Vatican on a map of foreign Europe. What is worth seeing in the Vatican Museums? Excursion to the necropolises

For those who are traveling to Rome for the first time, we have compiled three routes with which you can see all the main city attractions in 3 days of leisurely walking. There is no point in rushing in Rome, it is better to come back here again;) On our first excursion we will walk around the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica.

Rome sightseeing map. Follow along and get the opportunity to save this route to your maps.

1. Vatican Museums

It is no secret that the Vatican Museums are one of the largest treasuries of world treasures. Perhaps the most famous exhibit in the Vatican's collection of attractions is the Sistine Chapel, so it's worth visiting this place if only for that. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited in the chapel, but you can endlessly look at the ceiling and walls painted by Michelangelo, Raphael and Giotto. At the entrance to the Vatican Museums, do not forget to take a museum audio guide in Russian for 7 euros - the excursion will be more interesting.

Entrance to the Vatican Museums

On a note: The Vatican Museums, apparently, were designed by good merchandisers: to get to the Sistine Chapel, you will have to go through a dozen very interesting and beautiful halls. But the trouble is that, when you approach the chapel, you no longer have the enthusiasm for the most interesting and delicious things. In general, save your energy - the Vatican, like any other museum, is best absorbed in small portions, biting off the most delicious pieces first;)

2. Apostolic Palace

When walking through the halls of the Vatican, don't miss the courtyard Apostolic Palace, especially in clear weather. In the center of the courtyard is the famous sculpture of Arnoldo Pomadoro" Earth", purchased by Pope John Paul II in 1990.

Sculpture "Globe" in the Vatican

3. Belvedere

Here, in a small Roman courtyard, you will find two of the most famous statues: Laocoon and Apollo Belvedere.

Laocoon

4. Sistine Chapel

Along the walls of the chapel there are wooden benches where you can sit and, with your head up, find the famous fresco “The Creation of Adam”. But this is only a small part - all the walls and ceiling of the chapel are painted by the most famous masters of the early and mature Renaissance: Giotto, Raphael, Michelangelo...

Scene "Creation of Adam"

5. Exit from the Sistine Chapel

From the chapel, turning to the left will take you back to the museum on Michelangelo's famous staircase, and turning right will take you to St. Peter's Basilica, bypassing all the queues. Few people know about this exit, it is intended for groups and certified guides, but if you pretend to be a rag and turn right at the end of the Sistine Chapel, you will get to the Cathedral, saving time;)

Michelangelo's staircase in the Vatican

6. St. Peter's Basilica

You can get to St. Peter's Basilica in two ways: either by standing in line at the right wing of Bernini's colonnade that encircles the cathedral (it leads into the interior of the Cathedral and directly to the observation deck of the dome), or by entering the Cathedral through the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Museums.

Climb to dome of St. Peter's Basilica- This is a must-have program for any traveler. From here you have stunning views of the Vatican, the Vatican Gardens, Castel Sant'Angelo and the right bank of the Tiber. We recommend taking an elevator ticket. It costs 2 euros more than a regular ticket, but will save you a lot of energy, which you will still need to walk around the city.

View from the observation deck on the dome of St. Peter's Basilica

7. Interior of St. Peter's Basilica

You need to get into the cathedral itself at least to see the most grandiose temple of all time, the bronze canopy of Bernini and the “Pieta” of Michelangelo. “Pieta” or “Lamentation” is a very famous religious plot, when the Mother of God holds the body of the dead Christ on her knees, only what was taken down from the cross. The sculpture is small in size and is kept behind glass. But this does not at all interfere with seeing the settled dead body, the lifelessly hanging hand of Christ and the completely girlish face of the sad Virgin Mary.

"Lamentation of Christ" - Michelangelo's first and most important pieta

8. St. Peter's Square and Bernini's Colonnade

In the center of the square, don't miss the Egyptian obelisk. At one time, Rome, like many European cities, was once again gripped by “Egyptomania.” In particular, this obelisk was brought by Emperor Caligula, then built by Emperor Nero on his circus, and already in the Middle Ages, Roman pontiffs interpreted the concept of an obelisk or stele as a “beacon of faith”, demolished the statues of emperors crowning them and erected statues of the apostles and the Mother of God on them or, at the very least, just stars. By the way, there is a legend that the ashes of Caesar himself are kept in a bronze ball on the obelisk...

St. Peter's Square in Rome

9. End of the tour at via Concializione

At the end of our first walk, we suggest walking along Conciazione Street to the Castel Angela. From here there are some excellent panoramic views of St. Peter's Basilica framed by the streets.

The unique city-state of the Vatican is an enclave, i.e. it is located inside another city, in this case inside Rome. The territory of the Vatican is 0.44 m2, a polygon between the streets of Vaticano, Della Sagrestia, Leo VI, Porta Angelica, St. Peter's Square and Risorgimento. This territory does not include 3 cathedrals, several palaces and villas, which have been given the status of extraterritoriality.

