1. St. Peter's Basilica, 2. Apostolic Palace, 3. Sistine Chapel, 4. Vatican Museums, 5. St Peter’s Square, 6. Vatican Necropolis, 7. Etruscan Museum, 8. Pinacoteca, 9. Egyptian Museum, 10. Vatican Gardens. Are you finding information about the best places to visit in Holy See? If the answer is yes, don’t miss this article because Toplist has compiled a list of the best places for you to visit in Holy See! Let’s get started with the first name on the list today!
- St. Peter’s Basilica
- Apostolic Palace
- Sistine Chapel
- Vatican Museums
- St Peter’s Square
- Vatican Necropolis
- Etruscan Museum
- Pinacoteca
- Egyptian Museum
- Vatican Gardens
St. Peter’s Basilica
Let’s take a look inside the city’s tallest structure, St. Peter’s Basilica. The majestic St. Peter’s Basilica, the centerpiece of the Vatican and one of the best sites to visit, was erected between the 16th and 18th centuries, replacing earlier structures that began in 326 on what is supposed to be the site of St. Peter’s burial. The work of notable painters begins even before you enter the church: over the main doorway is a Bernini equestrian figure of Constantine and pieces of a mosaic by Giotto. It, like the double bronze doors, is from an antique church.
This intricately built church, one of Catholicism’s holiest locations, is capped by a regal dome and features interiors so grand they’ll certainly leave you speechless. Wind your way through massive paintings and up to St. Peter’s Baldachin, an extravagant pavilion-style canopy that looms over the high altar and was totally sculpted in bronze by the Baroque sculptor Bernini.
Location: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Best time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica: From 7:00 am to 9:00 am is the best time to visit St. Peter’s Basilica when the security wait is still manageable. Between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm when the security queue is extremely long.
St. Peter’s Basilica. Photo: thetrainline.com
St. Peter’s Basilica. Photo: tripsavvy.com
Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace is the official residence of the reigning Pope and is located in Vatican City to the northeast of St. Peter’s Basilica. Not to be confused with the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, the Pope’s old summer house; the Apostolic Palace is the Pope’s official residence. There are around 1,000 rooms in the palace, including various Papal Apartments, the Vatican Library, a few Catholic Church administration departments, and numerous private and public chapels, among other structures. The Apostolic Palace is made up of many places, including the Papal Apartments, and is officially where the pontiff gets his beauty sleep.
Although some sections of the Vatican are restricted to guests, you can still visit the Vatican Library and the Vatican Museums. Keep an eye out for the Swiss Guard, the Pope’s personal army, which is still dressed in full medieval regalia, including striped tunics, white ruffs, and plumed helmets.
Location: Apostolic Palace, Vatican City
Time to visit the Apostolic Palace: Between the hours of 8.30 am and 4.30 pm, you can visit the Apostolic Palace’s attractions.
Apostolic Palace. Photo: vatican.com
Apostolic Palace. Photo: tourtheholylands.com
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel is the next name on the list of the best places in Holy See that Toplist would like to introduce to you. This 15th-century chapel, housed within the Apostolic Palace, is a must-see attraction when visiting this country.
Sistine Chapel is the hallowed site of the papal conclave, where cardinals gather to vote for a new pope. The ceiling (a huge fresco called The Last Judgement) is adorned with awe-inspiring scenes of the Christian story, with over 300 exquisitely detailed figures, and was painstakingly painted over a four-year period by the Renaissance great Michelangelo. Every year, over five million tourists visit the Sistine Chapel.
Location: Sistine Chapel, Vatican City
Best time to visit Sistine Chapel: Early morning, before the throng arrives is the finest time to explore the Sistine Chapel. This is feasible thanks to early bird excursions that allow you to enter before 8 am. Seasonally, the Sistine Chapel is always crowded, and the flow of tourists coincides with Rome’s peak tourist season. Saturdays and public holidays are the busiest days of the week, with the Christmas and Easter holidays being the busiest of all.
Sistine Chapel. Photo: thoughtco.com
Sistine Chapel. Photo: tripsavvy.com
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums are massive, with 54 galleries and over 70,000 works of art. There are almost 20,000 separate pieces on display – just over a fourth of them are open to the public – so there is much to see.
Because the pass is valid for 72 hours, you can come back the next day if you did not get around to everything on your initial visit. Monday through Saturday, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, the Vatican Museums are open. The Museums are closed on Sundays and Catholic holidays such as Easter Monday and Christmas Day.
Location: Vatican Museums, Vatican City
Best time to visit Vatican Museums: The Vatican Museums are open to the public all year. However, the busiest season in Rome is from mid-March to early November. That means you will be sharing it with tens of thousands of other individuals. Except for Christmas and New Year, Rome and the Vatican Museums are tranquil and beautiful to visit from mid-November to early March.
Vatican Museums. Photo: getyourguide.com
Vatican Museums. Photo: vaticannews.va
St Peter’s Square
St. Peter’s Square is a famous piazza in front of the Basilica of St. Peter. This is the location to go for some extremely Instagrammable images, with imposing colonnades and a massive granite Egyptian obelisk dating from 37 AD among the many antique buildings surrounding it.
St. Peter’s Square is one of the most incredible squares in the world, with an uninterrupted line of Doric colonnades, stunning statues, and other exquisite monuments over a vast stretch of ground. This open space, which is a local landmark, hosts a variety of religious and cultural events throughout the year, including the Papal Audience. Thousands of people visit St. Peter’s Square each year to remember its history, attend events, or simply admire its beauty.
