Why you should visit the Vatican Museum

Mary Yohannan on

The Vatican Museum! 

Rome has so many amazing sites to visit but one of the most asked for tours when booking an Italian vacation with Life is Better Traveling is the Vatican Museum.  The Vatican museum has an incredible collection showcasing painting, sculpture, frescoes, tapestries and classical antiquities including Roman, Greek and Egyptian.  This huge complex consists of multiple galleries and museums.  The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display.

Vatican Museum

Picture: Pixabay

 

The popes were among the very first royalty to open their vast art collections to public viewing. Pope Julius II (1443 – 1513) began collecting sculpture during the Renaissance, early 16th century, and, ever since, most popes have taken an active interest in art and in commissioning the best artists of their time.  A vast collection of accumulated collections of religious art, papal portraits and, carriages and automobiles.

Two of the most popular exhibits that you will see when walking through the Vatican museum are The Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello decorated by Raphael.  Roughly six millions visitors a year walk through the museum and take in the beauty of what this amazing museum has to offer. 

Vatican Museum

Picture: Pixabay

 

 

If you are thinking of taking a European vacation, make sure to include Rome in your itinerary so you can experience the magnificent of this museum.  Simply fill out the form below to start planning.  

Remember, a Life is Better Traveling Travel Agent is here to help make your next European vacation amazing!

 

Fill out the form below to get started planning your next European Vacation.  Looking for a motor coach tour, self-drive, or private tour, we can easily put together the perfect European vacation for you and your family’s needs. 

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When in Rome…

Mary Yohannan on

If you ever find yourself in Rome, I highly recommend seeing the Roman Forum

One of my favorite tours in Italy was that of the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy.  It is a sprawling mass of ruins, that once was the center of Pictures by: M. Yohannanancient Rome, with temples, courts, markets, and government buildings in full swing until the 4th century AD.  While it may appear that all that remains today are an array of ancient columns and arches, the forum is one of the most important archaeological sites in Italy.  Daily excavations occur unearthing new structures and buildings.  Many people will skip this part of Rome and head directly to the iconic Colosseum.  But I personally, love walking between and around ancient Rome.   If you aren’t interested in seeing the forum, you can still get a great view of the Eternal City from the overlooking Palatine and Capitoline hills.

The Basics about the Roman Forum:

Many tours through the forum will last around three to four hours especially if you combine a tour through the forum culminating with a tour of the Colosseum.  I personally loved our tour guide, Flavia, and I still use her today for all my clients who go to Rome.  She is a wealth of knowledge about the forum and the Colosseum, while enjoying a private tour.  She even showed us the expansive ruins at Circus Maximus.

Picture by: M. Yohannan

What is the best time to visit and what to know:

Most tour options include hotel pickup and drop-off.  If you would opt for a private tour with Flavia, then she would come to your hotel.We would make sure that all your admissions to the various sites are included, so that you can enjoy the skip-the-line entry.  On some days this will save you an hour or so in line.  I would recommend the Roman Forum to any visitor whether you are in Rome for multiple days or just one day.  It is a must see VERY ancient part of Rome. 

 

Picture by: M. Yohannan

Picture by: Mary Yohannan

Some “Know Before You Go” from Viator.com:

How To Get to the Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is located in the area between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum in the southeastern end of Rome’s historical center. You can get there by metro and bus from most central hotels. The closest metro stop is Colosseo.

When to Get There
As the Roman Forum shares an admission ticket with the Colosseum, it stays consistently busy throughout the day and often has long lines. Choose a walking tour with priority access to jump the queue and maximize your time.

Discovering the Roman Forum Ruins
Inside the archaeological area, stick to the Forum’s main thoroughfare, Via Sacra, to pass by important ruins such as the Julia Curia and the house of the Vestal Virgins. Some of the forum’s most impressive ruins include the white marble arch of Settimio Severo, the first-century Arch of Titus, and the remains of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. If you can’t get enough of ancient Rome, there’s plenty more history just outside the city with day trips available to Pompeii and the Appian Way.

Call or Email Mary to book your next European Vacation!

 

Picture by: M. Yohannan

Picture by: Mary Yohannan