Author Archives: Jimmy Kennedy

Often when people visit the Vatican Museums, especially for the first time, they have two main things on their mind that they can not miss when they visit: those are of course the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms. Other important works along the way that are of great importance are the Apollo Belvedere, the […]

Visiting the Vatican is a once in a lifetime experience with literally hundreds of things to see and do. Visiting St. Peter’s Square, seeing the tombs of the Popes underneath Saint Peter’s Basilica, or Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Baldacchino over the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica are a small selection of things to see at the […]

Having given hundreds of tours in the Vatican I will always recommend taking a tour as long as you can find the best guide or tour company that will suit you. My advise is to research ahead of time before picking the tour company or guide that will work for you. TripAdvisor and checking other […]

The Pieta may be the greatest statue in the world and it is in St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. It can be found directly on the right as you enter into the Basilica. Who is the artist that made the Pieta statue? It was sculpted by Michelangelo Buonarroti who was born in Florence in […]

In 1929, the Vatican became its own country and like all countries, the Vatican has its own military. The Vatican is officially the smallest country in the world and the Vatican military is officially the smallest army in the world with just 135 soldiers (though this number varies throughout the last 500 years). History of […]

The Vatican Museums has one of the oldest collections of art in the world dating back to the Ancient Egyptians. However, the Vatican also has a very important collection of contemporary art, so modern that you should not be surprised if a small number of these modern artists are still alive today. One of these […]

The Gallery of the Maps, also known as Galleria Delle Carte Geografice in Italian, may be the most stunning room inside the Vatican Museums. The Gallery consists of 40 beautiful fresco painted maps of Italy spanning the length of almost 600 feet (175 meters) showing Italian regions, the Italian peninsula, the neighboring Italian Islands and […]

The Vatican is one of Rome’s most important landmarks for good reason. It has splendid chapels, priceless artwork, and treasures of all sorts tucked in its world-famous museums. However, the Vatican Museum tickets can feel pricey. Luckily, there are other free things to do at the Vatican. You can even visit the museums for free […]