Vatican: Italy and not Italy
The Vatican is a tiny state in the center of Rome, but at the same time and the capital of the huge Christian world. I will tell you how to get to the Vatican on my own, how to see the Sistine chapel that there is still interesting and orient at prices.
From many points of the Italian capital, the dome of the largest Catholic Cathedral in the world is visible – the Basilica of St. Peter. And when you go to the Sant’Angelo Bridge, and then by Via Cychiliasis (street of reconciliation) you go to St. Peter’s Square, it does not come to mind that you have just moved the border and are now on the territory of another state.
It seems that little has changed: money and language are the same, people as much as everywhere in the center of Rome, there are no border pillars and customs officers. Nevertheless, this is the territory of the Vatican.
Vatican – the smallest state in the world – just a few quarters – is located almost in the center of Rome.
What is Vatican
Before telling how to get to the Vatican yourself, you need to understand where we are going at all: why this is a separate state and why it is so small.
How do official sources say, "The Vatican is auxiliary sovereign territory of the Holy See, the residence of the highest spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church".
State status and all the situation associated with this status are quite complex and confusing. But to understand where we are, something is clarified.
Holy Throne is more important than the Vatican, all diplomatic agreements conclude with the Holy Throne. Vatican is only a residence, the name of the city-state.
Name ; Vatican ; For the first time officially applied only in 1929 when signing Lateran agreements.
Vatican and Holy See is not the same.
For example, if the holy throne officially uses Latin, then in the Vatican Italian. Embassies of other countries are accredited with the holy throne, and not at the Vatican. The territory of him is very small, and all these embassies are placed in Rome outside the Vatican. Even the Embassy of Italy under the Holy Prestole is located in Rome.
Such a paradox.
The smallest state on earth can be called one of the richest in artistic and historical terms.
Then the amount of treasure that is stored in the Vatican museums is comparable to the number of stored wealth of the several world’s largest museums.
The wealth of the library of the Vatican and his archives may envy all scientists of the planet community. We will not mention the participation of the Vatican in the history of Europe; this topic deserves a separate book, and not articles.
The history of the Vatican – in short
Vatican history more than two thousand years.
In the first decades of Rome, this terrain, which included the Vatican Hill was wetrated, the hill was considered sacred.
In the time of the empire, there were villas and gardens Agrippines, Mother caligules. With it, they were built by the racetrack, on which he was subsequently executed St. Peter. He was also buried. Through almost three hundred years above his burial, the basil, The first temple of St. Peter. And since then the Vatican became gradually settled.
The Vatican did not immediately become the residence of the Pope and the entire Roman curia (Roman Kuria – the chief administrative body of the Holy See).
Rome himself was the capital of the papal state for a long time, and Pope was located in the Lateran Palace, which is quite far from the Vatican. But church possessions around the Basilica of St. Peter have grown, the hill and the space adjacent to it slowly, but it was correctly built.
At the beginning of the XVI century, Julius II laid the beginning of the fact that we are known today as the Vatican Museums. There were already palaces, gardens, residences, surrounded by powerful walls.
Pope completed and rebuilt the palaces, increased the walls, something joined the territory of the Vatican, were deprived of something. They decorated their palaces and temples, attracting the best artists and sculptors to work.
Museum Foundations The rich, archives and the library have been fulfilled – the Vatican lived full in all senses. At the same time, he remained a district of the scared Rome, he did not have a special status, except that from certain pores there began to live and finish the fate of the Christian world of the Holy See.
In 1870, the papal state ceased to exist, since Italy became one, and Rome – its capital.
Papal State, essentially annexed. In this position, for the Holy See for almost 60 years, while February 11, 1929 Lateran agreements were not signed between the Holy Throne and the Italian kingdom, which were finally settled by the position of the Holy See, his relationship with Italy (territorial, financial, administrative and.).
So the city-state of the Vatican appeared.
How to get to the Vatican yourself
For tourists in the Vatican there are two main available places for them: St. Peter’s Square and, in fact, entrance to the Vatican Museums.
From Fiumicino Airport
If you flew to the airport Fiumicino, You can use Aeroexpress "Leonardo", Which is 14 Euro Take you to the Central Railway Station Termini, There you will reproach on the subway.
Ticket for an hour and a half in the subway costs 1.50 Euro. You will need Line A, direction "Battistini", Stops "Cipro-Musei Vaticani" or "Ottaviano-S.Pietro » (these stations follow one after another).
To the walls of the Vatican, where the entrance to the museums is located, you will need 10 minutes to go on foot.
From Fiumicino almost to the Vatican go Buses "Sit Bus Shuttle", site: sitbusshuttle.Com. Buses run every half an hour, in the way they are about 50 minutes, one side ticket is worth 6 Euro (time on the way may increase due to traffic jams).
Bus starts from Terminal 3.
In Rome, stop in the parking lot behind the castle of Sant Angelo. Before St. Peter’s Square, you will reach ten minutes if you google the lock and exit on VIA Correlation.
From Champino Airport
From Champino Airport In the city, in addition to buses-shuttle, there is a bus "TERRAVISION PULLMAN", The site of the company: www.Terravision.EU, It is a trip 5 Euro. There is a bus without stopping straight to Termini Station.
On a taxi you spend no less than 50 euros. And this is the starting price.
How to get to the Vatican on public transport
You can use urban land transport:
- Buses 32, 81, 982 Take you straight to Risorgimento Square (Piazza del Risorgimento),
- Bus routes 492 and 990 stop at Via Leone IV
- Bus 49th route relying straightforwards to the entrance to the Museums of the Vatican.
