The Vatican Museums in Rome are a vast collection of art, archaeology and papal history spread through palaces, galleries and courtyards in Vatican City. Founded in the early 16th century under Pope Julius II, the museums have grown over centuries of collecting and commissioning, bringing ancient sculpture, Renaissance frescoes and objects from cultures far beyond Europe into one extraordinary complex.
The Sistine Chapel is the inevitable climax, with Michelangelo’s ceiling and Last Judgment covering its walls with muscular, dramatic figures. But there is plenty worth slowing down for along the way: Raphael’s School of Athens in the Raphael Rooms, the anguished Laocoön sculpture in the Octagonal Courtyard, and the Gallery of Maps, where frescoed views of 16th-century Italy run beneath a lavishly decorated ceiling.
Book tickets through the official Vatican Museums website well ahead, particularly in peak season, and allow at least three hours for a visit. Comfortable shoes help on the long route, and shoulders and knees should be covered. The museums are generally closed on Sundays, except for the last Sunday of the month, when admission is free and crowds are often intense; check the official calendar for exceptions.