Location: St. Peter’s Square, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Citta del Vaticano, Vatican City
Time to visit St. Peter’s Square: Unless the Piazza is closed for a ceremony, you can visit St. Peter’s Square at any time of year.
St. Peter’s Square. Photo: vi.wikipedia.org
St. Peter’s Square. Photo: tripsavvy.com
Vatican Necropolis
The Vatican Necropolis, located beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, is a labyrinthine burial ground and a meticulously kept museum filled with paintings, woodwork, sculptures, and relics. The most significant finding, however, is a gravesite said to contain the remains of Saint Peter himself, a relic that the Vatican is still meticulously excavating.
Each day, only a certain number of tourists are permitted to visit, and tickets must be acquired directly from the Vatican Excavations Office. To visit, you will need to make an advance reservation, so while you are waiting for your time slot to arrive, spend some time seeing Rome. A fun segway trip will take you around the sights, and you will be back in time for your Vatican Necropolis excursion.
Location: Vatican Necropolis, Vatican City
Best time to visit Vatican Necropolis: The Vatican Necropolis is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. On Sundays, it is closed.
Vatican Necropolis. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Vatican Necropolis. Photo: thevaticantickets.com
Etruscan Museum
Have you never heard of the Etruscans Museum? You are not the only one who feels this way. The Etruscan Museum, established by Pope Gregory XVI in the mid-nineteenth century, contains 18 rooms of items that give new light to the Etruscans’ lives and beliefs about the afterlife. Not only funeral artifacts but also artworks and things from the daily lives of these fascinating people have been discovered in Etruscan graves throughout Tuscany. This civilization, which dates back to 900 BC, remains a mystery, but the National Etruscan Museum is working to change that.
The collection of ivory, copper and glass objects that are attractively displayed will open your eyes. Because of its small size, Etruscans Museum is a fantastic destination to stop by at the end of your Italy vacation, so leave your stuff at a nearby luggage storage facility and enjoy an educational stroll.
Location: Etruscan Museum, Vatican City
Time to visit Etruscan Museum: you can visit this destination from 08:30 am to 07:30 pm
Etruscan Museum. Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
Etruscan Museum. Photo: gody.vn
Pinacoteca
The Pinacoteca is a section of the Vatican Museums, yet it deserves its own mention because of the outstanding art it houses. The Pinacoteca comprises 16 rooms of precious art from the Middle Ages to contemporary works, despite Napoleon robbing it of many of its masterpieces. The photos, which are arranged in chronological sequence, provide an excellent overview of the evolution of Western art. Byzantine, Sienese, Umbrian, and Tuscan paintings, as well as a Giotto triptych and a Madonna and St. Nicholas of Bari by Fra Angelico, are among the works on display.
Pinacoteca is the place to be if you adore Leonardo da Vinci as much as tourists do. Admire his unfinished masterwork, Saint Jerome in the Wilderness, before moving on to world-famous works by Caravaggio and Giotto.
Location: Pinacoteca, Vatican City
Time to visit Pinacoteca: This place is open from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm (last entry 4:00 pm). Every last Sunday of the month, it is open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm (last entry at 12:30 pm)
Pinacoteca. Photo: througheternity.com
Pinacoteca. Photo: vatican.com
Egyptian Museum
The Gregorian Egyptian Museum has nine exciting rooms, each filled with treasures you would not expect to find in the heart of Italy. Examine stones with hieroglyphics carved on them, wooden sarcophagi, and even mummified skulls! As you take in the Egyptian flavor of this 19th-century museum, learn about Rome’s old ties with Cairo.
Much of the collection in Egyptian Museum was taken from the Emperor Hadrian’s Villa Adriana in Tivoli, where it had been amassed. Basalt and wooden sarcophagi, god and pharaoh sculptures, bronzes, mummified heads, burial reliefs, stelae with hieroglyphic inscriptions, statues of gods and animals, and papyri are among the highlights. Art from ancient Mesopotamia, vases and bronzes from Syria, and reliefs from Assyrian palaces may all be found in the last two rooms.
Location: Egyptian Museum, Vatican City
Best time to visit Egyptian Museum: open from Monday to Saturday, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm (last entry: 4:00 pm); from May 2nd to July 25th and September 5th to October 31st, this place is also open on Friday, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm with advanced booking. Another note for you is that this place is open for free on the last Sunday of each month, from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm.
Egyptian Museum. Photo: gody.vn
Egyptian Museum. Photo: portraitofasometimeslady.com
Vatican Gardens
The Vatican Gardens trace back to medieval times when the Papal Apostolic Palace was surrounded by orchards and vineyards. In 1279, Pope Nicholas III relocated his residence from the Lateran Palace to the Vatican, enclosing the region with walls. An orchard, a meadow, and a garden were all created by him.
The perfectly laid-out Vatican Gardens offer even more to see once you have taken in the striking architecture of Vatican City. This one requires some planning, as the gardens are only open to those who have made a reservation. Arrive early in the morning to capture the morning light on the fountains, flowers, and landscaped areas. The Vatican Gardens, which cover most of the Vatican Hill and cover an area of 23 hectares, are a natural, architectural, and artistic setting of extraordinary beauty and spirituality. In addition, there are various medieval defenses, Renaissance and Baroque structures and monuments, as well as gardens, parks, an orchard, and a 3-hectare woodland area.
Location: Vatican Gardens, Vatican City
Best time to visit Vatican Gardens: The gardens are open all year, but the ideal times to come are in the fall and spring.
Vatican Gardens. Photo: vaticancityguide.org
Vatican Gardens. Photo: thevaticantickets.com
