Vatican City: 4 Essentials for your Visits

Hello, travellers.

Welcome back once again to my blog of travel experiences, most of which were enjoyed over the course of my Erasmus placement.

A while ago I spoke about my trip to Rome and the best things to see there. Today I return to Rome, but this time focussed on Vatican City. The little area in Rome that caught my attention so much and that I had a lot of interest in exploring.

There were many recommendations from friends and family to visit the Vatican Museums at night; to photograph the St. Peter's Square; to climb the dome of the St. Peter's Basilica... My agenda was definitely full of things to do in Vatican City.

I didn't expect it to be the way it was, I thought that it had been over-hyped by people... But no! It's impressive!

The visit is very much worth it!

- St. Peter's Sqaure.

It's the first place you'll find as soon as you enter Vatican City - huge, immense, impressive. I can't say anything bad about it because, for me, it impressed me more than the basilica itself.

They said to me to enter Vatican City via the road called "Vía de la Conciliazione", and so that's what I did. I can summarise the view in one word: startling. Because from the moment I entered the street I saw Michelangelo's precious work in the background with its dome, with its beauty and grandeur. It's so impressive!

Without a doubt, I had the impression that it was an immense space, as I have already said, and with its immense columns it hugs the faithful and visitors who come to this place.

Once inside the square, in an enormous esplanade, we found figures of different saints on many of the collumns. Spectacular!

Furthermore, in the centre of the square there is a huge obelisk, which I was told was brought from Egypt.

We can also find two fountains in this huge square.

I can only tell you that to enjoy this great beauty you must visit it, enjoy this great place.

By the way, I visited it during the day, and I loved it; but without a doubt, it is necessary to visit it at night, it will leave you speechless.

Impressive!

-Basilica of St. Peter

The largest and I dare say, the most beautiful church in the world. Thousands and thousands of people visit it all year round, and I was undoubtedly impressed when I was there because there were so many people everywhere.

I went on a Sunday, but I had to go again on Monday, becuase of all the people who were in the Basilica. On Sundays there is Mass with the Pope, and then the presence of tourists, listeners, faithful followers... It's very much.

I sincerely enjoyed the inside of the Basilica; I enjoyed it very much. I loved everything I saw - from its immense space to the naves that are part of the Basilica. I could also visit the tombs of all the Popes that have existed, among them, St. Peter. .

What I recommend most is the climb up to the Dome where the views are impressive.

My interest in visiting the Basilica was mainly to see Michelangelo's La Piedad. I felt an exciting sensation when I saw it in person. I don't know why, but my grandfather liked it very much and we have a miniature image of it in my house, and I really wanted to know what it was like in real life.

I would recommend you to visit, definitely. Therefore it is obligatory to visit the St. Peter's Basilica and contemplate the three naves that form it: the Central, Epistle and the Gospel Naves.

Dedicate as much time as you can to it because every detail is to be admired.

Spectacular!

- The Vatican Museums

My first impression on telling me to visit the Vatican Museums at night was not very good, I expected boredom, I thought that I would not like it.

However, on the contrary, I enjoyed every part of it, every corner and every place in the visit to the Vatican Museums. .

I recommend you to visit at night, i. e. in the Nocturnal Visits pass since the bustle of people is much less than if you do it during the day. I must also say that I took this option because I visited them in summer, and therefore, I felt that the heat was going to be unbearable. Impressive!

Inside the Vatican Museums I was able to enjoy, like I said, many different places, museums, galleries...

1. The Pío - Clementine Museum.

2. The Pío V Apartment.

3. Gallery of the Candelabra.

4. Ethnological Missionary Museum.

5. The Cartographical Map Gallery can seem like the most boring room out of all of the museums, but I loved it! I enjoyed getting to know maps from different places.

6. Historical Museum - Carriage Pavilion.

7. Tapestry Gallery.

8. Art Gallery.

9. The Egyptian Museum, another place that stood out to me out of these museums, it didn't catch my eye or that's what I thought, but... I recommend it, I felt a lot of curiosity in every step I took, so I tried to know every detail. What made me curious was the mummy I saw.

There are many more places to see inside the Vatican Museums that if I start to talk any more I would never finish; just like your visit, it will take up the whole afternoon, many hours, but.... Enjoy it! It's very much worth a visit.

Another thing that impacted me a lot because I liked so much was the staircase that leads out to the Vatican Museums, offering an optical illusion, which attracts attention from the tourists who visit, and they even take photographs.

- The Sistine Chapel

At the end of visiting all the rooms, galleries, museums... We find the Sistine Chapel, it's a place that all people should visit at least once in their lives.

From my point of view, it is extremely impressive when you see it because it is a real work of art. But I think it is much more than what they say, as I say, from my point of view.

You will have very little time to see it, you will also hear... NO PHOTOS! They are forbidden, but that doesn't mean it's impossible. Enjoy all the time you spend in this place.

Inside the Sistine Chapel we find works of art like the Adam Creation or the Last Judgement. Furthermore, this place is the key for the Pope's elections.

Wonderful!

As I have said, the Sistine Chapel is unmissable during your trip to Rome. They recommended it to me, and of course, by taking their recommendations into account, I was not wrong.

I have to say that the Vatican is not only about religion, it's about history, art, culture... It's a lot, it's impressive.

I was especially curious because I understood that being another state, it had its own inhabitants, its governors, its museums... And my question was even more interesting: did they have another currency? Well, I clarified all these doubts once visiting Vatican City, and no, they don't have another currency, at least when I visited it they didn't and, as far as I could tell, this changes according to which Pope is here. I don't know if it's entirely true, but out of curiosity I asked and that's what they told me.

Everything in Vatican City has a history, that's why I recommend that you pay attention to every detail, every corner, every space and every step you take, because everything is impressive.

Everything is impressive, and everything is very impressive. Everything is enormous and everything is so beautiful that I am amazed at all the sculptures, paintings, monuments... With everything!

I recommend that you explore it for yourself and be amazed, like I was.

Until next time!

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