How many pieces of art are in the Vatican Museum?

The Vatican Museums house one of the most expansive and spectacular collections in art history, with a whopping 70,000 works lining the walls of the Sistine Chapel, the Stanze di Raffaello and the Pinacoteca Vaticana (among others!).

What amazes art lovers and everyday visitors all the same isn’t the sheer magnitude of the collection, but more so the incredibly high standard of art maintained throughout the whopping collection, with famous pieces like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes, Raphael’s murals and a series of works from the likes of Piccasso, Dali, van Gogh and Gauguin all making up part of the delightful collection.

Visitors are invited to meander around the Vatican, going from museum to museum and taking in the divine works at their leisure.

With this in mind, what are some of the highlights that await you on your Vatican tour?

The Sistine Chapel

One of the most glorious buildings in the world, and certainly in the Catholic faith, the Sistine Chapel is famous for its marvellous frescoes painted by one of Italy’s most revered artists, Michelangelo. Even non-believers visiting the chapel will be invigorated by the spirit and love put into every detailed brush stroke on the most incredible ceiling, and will leave with a sense of wonder that they have finally seen these wondrous frescoes in person.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Although not constituting part of the Vatican Museums, St. Peter’s Basilica is a tremendous building that houses some of its own spectacular masterpieces, like Bernini’s ever-formidable Baldachin and Michelangelo’s divine Pieta sculpture. Once you have perused the gorgeous collection be sure to head down into the necropolis, the burial place of the eponymous Saint Peter.

Museo Pio-Clementino

This wondrous sculpture museum houses some of the collection’s most important works, with plenty of rooms and masterpieces to keep you intrigued as you wander its enchanting halls. From the Greek Cross Gallery, with its stunning porphyry sarcophagi, to the Sala Rotonda, with its glorious floor mosaics and bronze statues, this museum has plenty to offer art lovers and Vatican tourists alike!

Raphael Rooms

The Stanze di Raffaello, or Raphael Rooms, are a series of reception rooms that are home to a series of amazing frescoes designed by the man himself, Raphael. They are a truly awe-inspiring way to finish off your visit to the Vatican Museums, and are full of minute detail that makes them true masterworks…

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