Vatican Museums, Vatican City: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

The Vatican Museums occupy a series of former papal palaces and galleries north of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, housing one of the world's largest art collections assembled over five centuries. The museum complex includes the Raphael Rooms—four chambers with frescoes painted by Raphael and his workshop between 1508 and 1524—and the Gallery of Maps, a 120-meter corridor of topographical paintings of Italian regions. The route culminates in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's ceiling, painted between 1508 and 1512, and his Last Judgment altar wall are displayed. Annual attendance exceeds 6 million. is just one of many options in Vatican City. Major attractions worth considering include La Pietà, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Baldachin (Baldacchino di San Pietro).