Vatican on the world map

The city is located in the center of the Apennine Peninsula, in the subtropical Mediterranean climate zone. Winter here is mild, without snow and frost. Typical January temperatures range from 0ºC to 5ºC. The disadvantage of the winter period is the strong westerly winds, trimontana, which blow through the territory. Summer is characterized by hot, dry weather. The heat reaches 30ºС. In July, the season of summer winds - sirocco - begins, bringing drought. Late spring and early autumn are the most favorable times to visit the state.

Map of the Vatican with streets

Attractions:

The Vatican is an amazing city-museum, every step along which introduces you to masterpieces of architecture and visual arts. Luxurious palaces, magnificent gardens, beautiful temples, museums are the attractions of the city.
The most famous temple is considered to be St. Peter's Cathedral, built over the supposed tomb of the apostle. The dome of the cathedral serves as a panoramic platform. The famous Sistine Chapel chapel is famous for its frescoes by the brilliant artists Michelangelo, Perugino, and Botticelli.
The Vatican Museums are also worth visiting. Etruscan reveals the culture of the predecessors of the Romans, the Pinakothek presents masterpieces of Italian and Byzantine painting.
More than half of the state's territory is occupied by Gardens. A magnificent park area, parts of which are divided in different styles, with unique flora and fauna, with many fountains and cascades, are a real curiosity of the Vatican.

A trip to the Vatican is a real event even for an experienced traveler. It's not often you get the chance to visit the very small state planet, which is a special enclave on the territory of Rome. The Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, permanently resides here.

Dwarf state on the map of the world and Europe

Find a city on political map the world is not so simple because small sizes and small population.

Even after arriving in Rome, an inexperienced tourist will need a little time to get his bearings and find out the way to this mini-country.

In the capital of which state is it located?

The Vatican occupies a small part of the center of Rome and is based on the famous Vatican Hill, located in the northwestern part of the capital. It is separated from the Tiber River by only a few hundred meters.

Story

Although officially a state with this name exists only since 1929, the history of this religious state formation dates back about 2 thousand years.

In ancient times this territory was called Ager Vaticanum and was located far outside of Rome, representing a swampy area. Villas and gardens were built here for the mother of the infamous Roman Emperor Caligula, Agrippina.

A little later, by order of the same Caligula, a small hippodrome. According to legend, it was on it that the Apostle Peter, a disciple of Christ, was crucified in 64 AD. e.

In the middle of the 8th century. on the territory of the present Vatican arose Papal State, in 1870 captured by the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Italy. In 1929, after negotiations between representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and dictator Mussolini, the modern Vatican was formed.

Useful information

The Vatican is an absolute theocratic monarchy governed exclusively by Holy See.

The highest rank of the Holy See, which holds full legislative, executive and judicial power on the territory of this state, is the Pope, who is elected for life.

After his death and during the conclave sessions that lead to the election of a new Pope, his functions are assumed by Kamerlengo.

Square The Vatican is only 0.44 square meters. km, and the population is just over 800 people. The official language is Latin. 100% of Vatican residents permanently residing in this city-state profess the Roman Catholic faith. You can pay for purchases here in euros.

The country does not border the sea and there are no mineral resources here. Be prepared for constant ups and downs: the local landscape is quite hilly.

To enter the Vatican visa required Italian or standard. A tourist visa can be obtained from the Italian Embassy by presenting the following documents:

• Original invitation or a certificate from the tour operator;
• Medical insurance;
• Certificate from place of employment, indicating your income;
• 2 profiles;
• Photo size 3x4 cm.

The visa gives the right to stay in Italy (including the Vatican) for 2 weeks, and obtaining it will cost $36. However, remember that there are no hotels owned by the Catholic Church: you will have to return to Rome for an overnight stay.

Popular cities, tour prices, currency, transport in Italy - you will find this and much more in.

Climate

The Vatican's climate is soft Mediterranean type. It is hot, dry and even sultry, and winters here are relatively warm and rainy. The thermometer rarely drops below +5°C, and in summer the average air temperature is approximately +25°C.

The most precipitation falls, and its average annual amount reaches 700 mm. It snows extremely rarely in the Vatican.

Best time To visit this tiny state, this is also the autumn months.

How to get there?

To make your trip quick and enjoyable, it is important to find out in advance which way is best to get to the Vatican territory.

Travel from Russia

The Vatican does not have its own airport, so Russians need get to Rome. Alitalia and Aeroflot flights depart from here every day (flight time is 3.5 hours). Residents can fly to Rome by purchasing a ticket on the Rossiya State Transport Company flight, which is scheduled to depart twice a week.

There is no direct train connection between Rome and Rome. If desired, you can get to the Italian capital with two train transfers in Germany, but it is very expensive and will take about 50 hours.

