Vatican City Things to Do

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St. Peter's Basilica
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ST PETER'S BASILICA DOME
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LA PIETA
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Vatican Museum
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St. Peter's Basilica
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Most Viewed Things to Do in Vatican City

170 Reviews Dead in 1922, this pope has a special veneration in this cathedral, due to his hard efforts to peace during WW1. Buried in the caves, he has a statue in the main floor, in a structure presented as his...

Vatican Museum Vatican City

122 Reviews Don't crash the place ! Buy a ticket !!! Um- well the place is protected as well as Fort Knox itself, so it would be virtually impossible to do the above. Ignore my previous comment! The admission...

St. Peters Square ( Piazza San Pietro) Vatican City

90 Reviews The Piazza di San Pietro (St Peter's Piazzza) is actually is not a square but an ellipse. There are two stones between the obelisk and the fountains. If you step on either of these stones, the four...

The Cupola of St Peter's Basilica Vatican City

38 Reviews While climbing the dome (cupola) of St Peter's is a great experience, it would be even be more enriching if you get a chance to view the interior of the cupola within the basilica. The best chance of...

The Sistine Chapel Vatican City

62 Reviews The Sistine Chapel is a carpet of heads, all with noses facing up. For two reasons it's a marvel of physics: First, you don't walk on the carpet, but inside it; second, the collection of hundred of...

The Pope/Sunday Service Vatican City

17 Reviews Wednesdays are the Pope's audience day, and if you are lucky enough (like me) you might get to see him during one of those days when he appears in public at St Peter's Square. I did get a very good...

Sacred Grottoes Vatican City

11 Reviews After visiting the Basilica don't miss the chance to visit the Grottoes where are the tombs of the Popes. Entrance is free of charge and although I had read in my guidebook that the minimum age to...

Vatican Gardens Vatican City

13 Reviews These are quite big with several spots not accessible to the general public. A quiet ramble around the courtyard is nice, especially on a sunny Roman day. There are a few sculptures including a large...

History Vatican City

18 Reviews Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protection to the Pope. They wear very colourful clothing, similar to the uniforms worn by Renaissance era...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Swiss guard requirements

by GentleSpirit

Membership in the Swiss Guard is considered a privilege. The Swiss Guard has long since ceased to be a mercenary force, rather it is a standing force drawn from the Swiss military forces. I don't remember hearing who they are actually paid by.Requirements for membership are:1. Swiss citizenship 2. Practicing Roman Catholic3. Good moral ethical background4. Between the ages of 19 and 305. at least 174 cm tall6. Unmarried7. Attended military school in Switzerland8. Professional degree of high school diplomasome things I noticed:The Swiss Guards site (http://www.gardesuisse.va/requirements-2.html)-the requirement of Swiss nationality seems to be more a preference. Dual citizenship allowed?-Unmarried male- Guards are housed in dormitories and then double or triple apartments. -this site seems to require celibacy. based on the reasons that they must live in the Vatican and there are limited...

The Swiss Guard in the Vatican

by GentleSpirit

The Swiss Guard that today guards the Vatican originally was one of many Swiss mercenary units that served in various royal courts in Europe. Part of the reason for this was that in the middle ages there was apparently overpopulation and hence poverty in the Swiss cantons. The Pontifical Swiss Guard, established in 1506, serves as the military forces of the Vatican, serves as bodyguards to the Pope and protects. Pope Julius II requested a constant corps of 200 mercenaries. Today the force numbers 135 but they are no longer mercenaries. Their bright Renaissance inspired uniforms actually reflect the colors of the Della Rovere papacy (Julius II) and the red of the Medici (Leo) You will see them guarding the entrances to the Vatican. During my visit to Rome they were especially visible since there were also visiting heads of state. all very ceremonial and colorful

Through Eternity- touring the Vatican

by GentleSpirit

I toured the Vatican with a group called Through Eternity. Their tour leaders are art historians. We met first thing in the morning by the entrance to St Peter's and it was an excellent tour, longer and more detailed than most and much more intensive in the art aspects of it all. All of us in the tour were very pleased with our guide, her name was Tanya, and would have gladly continued the tour had it lasted longer.The lines that were forming, even first thing in the morning, in front of St Peters was intimidating, but we didn't have to endure any lines. I enjoyed that the tour was focused on art history and history and though there was an enormous amount of information that could be covered during this tour, Tanya made it interesting, entertaining and a springboard to further exploration. By design, the company limits their tour groups to no more than 15, which makes this sort of...

