Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Cupola
Visiting the dome of St. Peter's is an essential way to connect the various entities
of Vatican City that you can see from above. Follow signs on the right-hand side
of the basilica for the
Cupola
€
4,
€
6 with elevator; Oct-Apr 8am-4:45pm,
until 5:45 rest of year).
The first “get off ” point is the inner rim just under
Michelangelo's dome, which allows you to appreciate both the detailed mosaics of
the dome's interior and the intricate marble designs on the floor of the church.
The mesh fence is to deter suicides, which were a common problem here in the
1980s. There is a gift shop outside on the rooftop, run by friendly nuns, but it's
better to stop on your way back down so you don't have to carry your treasures
up the remaining 320 steps. When you leave the inner dome, follow the tiny signs
for the Cupola, which takes about 20 minutes to reach from here. It is well worth
making this trek to get a view of the Vatican's walls and Rome from the city's high-
est point. But, do this only if you can physically manage. The passageway near the
upper reaches is shoulder-width on an average person, and it is very crowded, with
few options for resting, and absolutely no way to turn back until you've reached
the top.
The Vatican Museums
There are many ways to visit the
Vatican Museums
55
(
(Viale del Vaticano;
%
06-69883333; www.vatican.va; year-round, last Sun of month free 8:45am-
12:20pm;
€
12 adults,
€
8 seniors and students,
€
21 reserved with guided tour;
Mar-Oct Mon-Sat 8:45am-3:20pm, Sun until 12:20pm; Nov-Feb Mon-Sat
8:45am-12:20pm, closed Catholic holidays).
If you are in Rome for only a day or
two, consider the €21 guided tour with reserved ticket. The tour takes 2 hours to
cover the highlights, and you save at least that much time by avoiding lines.
There are also four color-coded, self-guided itineraries through the massive
museums which take between 2 and 5 hours, depending on the care with which you
peruse the collections. The quickest way to see the museums, if you are among the
first 100 in, is to head straight for the Sistine Chapel—following the often hidden
signs—when you enter the main museum, and then make your way back around to
the various rooms and galleries you want to see. If you are in the middle of thou-
sands and thousands of visitors who are allowed to enter the museums at the same
time, this shortcut won't make much difference because the Sistine Chapel will be
jam-packed no matter how quickly you get there.
In 2000, the Vatican Museums installed metal detectors to deter both vandal-
ism and terrorism, so the entrance to the museums is something like boarding an
aircraft. Large monitors flash listings of closed exhibits and rooms under refur-
bishment, and there is a general sense of hasty movement, as tour leaders try to
keep their groups close by and Vatican guards move the crowds quickly to let
more inside. Do your best to weave through these groups and take the escalator
to the mezzanine floor and the ticket booth. A separate booth rents audioguides,
which are very useful. You don't have to listen to several hours of monotone
descriptions; just punch in the number of the exhibit you are looking at (noted
by tiny plaques near each exhibit displaying an earphone around the digits) for
individual explanations.
If you can only spend a few hours here, narrow your tour to include only the
Sistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, Pinacoteca,
and
Gallery of Maps.
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