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Roma's Wonderful Vatican Museums - A Must-See For Tourists
If we made an effort to just list the names of the many galleries and museums that make up the complex of buildings called the Vatican Museums, that would fill many pages. And if we took the next step - to list all of the artists and great art works held in those buildings - that would fill books. In fact, the Vatican itself has filled volumes with such information at the Vatican library.
It was Pope Julius II who in 1506 started the Vatican's collection of great art with his purchase of the sculpture Laocoon and his sons as they battle a mighty sea creature. From there, the Vatican collection has grown to dozens of galleries and museums and to literally thousands of works of fine art.
One of the many Museums in the Vatican community of art is the Etruscan Museum that was established in 1837. Despite the older date to us, this collection is one of the youngest in the Vatican family and holds many ancient works that were excavated in southern Etruria and surrounding vicinities and brought to Rome to be on display. The artwork of Etruria resembles the ancient mosaics and historic sarcophagi of Egypt that were collected at the height of the Roman Empire.
Another fascinating collection is the Gallery of Tapestries which - as the title implies - is a museum devoted entirely to woven wall hangings from the 15th through 17th centuries. These richly colored tapestries were first shown in 1814 and they are such great works of art that they would be sought after by any major museum or collector in the world.
Just as unique in the family of art collections in the Vatican Museums is the Gallery of Maps which earned that name for the works painted directly on the walls of the building. There you can find 40 diverse panels that depict different regions of the planet and which all go together to make a complete map of the world for its time period. Before navigators had access to GPS devices or satellite technology, these kinds of maps were life or death to an explorer finding his way and the Church depended on them to guide the explorers that were sent out to discover the world.
There is no doubt that the Raphael Rooms stand out as an outstanding part of the Vatican Museums collection. The rooms are arranged into four separate enclosures that are connected and each of which displays the wide diversity of works by Raphael. It is interesting that the rooms are not named for Raphael's art work but for the efforts Raphael contributed to decorate the rooms themselves when the rooms were built between 1447 and 1455.
It is easy to know what is inside the Vatican Picture Gallery part of the collection. But it is worth your time to stop by this simply named collection to see classic art by such masters as Poussin, Giotto, Van Dyck and Perugino.
A gallery that has an imaginative name but is often misleading, is the Gregorian Museum of Profane Art. It is not about profanity in the modern sense of the word. Rather that designation only means that the works of art contained in this gallery are of a secular nature. A new citizen of the Vatican Museums, it contains such things as Roman sculptures from the Imperial period, as well as the Republican time frame, sarcophagi and other things from these eras as well.
The Carriage Pavilion is another gallery that is aptly named. This is another part of the Vatican Museums that was opened recently, in 1973, and it is available to the public under the Square Garden. The items you will see here are mostly the carriages that Popes have used for transportation over the centuries. However there are other items related to the theme including harnesses and horse care supplies, pictures of Popes in transport, documentation and other items of this nature.
But of all of these fascinating galleries, none can match the Sistine Chapel for fame. Without a doubt, it is the world famous 10,000 square foot painting that Michelangelo did on the ceiling of the chapel that draws the crowds. While in the Sistine Chapel, it will pay to look around because you will find many great works of art in addition to that famous ceiling, including another large work by Michelangelo called The Last Judgment.
But there is no question that it is that amazing ceiling painting that will be the most memorable part of your visit. The nine panels of the display show many personalities from the Bible including Sibyls, some random male nudes and Noah. But the image that has made this painting internationally known is of Jehovah reaching out to give life to Adam by the touch of his finger. The great philosopher Goethe once wrote about this painting:
"Without having seen the Sistine Chapel, one can form no appreciable idea of what one man is capable of achieving."
That beautiful sentiment could easily be applied to many of the great works and the brilliant artists whose works are housed and preserved in the Vatican Museums.
About the Author Renting apartments in Rome Italy is a great way to save money on your next trip to Rome. Rome-Accom.com has nearly 200 apartments for rent, and over 500 Italy accommodation stays listed on Italy-Accom.com. Our staff all speak English as well. |
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