Stations of the Cross - Bronze display

by icunme

Until April 29, 2011, you will see this stunning bronze display of the Stations of the Cross - along the left side of Via della Conciliazione leading up to Saint Peter's Square and the Vatican. Awesome in both size and detail, here are a few photos. View the travelogue to see all 14 stations and more detail.For more information, visit the website: http://www.domusdei-pddm.com/

The Papal Blessing

by traveldave

The day I visited Vatican City just happened to be the day of the Papal Blessing, given by the late Pope John Paul II. In the morning I saw the Vatican museums, including the Sistine Chapel, and toured Saint Peter's Basilica. Later in the afternoon I returned for the blessing. There were thousands of people gathering in Saint Peter's Square, and it was hard to find a good place to stand. Nevertheless, I found a good spot among all those people that afforded a distant view of the Pope. Although I am a Roman Catholic, I am not particularly religious. However, it was a moving experience to see and hear the Pope.The Papal Blessing is performed every Wednesday afternoon in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.The Pope is barely visible in this picture. He is the figure dressed in white under the canopy.

Saint Peter's Basilica

by traveldave

Saint Peter's Basilica dominates Vatican City, as well as the skyline of Rome. It is one of the holiest Roman Catholic sites, as it is the burial place of Saint Peter, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus. It is believed that Saint Peter was executed by Roman Emperor Nero in 64 A.D. His burial chamber is located under the altar. Due to the holiness of the site, numerous Popes have been buried there as well. The place where Saint Peter was buried has been the site of a cathedral since the fourth century. The present basilica was constructed between 1506 and 1626, at which time it was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII. The basilica was constructed in the Renaissance style of architecture, and was laid out in a cruciform shape with an elongated nave in the form of a Latin cross. It is the largest church in Christianity, covering six acres (two hectares) and having a capacity of 60,000. Needless to...

Getting into the Vatican

by mallyak

To get in, you will first go through a metal detector (after all,this is an important building). Don't be put off if there is a long line in front of the detectors; the whole thing moves quickly. Baldacchino and Dome, St. Peter's BasilicaAside from going inside, you can take an elevator up to the roof and than make a long climb up 323 steps to the top of the dome for a spectacular view. It costs €6 for the elevator, and allow an hour to go up and down. During the climb and before reaching the very top, you will find yourself standing on the inside of the dome, looking down into the Basilica itself. Be warned that there are a lot of stairs so it is not for the faint at heart (literally or figuratively) nor the claustrophobic as the very last section of the ascent is through a little more than shoulder-width spiral staircase. Instead of leaving out the doors you came in, go down into the...

Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura

by tini58de

St. Paul's Basilica was originally built by Constantine in the fourth century, over the tomb of St. Paul. It was destroyed by fire in 1823, and then re-consecrated in 1854. St. Paul's is unusual, having five aisles instead of three. The tomb of St. Paul is under the main altar where a confessional window (fenestrella confessionis) shows the epigraph "Paulo Apostolo Mart." Chains that bound St. Peter as a prisoner in Rome are in a golden reliquary. Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura is located at via Ostiense, 186, Roma. You will have to take Metro Linea B to San Paulo, since it is on the outskirts of town.

Saint Peter's Square

by traveldave

Saint Peter's Square, or Piazza San Pietro, is a large open area located directly in front of Saint Peter's Basilica. It was designed so that the greatest number of people could see the Pope give his blessing. Although called a "square," it is actually trapezoidal in shape near the entrance to the basilica and preceded by a vast eliptical area.Saint Peter's Square was designed by architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini under the direction of Pope Alexander VII. Contruction lasted from 1656 to 1667. The most prominent feature of the square is its two semicircular colonnades which enclose the square. They consist of 284 columns and 88 pillars in the Tuscan style of architecture. Another notable feature of the square is the 85-foot (26-meter) Egyptian obelisque located in its center. The obelisque was originally brought to Rome from Alexandria, Egypt by the Roman Emperor Caligula. Later, Pope Sixtus...

Bernini's Statues

by Maryimelda

Bernini is renowned for his work on St Peter's. He spent twenty years on the project and in that time designed the Square, the Circular Colonnade, the Great Baldichino over the High Altar and of course the statues on top of the Colonadde and the Basilica. When you get to the roof of the Basilica and see the statues up close they seem to be a hundred times the size of what they look like from down in the square.

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Q: How I can book tickets for the visit of Vatican Gardens in minibus and than museums of Vatican? In thw website I find the Vatican...

A: The only thing I can find for the gardens that mentions a minivan - and it isn't even very definite - is this...

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Vatican City Things to Do

Most Viewed Things to Do in Vatican City

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Swiss guard requirements

The Swiss Guard in the Vatican

Through Eternity- touring the Vatican

Stations of the Cross - Bronze display

The Papal Blessing

Saint Peter's Basilica

Getting into the Vatican

Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura

Saint Peter's Square

Bernini's Statues

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The Place

Experience Vatican City

Questions and Answers