Rome – Vatican City
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Although it covers less than 1 sq km in Rome, Vatican City (The Holy See) is a sovereign state Governed by the Pope. Vatican City is the center of Catholicism and this small slice of the city is packed with more history and artwork than most cities in the world. The churches and palaces stand on a foundation that is steeped in history. The center is the St. Peter’s Basilica, with double colonnade and a roundabout at the front and further surrounded by palaces and gardens.
St. Peter’s Basilica is enormous and can hold 60.000 people. The dome is 119m (390 ft) high, designed by Michelangelo. Make the effort to go up to the top, a long climb up 323 steps to the top of the dome, for a spectacular view. Note: A strict dress code is enforced, so have shoulders covered, wear trousers or a not-too-short dress, and take your hats off, women must wear scarves or some thing to cover their heads.
The two main entrances to Vatican City for tourists are the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. While St. Peter’s Basilica is open all day long, the Vatican Museum entrance does close at 3:30PM on weekdays and 12:20PM on Saturdays, so it is a good idea to first visit the museums and then the church.
Guided tours are provided by the Vatican itself for the cost of 30.00 Euro. These may be requested in advance by fax from one month to one week before the requested tour date, or online from two months before the requested tour date.
The Vatican also launched its own YouTube channel. This channel offers news coverage of the main activities of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and of relevant Vatican events. The site offers translations in Italian, English, Spanish and German.
Vatican Museums
Full Price: € 14,00
Getting there: Metro: Line A, Direction Anagnina, Station San Giovanni
Open Monday to Saturday (except feast days). Guided Tours leave at the following hours: (9-10-11-12 am).
