| Best Vatican City Travel Deals | Sponsored Links |
Catholic Pilgrimage Tours
High quality Catholic pilgirmages to Europe, the Middle East & Mexico Your Excursions in Rome
Sit down, relax, enjoy your trip The driver will take care of you Vatican Hotels
Find Hotels throughout Rome, Italy at Expedia® - The #1 Travel Site.
| Tips and photos for Vatican City vacations and tourism, posted by real travelers and Vatican City locals. Map |
 | Vatican City General Tips | Tips 1 - 10 of 262 |  |
Basilica di San Pietro is no longer the largest church in the world.
In 1989, the Guinness Book of Records gave the title to the Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix de Yamoussoukro (Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro Basilica) in Côte d’Ivoire.
Notre Dame de la Paix has a total surface of 30,000m² (15,160m² for St Peter’s) and the finished height is 158m (St Peter’s is at 138m height).
Under the order of President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, architect Pierre Fakhoury modelled the new basilica after the principal church of Catholicism. However, Notre Dame de la Paix was built in just three years, while St Peter's took over a century to complete.
Fakhoury constructed the dome a hair lower than St Peter’s Dome and then ornamented it with a larger and taller cross on top.
Notre Dame de la Paix was used only twice in a country where only 20% of the population are Christian and less than 10% are Catholic. Leave a Comment
|
 | |  |
Visiting Vatican City?
Read reviews about Vatican City Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
The world's smallest sovereign state has a population of less than 1000 people. The extension of its territory is 108 acres of land, on which stand 13 buildings and an old castle.
Not much to speak of, but who needs land when your sovereign is the Pope? Leave a Comment
|
Fact:
Every year thousands of people pack St. Peter's square to hear and see the Pope. Thousands cross it to reach St. Peter's Basilica. And thousands more pass through on their way to explore the riches and culture of Vatican city.
I love this snap: taken on St. Peter's square it expresses the diversity of people that pass through better than words ever could....
.........................................................................
Leave a Comment
|
If you are here on VT, you are a traveller who likes to know about where you are headed. True of all destinations, some time devoted to researching the Vatican will serve you well and there is really no better source than the Official Vatican website. You will find Basilica visiting detail including hours - a listing of all Museums with fees and hours - the Scavi excavations tour - the new Necropolis soon to be opened (NEWS FLASH on my Vatican Homepage) and much more.
Official Vatican Website
|
Vatican Dress Code
Be aware that Vatican dress code requires no shorts or tank tops and women must have their shoulders covered and is strictly enforced - applies to women AND men. Men will not be admitted with shorts. Even if you somehow get through security, you will be turned away by attendants at the door.
Women - it is good to carry a light scarf/shawl in your purse for impromptu visits to churches.
|
Visiting Vatican City?
Read reviews about Vatican City Hotels
Real Reviews from Real VirtualTourist Members.
A little Vatican vocabulary that you might find from time to time in Vatican publications.
*la biretta — a cap worn by Roman Catholic clergy
*il carmerlengo — chamberlain; cardinal who manages the pope's secular affairs
*ogni morte di papa — once in a blue moon
*i papabili — those seen as contenders to become pope
*la Curia Romana — the papal court, comprising judicial and administrative bodies
*la Santa Sede — the Holy See
*sede vacante — empty Holy See seat
*sfumata — thick smoke; black smoke indicating no successful election
*i vaticanisti — Vatican specialists
*lo zucchetto — papal skullcap
|
GUIDED TOURS FOR INDIVIDUALS:
VATICAN MUSEUMS AND SISTINE CHAPEL (2 hours)
The tour itinerary takes visitors through the most significant cultural and religious areas within the Vatican Museums: the Pio Clementino (classical antiquity), the Geographical Maps and Tapestries Galleries (Renaissance art), the Raphael’s Rooms and The Sistine Chapel.
From March through October: Monday through Friday at: 10.30am - 12.00am - 2.00pm; on Saturday at: 10.30am and 11.15am (in Italian only)
Nov through Feb: everyday but Sundays at 10.30a.m.
Rates: full fare € 21.50; reduced € 17.50 - admission to the Museums, guided tour service and headset.
VATICAN GARDENS (2 hours)
The guided tour of the Vatican Gardens is also a glimpse of the Vatican City State, the smallest independent state in the world: Journey through natural settings, historic monuments and works of art that span its 2000 year history.
From March through October: at 10.00 am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
From November through February: only on Saturday at 10.00 a.m.
Rates: full fare € 13.50; reduced € 9.50 - include guided tour service and headset.
HOW TO RESERVE (FOR INDIVIDUALS)
It is necessary to book in advance by fax.
For the reservation this office requires the names of all the participants to the tour. If we do not receive the list you may not join your requested booked tour. The list must be received at the moment of the reservation.
Bookings are valid only if you receive our confirmation fax. The fax must be shown at the “Guided Tours” desk on the day of the visit. In case of no written reply from this office, the booking is considered not valid.
An advanced booking is needed from one month to one week prior to the date of the visit. The cancellation is accepted, up to 12 hours before the visit.
While asking for the reservation, we appreciate, if possible, the name of the hotel and its fax number in Rome (or Italy).
USEFUL INFORMATION
Tickets have to be purchased the same day of the guided tour.
Meeting point and departure is from the Guided Tours desk inside the Museums.
To avoid any queue, all visitors, individuals or groups, with reserved guided tour through this Office, are entitled to enter through the main gate of the Museums on Viale Vaticano. Facing the Vatican Museums entrance door, the line on the right is specifically for reserved guided Vatican tours.
It is suggested that you arrive at least 15 minutes before your appointment.
|
| | |
Wheelchairs can be reserved in advance (fax 06.6988.5433) or upon request at the “Special Permits” window in the entrance hall. Routes and toilettes for disabled visitors are also available. In addition, you will not stand in the que - you will approach the officials at the entrance and tell them of your disability reservation - you will be promptly admitted.
Visits for visually impaired visitors can be reserved in advance (fax 06.6988.1573)
Additional information re tours on another tip.
|
Having lived in a city for the last few years (London), the one thing we have noticed, which is troubling, is that people are often intolerant of children, especially on public transportation.
Here, Rome is refreshingly different! Instead of viewing a young child as a 'noise' and a nuisance (which is the feeling you get in the UK towards kids often), in Rome, the Italians go out of their way to say hello to you and your child, smiling at her and sayign all kinds of lovely things about your 'bambino'.
What is different here is the culture. Italy is much more family-focussed, the family is pivocal to society and the community still. In England (in our experience), the emphasis is on oneself more, and not the family or community generally.
I am even shocked when I read some people referring to people who have kids in England as 'breeders' (!!!!!), and that having a child is 'a lifestyle choice'... in my view it certainly isnt! It's called keeping the population going! This kind of attitude is rife I have found and is so sad. One of the reasons I am not keen to bring children up in England. Leave a Comment
|
| | |
I am a firm believer that it's all in the detail. This photo is of a piece of the pavement in St Peter's Square (not sure why they call it a square though as it is round! haha). I think this adds to the authenticity and historical significance of this place. As I have said before, it is almost too much to take in, and for us 'happy-snappy' types an absolute paradise ) Leave a Comment
|
|
|
on August 9, 2005
on December 1, 2005
on October 10, 2006
on March 15, 2006
