Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
0
1/8 mile
100 meters
0
1
Via
Via
Piazza d.
Risorgimento
Piazza d.
Risorgimento
Piazza d.
Risorgimento
Cortile
Cortile
della
Cortile
della
Pigna
della
Pigna
Pigna
Vatican
Museums
Vatican
Museums
Vatican
Museums
VATICAN
GARDENS
VATICAN
GARDENS
VATICAN
Cortile
del
Belvedere
Cortile
Cortile
del
GARDENS
del
Belvedere
2
3
Belvedere
4
V AT ICAN CITY
VATICAN CITY
VATICAN CITY
B
B
5
Piazza
San Pietro
Piazza
San Pietro
Piazza
Via de
lla
C
onciliaz
ione
Via de
lla
C
onciliaz
ione
Via de
lla
8
7
6
San Pietro
C
onciliaz
ione
St. Peter
St. Peter's
Basilica
St. Peter's
Basilica
i
12
Basilica
S
pirito
S
pirito
10 11
9
13
City Walls
Information
i
Via
Aure
Via
Aure
Bronze Door
4
Excavations office
11
Grotto Entrance
10
Hall of Audiences
13
House of Pius IV
3
Michelangelo's
PietÃ
6
Palace of the
Governorship
8
Sacristy & Treasury
10
Sistine Chapel
5
Statue of St. Peter
7
Vatican Gardens
2
Vatican Museums
Entrance
1
Vatican Post Office
12
Vatican Radio
9
been given royal treatment by, key world leaders. In theory, the Vatican is not sup-
posed to meddle in Italian politics; the Church's influence is, however, often obvi-
ous in policy-making in Italy, which has recently adopted fertility laws backed by
the Holy See and continues to hold conservative views on gay marriage.
St. Peter's Basilica
The most sensible place to start your visit to Vatican City is
St. Peter's Basilica
(Piazza San Pietro;
%
06-69881662; www.vatican.va; Oct-Mar 7am-6pm, until
7pm rest of year).
Admission is free, though there are several collection boxes
inside the church. You must enter the church via metal detectors on the right-
hand side of the piazza (facing the church). At the time of this writing, there are
two separate queues after the detectors, one for the
chiesa
(to go inside the basil-
ica) and another for the crypt (to visit the papal tomb through a temporary
entrance). (The second line may disappear when the crowds are no longer flock-
ing to Rome just to see the tomb of Pope John Paul II, who died Apr 2, 2005.)
Either way, there is a barricade near the foot of the steps into the church where
your attire will be scrutinized by the Vatican's fashion police, who enforce
the church's strict dress code. No one wearing shorts is allowed inside. (There
are dressing rooms behind the main steps into the church to change into more
