The Renaissance Highlights of The Vatican Museum
At roughly 108 acres, the state of Vatican City is the smallest independent country in the world. Ruled by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, Vatican City is an elected monarchy, Pope’s official residence, the sovereign province of the Holy and the home to Apostolic Palace and Roman Curia. This landlocked sovereign city-state embodies a 19th-century walled enclave within the city of Rome. It was designed following the ‘Lateran Treaty’ to safeguard the remnants of the extensive Papal States that existed from 756 to 1870 C.E. These closely guarded headquarters of the Catholic church are unyielding to change.
Mostly, tourists arrive at the Vatican City to tour St. Peters Basilica and Square, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. While others ‘just’ visit to get a glimpse of the Pope. The doors to this Papal Palace or the Palace of Sixtus V unlock with a sharp, audible clang. At 6.30 am, the Vatican awakes, and the light from inside the chambers falls aloft to the floor. In a few hours, over 300 doors get unlocked and, the building comes to life with visitors crowding the rooms. Although to get past these doors, you must have your knees and shoulders covered, or else you will be turned away, at the entrances of St. Peters Basilica or the Sistine Chapel.
Musei Vaticani, as Italians call it, is Vatican City’s most prominent art museum, renowned for its excellent collection of centuries-old artwork. On the face of it, Vatican Museum parades a commanding wing of 12 rooms, 54 galleries and a generous collection of Roman sculptures. Wander along the walls of the decorated arcade to be left wonderstruck by the magic of art. Pave your way athwart the extraordinary renaissance architecture and Roman masterpieces, illustrating the best of Michelangelo, and you will find yourself amidst a dream that has over 70K mesmerising works, of which 20K are on display for the public.
These 20K displays are abundant to take you straight to the 16th-century Roman era of Pope Julius, and in a short span, also bring you back to the present time. Vatican Museum accommodates highly valued ancient art such as 320 BC Greek bronze statue by Lysippus: something you should positively take a look at, while here. For the most part, the architectural view of this museum will keep you engrossed with its extended pontiffs.
All that, in succession, to the world’s most incredible art collection spanning across Etruscan bronzes, Egyptian mummies, startling frescoes, and contemporary paintings. The Museo Pio-Clementino, in particular, is a must-visit for art and sculpture connoisseurs.
Inside Sistine Chapel, you will find frescoes painted by Michelangelo and Raphael. The above picture is that of the River Tiber Sculpture. At the Pinacoteca, you will be met, with a collection of 18 rooms that display 460 impressive paintings by prominent artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Raphael and Caravaggio.
When here, make sure to visit Raphael’s rooms that were once the private apartments of Pope Julius II. Inside Stanza Della Segnatura room is the private library of Julius II which, stars the four vital themes of consciousness through four different frescoes. These themes are theology, philosophy, poetry and law.
From the sculptural art collection, I descried, Pharaoh Mentuhotep’s head as the most interesting! Another captivating site to take a look at is the locomotive section exhibiting a Pavilion of Coaches in one of the Papal apartments, besides a square garden. Even though Sistine Chapel is a part of the Vatican Museum, there’s so much to it that I have covered it in a separate article. Click here to capture its sterling essence like never before.
