Vatican Tours

St Peter’s Basilica

St Peter’s Basilica is the largest religious building in the world, with its magnificent ellipse-shaped square bordered by colonnades and surrounded on all sides by imposing palaces and numerous gardens. The iconic Saint Peter’s Basilica and Square are a testament to the creative genius of a succession of artists and architects, including Bramante, Bernini, Raphael, Michelangelo, Maderno and Della Porta, whose brilliant minds found their utmost expression in the creative solutions required by such an ambitious project. St Peter’s Basilica, whose rebuilding started in 1506 by Pope Julius II, was erected, according to tradition, over the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle, the first Pope. It was completed in 1626. The basilica houses Michelangelo’s Pietà, one of the finest examples of Renaissance sculpture, Bernini’s bronze canopy, a Baroque masterpiece located above the basilica’s high altar, and many other unique monuments and valuable religious artworks. Towering over the basilica’s 185 meter long and 46 meter tall nave is Michelangelo’s dome, with an inner diameter of 42.56 meters, still remains an architectural wonder which has served as inspiration for, among others, the Capitol Building in Washington DC. St Peter’s Square, which opens up the Vatican towards the city of Rome, was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The massive 320 meter wide square is bordered by two Tuscan colonnades featuring 284 columns displayed in four rows, topped by a balustrade along which stand a row of 140 statues of saints made by Bernini’s pupils. Bernini himself defined his masterpiece: “An open-armed, maternal welcome to all Catholics” (G.L Bernini, 1598-1680)

THE SISTINE CHAPEL

Attracting a staggering 5 million visitors a year, the Sistine Chapel is famous for its frescoes by Michelangelo, which include intricate depictions of Biblical scenes on the ceiling and one of his greatest masterpieces – The Last Judgement – on the altar wall. Michelangelo was commissioned to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Pope Julius II. The artist spent four years (1508-1512) painting the ceiling using a painstaking fresco technique that left no room for mistakes. Considering himself more of a sculptor than a painter, Michelangelo had been reluctant to take on the work, and he complained bitterly about the hardships he endured while working on the ceiling. But his hard work paid off — the designs are dazzling in their rich intricacy and complexity, including numerous Biblical scenes (most famously, The Creation of Adam), and the figures of prophets, sibyls and ignudi.

In 1536 Michelangelo returned to the Sistine Chapel, after accepting a commission from Pope Clement VII to create a mural on the altar wall. The Last Judgement is an astonishing achievement – a vast, detailed fresco depicting hundreds of figures, from the blessed ascending to Heaven to the damned descending to Hell, surrounded by saints and angels. At the centre is Christ himself. Look out for interesting details such as St Bartholomew holding his flayed skin (the face bears an uncanny resemblance to Michelangelo) and the figure of Minos, whose genitals are being bitten by a snake. Join one of our Vatican tours with Sistine Chapel and you’ll learn all about the history and context of this amazing masterpiece, as your tour guide points out details you might otherwise miss.

Due to their influences on the art world, the Belvedere Torso, as well as the Apollo Belvedere, named after the court where they were first exhibited, are a must-see for art scholars as well as for the general, art-loving public. Another outstanding work of ancient art, one that has fascinated generations, and the first artifact to be added to the art collection that later developed into the existing museums, is the Laocoön and His Sons ensemble. The marble statue, one of the most famous statues in the world, shows Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons Antiphantes and Thymbraeus being attacked by sea serpents. Purchased by Pope Julius II at the advice of Michelangelo immediately after being discovered in a Roman vineyard, the statue sits in the Pio-Clementino Museum, where has been displayed since 1506!

In the same museum, the red porphyry sarcophagi of Saints Helena and Constantia, mother and daughter of Constantine the Great, the Roman Emperor who established Christianity in the Empire, are well-worth a stop on your Vatican tour. The Vatican complex also includes numerous gardens and courts, many of which are open to visitors taking a tour of the Vatican. Among them, the Giardino della Pigna, enclosed by four buildings, features a giant bronze pine cone, which was preserved from the old St Peter’s Basilica, that once stood on the site of the current basilica. The vast size of the Vatican Museums means that many visitors don’t know where to begin. Our Vatican tours are designed to show you the highlights of the Vatican’s extraordinary collections, making sure you don’t miss the must-see masterpieces. You’ll also get to see some of the Vatican’s hidden gems, and learn the secret stories behind the artworks, enriching your experience.