1 10
century BC, it was used by Michelangelo as
a model for his ignudi in the Sistine Chapel.
The next room, the Sala Rotonda, con-
tains a number of colossal statues, including
the gilded-bronze figure of an odd-looking
Ercole (Hercules) and an exquisite floor
mosaic. The enormous basin in the centre
Rome & L a zio R
of the room was found at Nero’s Domus
Aurea and is made out of a single piece of
red porphyry stone.
MUSEO GREGORIANO ETRUSCO
On the upper level of the Belvedere Palace
(off the 18th-century Simonetti staircase),
S iO
the Museo Gregoriano Etrusco contains
ogM
mhts
artefacts unearthed in the Etruscan tombs
e
E
of northern Lazio, as well as a collection of
Greek vases and Roman antiquities. Of par-
ticular interest is the Marte di Todi (Mars of
Todi), a full-length bronze of a warrior dat-
ing from the 4th century BC.
GALLERIA DELLE CARTE
GEOGR AFICHE (MAP GALLERY)
The last of three galleries – the other two are
the Galleria dei Candelabri (Gallery of the
Candelabra) and the Galleria degli Arazzi
(Tapestry Gallery) – this 120m-long corridor
is hung with 16th-century topographical
maps of Italy.
STANZE DI R AFFAELLO
(R APHAEL ROOMS)
These four frescoed chambers were part of
Pope Julius II’s private apartments. Raphael
himself painted the Stanza della Segnatura
(1508–11) and the Stanza d’Eliodoro (1512–
14), while the Stanza dell’Incendio (1514–17)
and Sala di Costantino (1517–24) were deco-
rated by students following his designs.
The first room you come to is the Sala
di Costantino, which features a huge fresco
depicting Constantine’s defeat of Maxentius
at the battle of Milvian Bridge.
The Stanza d’Eliodoro, which was used
for private audiences, takes its name from
the Cacciata d’Eliodoro (Expulsion of Helio-
dorus from the Temple), an allegorical work
reflecting Pope Julius II’s policy of forcing
foreign powers off Church lands. To its right,
the Messa di Bolsena (Mass of Bolsena)
shows Julius paying homage to the relic of a
13th-century miracle at the lakeside town of
Bolsena. Next is the Incontro di Leone Mag-
no con Attila (Encounter of Leo the Great
with Attila) by Raphael and his school, and,
on the fourth wall, the Liberazione di San
Pietro (Liberation of St Peter), a brilliant
22 Museum Tour
Vatican Museums
LENGTH THREE HOURS
SEE ALSO VATICAN MUSEUMS (P109)
Follow this three-hour tour to see the
museums’ greatest hits, culminating in the
Sistine Chapel.
Once you’ve passed through the en-
trance complex, head up the escalator.
At the top, nip out to the terrace for views
over St Peter’s dome and the Vatican Gar-
dens. Re-enter and go into the
1Cortile della Pigna, named after the
huge Augustan-era bronze pine cone.
Cross the courtyard and enter the long
corridor that is the 2Museo Chiara-
monti. Continue left, up the stairs, to the
Museo Pio-Clementino, home of the Vati-
can’s finest classical statuary. Follow the
flow of people through to the 3Cortile
Ottagono (Octagonal Courtyard), where
you’ll find the celebrated masterpieces,
the Laocoön and Apollo Belvedere.
Continue on through a series of rooms,
each more impressive than the last – the
4Sala degli Animali (Animal Room), the
5Sala delle Muse (Room of the Muses),
famous for the Torso Belvedere, and the
6Sala Rotonda (Round Room) centred
on a vast red basin. From the 7Sala
Croce Greca (Greek Cross Room), stairs
lead up to the 8Galleria dei Candelabri
(Gallery of the Candelabra), the first of
three galleries along a lengthy corridor.
Then you are funnelled through the
9Galleria degli Arazzi (Tapestry Gal-
lery) and onto the aGalleria delle Carte
Geografiche (Map Gallery), a 120m-long
hall hung with 40 huge maps.
At the end of the corridor, carry on
through the bSala Sobieski, to the
cSala di Costantino, the first of the four
Stanze di Raffaello (Raphael Rooms) – the
others are the dStanza d’Eliodoro, the
eStanza della Segnatura, featuring
Raphael’s superlative La Scuola di Atene
(The School of Athens), and the
fStanza dell’Incendio di Borgo. Any-
where else these magnificent frescoed
chambers would be the star attraction, but
here they’re the warm-up for the grand
finale, the gSistine Chapel.