If you want to get there by bus, you will also have to go through several transfers on the territory and travel for more than 2 days, which is very tiring.

1. St. Peter's Square with the cathedral of the same name, which displays magnificent works of art by Raphael and Michelangelo;
2. Apostolic Palace, which brings together dozens of unique museums, including the Egyptian Museum, the Pio Clementino Museum, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Library with many ancient manuscripts;
3. Park area, where small temples, beautiful fountains and original sculptures nestle under the canopy of oaks, olives and cypresses;
4. Etruscan Museum dedicated to history ancient people, who once lived on Roman lands;
5. Pinakothek, where thousands of paintings by outstanding artists of all countries and eras are stored.

Vatican – ancient place with a thousand-year history, so if you come here, the guides will tell you a lot of interesting things about its past and present. You will learn that:

• The name of the state and the hill on which it is located comes from the Latin word vacitinia, which means "divination";
• All inhabitants of the city are in the service of catholic church. Only church ministers, service personnel or military personnel from the Pope's Swiss Guard can obtain Vatican citizenship;

About half the population has a passport stamped by the Holy See, confirming their status and citizenship. However, it is not inherited and is subject to cancellation upon completion of work in the Vatican.

• There is a building in the country whose lighting and heating are provided exclusively by solar panels;
• 95% of Vatican City residents – male;
• The city-state is completely devoid of industry and agriculture, and the only source of income is taxes levied on Catholic dioceses around the world;
• People live here dozens of nationalities, however, their level of education is so high that the literacy rate in the country is 100%;
• The only banking institution operating in the Vatican is called "Institute of Religious Affairs";
• The country has one of the highest crime levels in the world: most crimes are committed by tourists and employees living in Rome.

From this video you can find out where the Vatican is located and other interesting information:

The Vatican is one of the smallest states in the world. The Vatican City State is located on the territory of Rome, it is the central site for all Catholics on earth. The Holy See, the modern administrative body of the Catholic Church, is located here. You can list the regalia of the Vatican for a long time, for example, this is the only country where the official language is Latin.

Pio Clementino Museum in the Vatican

By the way, all the attributes of a secular state are present here - it has its own flag and coat of arms, there is a constitution, banknotes, as well as postage stamps, which almost all philatelists in the world dream of.

The border of the Vatican State lasts only a little more than three kilometers. Guarding the Vatican border are:

• noble guard;
• palace guard;
• the gendarmerie of the Pope himself;
• Swiss Guard.

Most of the state's territory is inaccessible to tourists. By the way, it is impossible to get directly to the Vatican - it does not have its own airport (as well as a TV channel or its own operator mobile communications), so first you need to get to Rome. And the Vatican State itself is located right in the very center of Rome, and you may not even notice how you cross the border of the capital of Italy and this tiny state. To go to the Vatican you need to be from any other European state.

Map of the Vatican showing the main attractions

There are no outposts, border guards or other distinctive features of border crossing.

It is impossible to obtain Vatican citizenship - only citizenship of the Holy See. By the way, it is not possible to obtain this status in any way except for special acts for the Catholic Church.

Less than a thousand people live in the Vatican - 842 people according to last year, all of these people in one way or another serve the church and are Catholics. There are practically no weddings here, the birth of babies is rarely celebrated - most often the Vatican gathers to bury one of the townspeople.

As already mentioned, there is no airport on Vatican territory. The nearest airport in Rome receives international flights from Aeroflot and Alitalia, which operate daily.

Also in the Vatican there is Train Station, Roma San Pietro station. By railway You can get to the Vatican from Rome and surrounding areas; trains and trains run almost all the time, about five times in one hour. From the main station in Rome to the station in the Vatican - twenty minutes.

You can visit the Catholic Mecca at any time; the mild climate of Italy allows tourists to enjoy the views at any time of the year. In July and August it is the hottest here, the temperature stays at thirty-five degrees, however, in relation to the Vatican this statement is not entirely true.

St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican

The bulk of St. Peter's Cathedral gives tourists coolness, and the Sistine Chapel maintains a special temperature regime favorable for paintings and frescoes. By the way, at Christmas a beautiful Christmas tree is installed in the Vatican, and The eternal City during the Christmas holidays - the most pleasant place.

It is not possible to solve the housing issue in the Vatican; there are no hotels or hotels, so all accommodation options are only in Rome.

The capital of Italy can hardly be called cheap, so you should keep in mind that high-level hotels will cost significantly more than in lesser popular countries. It is also impossible to eat in the Vatican - of course, you cannot die of hunger here; there are cafes at the museums, and there you can drink coffee with cakes or sandwiches.
Most often, tourists dine in Rome and return to the Vatican for spiritual food.

