues lining the perimeter, including a gilded bronze statue of Hercules and the Braschi Antinous. * Greek Cross Gallery (''Sala a Croce Greca''): with the Sarcophagi of Helena and Constantina, porphyry sarcophagi of Constantina, Constance and Helena (Empress), Saint Helena, daughter and mother of Constantine the Great. * Gallery of the Statues (''Galleria delle Statue''): as its name implies, holds various important statues, including ''Sleeping Ariadne'' and the bust of ''Menander''. It also contains the ''Barberini Candelabra''. * Gallery of the Busts (''Galleria dei Busti'') Many ancient busts are displayed. * Cabinet of the Masks (''Gabinetto delle Maschere''). The name comes from the mosaic on the floor of the gallery, found in Villa Adriana, which shows ancient theater masks. Statues are displayed along the walls, including the ''Charites, Three Graces''. * Sala delle Muse: houses the statue group of Apollo and the nine muses, uncovered in a Roman villa near Tivoli, Lazio, Tivoli in 1774, as well as statues by important ancient Greek or Roman sculptors. The centerpiece is the Belvedere Torso, revered by

and other Renaissance men. * Sala degli Animali: so named because of the many ancient statues of animals.

Museo Chiaramonti

This museum was founded in the early 19th century by Pope Pius VII, Pius VII, whose surname before his election as Pope was Chiaramonti. The museum consists of a large arched gallery in which are exhibited several statues, sarcophagi and friezes. The New Wing, or Braccio Nuovo, built by Raffaele Stern, houses statues including the Augustus of Prima Porta, the ''Doryphoros'', and ''The River Nile''. It is in the Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassical style and has a wide arched roof with skylights. The Galleria Lapidaria forms part of the Museo Chiaramonti, and contains over 3,000 stone tablets and inscriptions. It is accessible only with special permission, usually for the purpose of academic study. Mars of Todi

Museo Gregoriano Etrusco

Founded by Pope Gregory XVI, Gregory XVI in 1837, this museum has nine galleries and houses Etruscan civilization, Etruscan pieces, coming from archaeological excavations in the territory of the Papal State as well as other works already held in the Vatican. The collection include vases, sarcophagus, bronzes, terracotta, ceramics as well as works from the Falcioni and Guglielmi Collections.

Museo Gregoriano Egiziano

This museum houses a large collection of artifacts from Ancient Egypt and also many Egyptian works of Roman production in nine rooms. The Carlo Grassi Collection of bronzes is part of the collection. Such material includes papyruses, sarcophagi, mummies, sculptures and reproductions of the ''Book of the Dead''.

Vatican Historical Museum

The Vatican Historical Museum ( it, Museo storico vaticano) was founded in 1973 at the behest of Pope Paul VI, Paul VI, and was initially hosted in environments under the Square Garden. In 1987, it moved to the main floor of the Lateran Palace, where it opened in March 1991.

Highlights

File:Italy-3104 - Apollo (5378415112).jpg, After Leochares
''Apollo Belvedere''
Museo Pio-Clementino File:Laocoon Pio-Clementino Inv1059-1064-1067.jpg, Agesander of Rhodes, Agesander, Athenodorus and Polydorus
''

''
Museo Pio-Clementino File:Torso del Belvedere. Museo Pio Clementino, Musei Vaticani (Roma) - panoramio.jpg, Apollonius
Belvedere Torso
Museo Pio-Clementino File:Statue-Augustus.jpg, alt=A marble statue of the Emperor Augustus. He stands with one arm raised as if in command. Augustus is portrayed as a man of about thirty five, with short hair and clean shaven. He wears Roman military uniform of a breast plate, leather accoutrements and a cloak over a short tunic. The breastplate is decorated with symbolic figures. As a work of art, the statue displays high technical mastery., Roman, 1st century AD
Augustus of Prima Porta
Museo Chiaramonti File:Leonardo, san girolamo.jpg, Leonardo da Vinci
''Saint Jerome in the Wilderness (Leonardo), Saint Jerome in the Wilderness''
Pinacoteca Vaticana File:Creación de Adán.jpg, Michelangelo
''The Creation of Adam''
Sistine Chapel (Sistine Chapel ceiling, ceiling) File:"The School of Athens" by Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino.jpg, Raphael
''The School of Athens''
Raphael Rooms File:Transfiguration Raphael.jpg, Raphael
''Transfiguration (Raphael), The Transfiguration''
Pinacoteca Vaticana File:Last Judgement by Michelangelo.jpg, Michelangelo
''The Last Judgment (Michelangelo), The Last Judgment''
Sistine Chapel File:Caravaggio - La Deposizione di Cristo.jpg, Caravaggio
''The Entombment of Christ (Caravaggio), The Entombment of Christ''
Pinacoteca Vaticana File:Australia occidentale, munja, walcott, dipinto di wandjina (spirito creatore), 1920 ca..JPG, Walcott Inlet area, Western Australia
Depiction of Wandjina
Anima Mundi, Vatican City, Anima Mundi File:Sleeping Ariadne 2.jpg, ''Sleeping Ariadne''
Galleria delle Statue Vatican

* The red marble papal throne, formerly in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran. * Roman sculpture, tombstones, and inscriptions, including the Early Christian Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus and Dogmatic sarcophagus, and the epitaph of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus. * The Raphael Rooms with many works by

and his workshop, including the masterpiece ''The School of Athens'' (1509–1511). * The Niccoline Chapel. * The

, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling (Gallery of Sistine Chapel ceiling, gallery). * The Vatican Gallery of Maps, Gallery of Maps: topographical maps of the whole of Italy, painted on the walls by friar Ignazio Danti of Perugia, commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII, Gregory XIII (1572–1585). It remains the world's largest pictorial geographical study. * The frescoes and other works in the

built for the Borgia pope Pope Alexander VI, Alexander VI. * The Bramante Staircase#The modern staircase, Bramante Staircase is a double spiral staircase designed by Giuseppe Momo in 1932. The staircase has two parts, a double helix, and is of shallow incline, being a stepped ramp rather than a true staircase. It encircles the outer wall of a stairwell about wide and with a clear space at the centre. The balustrade around the ramp is of ornately worked metal.

Visitors

References

External links

*
Vatican Museums official on-line ticket office

On-line arts Catalogue

Vatican Museum's On-line bookshop
{{Authority control Vatican Museums, 1506 establishments in the Papal States Art museums and galleries in Rome Art museums established in 1506 Museums in Vatican City Museums of ancient Greece Museums of ancient Rome Museums of Dacia National museums National galleries Organizations established in the 1500s Vatican City culture Double spiral staircases Rome Q. XIV Trionfale Christian museums