The Vatican, an amazing state in the state, is in itself a unique attraction of Italy. Its tiny territory housed many architectural and religious monuments - cathedrals, museums, palaces, the creation and design of which involved famous Italian architects, artists, sculptors. Undoubtedly, all the sights of the Vatican deserve attention, but today we will talk about the very, most impressive, most magnificent, most famous and popular.
Saint Paul's Cathedral
St. Peter's Basilica, the main attraction not only of the Vatican, but of Rome as a whole - is a magnificent architectural structure, majestically towering in the square of the same name. Once upon a time, the circus of Nero was located on the site of the cathedral, in the arena of which the apostle Peter suffered a martyrdom.
In memory of him in 326, on the orders of Emperor Constantine, the basilica was laid. Peter’s grave was directly under the altar of the basilica. As the first basilica deteriorated over time, it was decided to build a new cathedral in its place - it was led by Pope Nicholas II, and after his death, Julius II.
Once upon a time the cathedral housed the circus of Nero
Donato Bramante, Antonio da Sangallo, Rafael Santi, Giacomo della Porta, Michelangelo, Domenico Fontana, Carlo Maderna managed to work on the construction and decoration of St. Peter's Basilica - each of them brought something of its own in its architectural appearance. The cathedral is so large that the largest European churches could easily fit under its arches; at the same time it can be 60 thousand people.
The facade and interior of the temple are decorated with numerous statues of saints, the dome is painted with scenes from the life of the apostles. The cathedral contains many Christian relics - the relics of St. John Chrysostom, the spear of Longin, here you can see the tombstones of the Roman popes, which are unique works of art.
According to a survey conducted among BlogoItaliano subscribers in early 2015, St. Peter's Basilica was named Italy's most interesting landmark, which left the most impression. Well, in more detail, BlogoItaliano wrote about the Cathedral in a separate article.
The facade and interior of the temple are decorated with statues of saints
The Sistine Chapel
The famous Sistine Chapel, which is part of the Papal Palace, was built in the 15th century on the initiative of the then ruling Pope Sixtus IV. The author of the project was Baccio Pontelli, and the talented architect Giovannino de Dolchi brought it to life. The chapel was intended to hold masses and meetings, as well as conclaves - councils of cardinals convened to select a new pope after the death of the previous one.
The rectangular structure adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica is unremarkable from the outside - the usual fortress walls, small windows, a covered gallery, encircling the building.
The main treasures of the Sistine Chapel, admirable for everyone who happened to see them, are inside the building - its walls and ceiling are decorated with magnificent frescoes by Italian masters. The best Florentine and Umbrian artists - Perugino, Rosselli, Ghirlandaio, Botticelli, and later Michelangelo, painted the chapel with scenes of religious content. Murals are periodically restored, which is why today they look great.
The fresco "The Last Supper" by Cosimo Rosseli in the Sistine Chapel (1481-82gg.)
Please note that the queues for tickets to the Sistine Chapel are among the longest in Rome. They can stand for several hours. To avoid wasting time, it makes sense to buy tickets to the Capella and other Vatican museums in advance - via the Internet. You can do this on this page.
BlogoItaliano already wrote about the Sistine Chapel. More information on this sights of the Vatican can be read in the following articles:
- Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums: Things to Know
- Tickets to the Vatican: how to buy and visit all the most interesting
- Sistine Chapel in the Vatican: The Last Judgment and other masterpieces
Pinacoteca
The Vatican Pinakothek was founded in the second half of the 18th century by Pope Pius VI, who collected a collection of paintings that became the core of the museum. There was no room suitable for hosting the collection of paintings in the Vatican - at first the paintings were stored in the Gallery of paintings and the Gallery of candelabra, then in the Apartments of Borgia, but there was not enough light.
In the middle of the 19th century, the Pinacotheca moved to the Tapestry Gallery, but it was not too suitable for storing paintings. Only in 1932 did the Vatican Pinacoteca find its own building - the paintings were housed in 18 spacious halls, where optimal conditions were created for works of fine art. The Pinakothek has vaults and restoration workshops, as well as a photo archive and library.
Paintings in Pinakothek are arranged in chronological order
The expositions of the Vatican Pinakothek include works by Italian artists of different eras, a collection of Byzantine art collected by Pius X, as well as a small number of works by masters from other countries. In the halls of the museum, paintings are arranged in chronological order.
The Pinakothek is part of the Vatican Museums, and therefore tickets to the Sistine Chapel are also valid for visiting the Pinakothek.
Vatican Library
The Vatican Apostolic Library was established during the reign of Pope Nicholas V in 1451. The basis of the library was a collection of manuscripts and manuscripts, discovered by Nikolai's predecessor - Pope Eugene IV, as well as a personal collection of the current pope.
Nicholas V, and then replaced him as Sixt IV, significantly replenished the library's funds - by the end of the 15th century there were about 3,500 manuscripts in vaults brought from different parts of Europe and the East. The first official librarian was Bartolomeo Platina, appointed by Pope Sixtus IV.
In the repositories of the library are old manuscripts, drawings, etc.
Today, the Vatican Library is divided into several departments, each of which occupies several rooms. The library has a lot of old manuscripts, manuscripts and printed books, a unique collection of drawings and prints, coins and medals, as well as artifacts found in Roman catacombs.
Raphael's stanzas
In the XVI century, Pope Julius II ordered the painting of several rooms of the papal palace to Raphael, the greatest Renaissance master. The first was the frescoed room of the Signatures, which served as the study of the popes. The papa liked the result so much that the murals created earlier by other artists were knocked down and the design was completely entrusted to Raphael with his “team”.
Next were the rooms of Heliodor and Fire. The last room, the Constantine Hall, was completed after the death of Raphael by his students.
Rafael's stanzas. Hall of Constantine
Each of the walls of these four stations is occupied by a unique fresco composition - the themes of the frescoes were the spiritual activity of man, the victory of Christianity over paganism, episodes from the life of Emperor Constantine and the popes.
As with the Pinacoteca, the same tickets as for the Sistine Chapel are suitable for exploring this attraction.
Other useful articles:
- The most interesting excursions in the Vatican
- Route in Rome for 1 day
- 4 star Rome hotels in the center: TOP 5 BlogoItaliano
- Rome Guide: Your Man in the Eternal City
- How to get to Rome from Fiumicino Airport