Why go to the Vatican

Where is the Vatican State located? For those who want to find the Vatican on a map or directly in Rome, the white line will be a clue - it is the one that separates the Vatican from Rome along the outer line of the square around St. Peter's Basilica. In addition to the white line, part of the Vatican is protected by a high wall - this impregnable structure was erected a long time ago, more than four centuries ago.

A solid structure was supposed to protect the Supreme Catholics from any aggression. The square is usually open to visitors, but it also happens that it is closed - usually as security measures for special and official events.

What to see in St. Peter's Square

It’s better to go down to the square from Sant’Angelo, from the castle the Street of Reconciliation leads there - of course, guidebooks mercilessly scold it, but only here you can enjoy one of the optical illusion effects.

Panoramic view of Reconciliation Street and St. Peter's Basilica

The fact is that the dome will gradually disappear as it moves - this happens because the façade of the cathedral is significantly moved forward. The square itself is a fascinating place, and there is a lot of interesting things here besides the cathedral.

In the middle of the square there is an obelisk made of granite - an ancient Egyptian observer of the execution of one of the apostles (it’s easy to guess that Peter himself); in the upper part of the obelisk you can see perfectly preserved fragments of the Holy Cross.

Around the square there is Bernini's colonnade, and in the center, near the obelisk, there are circles indicating the geometric center of Bernini's structure.

If you stand in a circle, the colonnade becomes translucent - this is another optical effect of the greatest architectural structure.

On the right in the square behind the colonnade you can see the Apostolic Palace. This is one of the funniest buildings in the Vatican.

The building of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican

The guards also deserve the attention of tourists. You can see them near the Bronze Gate of the basilica, at the cathedral exit, behind the left side of the colonnade near the papal auditorium (the guards are easily identified by their uniform striped in yellow, blue and red colors). Near the gate to Sant'Angelico you can see the ordinary, non-ceremonial uniform of the guards - blue tones.

The left corner of the beautiful square attracts many tourists; the Vatican post office is located here - tourists from all over the world send postcards with local stamps from here.
You can visit the square even in the dark - everything here is well lit.

Saint Paul's Cathedral

This is the second most popular Roman and, accordingly, Vatican attraction among tourists. The first is the Colosseum. The doors of the cathedral are open from early morning until evening; tourists come here as early as seven in the morning.

It is difficult to plan a visit to St. Peter's Basilica in advance, it is difficult to predict. Just walking around St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican will take half an hour; if you pay attention to each sculpture, it will take at least two hours, and if you also pay attention to the treasury, climb the dome, visit the grottoes, then even a day may not be enough.
The treasuries display various relics, papal tiaras, and many other treasures that will attract not only lovers of jewelry and history, but also those who are ready to admire beauty. There is also a memorial plaque with a list of popes who are buried in the cathedral itself.

By the way, you should keep in mind that you won’t be able to explore the entire cathedral - most of it is closed to the public. In order to examine those parts of it that are interesting, it is best to have a plan - it will indicate altars, chapels, tombs and other historical and cultural values.

👁 Before we start...where to book a hotel? In the world, not only Booking exists (🙈 for a high percentage from hotels - we pay!). I've been using Rumguru for a long time
skyscanner
👁 And finally, the main thing. How to go on a trip without any hassle? The answer is in the search form below! Buy now. This is the kind of thing that includes flights, accommodation, meals and a bunch of other goodies for good money 💰💰 Form - below!.

Really the best hotel prices

The Vatican is located in the western part of Rome, the capital of the Italian Republic, on the right bank of the Tiber River, which cuts the city into two parts.

Borders and area of ​​the Vatican

On all sides, the Vatican borders only with Italy.

The Vatican State covers an area of ​​0.44 square kilometers.

Vatican Map

Timezone

Population

800 people

Language

The official languages ​​are Italian and Latin.

Religion

Catholicism.

Vatican City Climate

The climate on the territory of the Vatican is Mediterranean type. Average temperatures in winter range from 0 °C to +12 °C, in mid-summer from +20 °C to 28 °C. Winters are most often warm, frosts and snow are extremely rare.
The amount of precipitation is significant only in autumn, while in summer it falls very little.

Finance

The official currency is the Euro.

Medical care and insurance

The Vatican has paid and expensive healthcare. Having health insurance before your visit is encouraged, but not required.

Mains voltage

International dialing code

👁 Do we book the hotel through Booking as always? In the world, not only Booking exists (🙈 for a high percentage from hotels - we pay!). I’ve been using Rumguru for a long time, it’s really more profitable 💰💰 than Booking.
👁 And for tickets, go to air sales, as an option. It has been known about him for a long time 🐷. But there is a better search engine - Skyscanner - there are more flights, lower prices! 🔥🔥.
👁 And finally, the main thing. How to go on a trip without any hassle? Buy now. This is the kind of thing that includes flights, accommodation, meals and a bunch of other goodies for good money 💰💰.