- On the area of the risorman stops and Tram line per number 19.
How to get to the Vatican on foot
To get to the Vatican on my own, it is best to go through the Roman streets and get to the Vatican on my two.
The easiest way from the center of Rome to reach the Vatican:
From Venice Square (Piazza Venezia) Turn left and boldly step by Via del PlebeScito, she will soon be called Victorio Emmanuel II Avenue (Corso Vittorio Emanuele II), go to the bridge of his name.
Now the rest of the prospectus will change the name on VIA San Pio X (Via San Pio X), which has been retained in the previously mentioned Via Cychiliasis, on which you will go to St. Peter’s Square and to the same name Basilica.
Getting from Square to Vatican Museums You can, if you turn right and go along the Vatican Walls to the Vale Vaticano (Viale Vaticano).
Where to stay in Vatican
In the Vatican itself, it will not be able to stop.
On the territory of this little state there is no place for overnight travel tourists. But sites www.Airbnb.RU, www.Booking.Com help you find accommodation nearby. This, by the way, is not always cheap, after all, the city center.
When choosing a hotel / apartment / apartments, carefully learn the location of your future housing on the map. Marking "Next to the Vatican" in the ads is not always true.
Discount hotels near Vatican
What to see in the Vatican
If you went to the Vatican yourself, of course, see Watch Museums Vatican and San Pietro Cathedral (St. Peter).
Saint Paul’s Cathedral
The entire ensemble of Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter’s Square) deserves a separate inspection and conversation. Huge and at the same time light Piazza – the brilliant creation of Bernini – is crowned with the colossal and beautiful cathedral.
Basilica San Pietro, Cathedral, Ceremonial Center for the Roman Catholic Church – this is the third of the building of the temple. The first basilica was built in 326 under the emperor Konstantin Great.
Under the altar of the cathedral there is a place, which for a long time is considered the grave of St. Peter. After almost five hundred years, the Coronation of Charles Great. This temple stood a little more than a thousand years and, of course, began to wind, threatening to collapse.
Pope Julius II decided the question is drastically: ordered on the site of the old basilica to build a new one, huge, what else did not see the light. From 1506, when the Donat Bramteh project was approved, on 1626, it was work on the construction and decoration of the cathedral. The best forces of Italian Fine Artwork worked on him: Bramte, Rafael, Michelangelo, Bernini. And this list is not complete.
Construction of the cathedral survived several dads.
When the cathedral was erected, the area in front of him took. Lorenzo Bernini made his masterpiece – designed the area and a unique colonnade around her. Depending on how the angle is looking at the colonnade, it misses the view and light, it becomes a wall closing everything behind her.
Area decorate two fountains and ancient Egyptian obelisk. It accommodates the area of any little 400 thousand people.
In the cathedral itself, the number of masterpieces of painting, sculptures, architecture and applied art is simply shrinking abroad.
One bronze altar balladahin of the work of Bernini and his dove on the stained glass where the altar costs to pay a lot of time on their contemplation.
The Cathedral stores the Great "Pieta" Michelangelo. To mention the dome, thess, chairs of the cathedral, about his entrance doors, grottoes and necropolis no sense.
You just need to come there and inspect everything yourself.
Entrance to the cathedral is free.
Opening hours:
- From October 1 to March 31 from 7:00 to 18:30
- from April 1 to September 30 from 7:00 to 19:00
You can get into the necropolis of the cathedral by appointment. The ticket costs 12 Euro.
Climb the dome of the Cathedral of St. Peter from 8:00 to 17:00 on the winter schedule and until 18:00 Summer. The rise is worth 8 Euro (if you climb the elevator, and then on foot), and 6 Euro (if all 551 steps you will pass your own legs).
Museums Vatican
Vatican Museums – this is a colossal collection of an ancient sculpture (Egyptian, Greek, Roman), applied art, painting, tapestries, cards, household items. These are luxurious interiors of palaces.
Journey through museum chairs begins with a spacious yard fir bump. Near the entrance to the yard – the same bump, antique bronze sculpture, and in the center of the courtyard – the mysterious modern creation "Sphere".
Move to Milan from St. Petersburg and study in Italy
In the sculptural halls, the originals of the sculptures "Laocoon", "Apollo", "Hermes", the famous Belvederey Torso, porphyry sarcophagi and baths, masks and columns will be performed in front of you.
In the halls of Pinakotek are stored Jotto and Leonardo Da Vinci, Perugino and Pinturikoko, Raphael and Titian, Caravaggio and Crankha – 18 Pinakotek halls will present you samples of painting from the XII to the XIX century.
Historical Museum Shows both the vehicles where the dads moved (from Palalankins to Papamobili) and uniform, flags, household items Pontiffs, documents and photos.
Galleries of geographical maps and tapestry It is difficult to describe in general – so this is a unique collection, it must be seen.
And of course, The Sistine Chapel, Sacred place, final point of any excursion. In the chapel you can not talk, but you can’t talk there: you just suffocate from admiration and shocks.
How to buy a ticket to Museums Vatican
Vatican museums are so popular with Rome guests, which, approaching the Vatican, you will see a huge queue of thirsty Buy Tickets for Museums.
Luck, as a rule, smiles at the one who comes to the Italian capital in the tourist group, whose visit to the Vatican is in the program and already paid. Or those who take place in the queue even before dawn. If you arrived in the Vatican yourself, you can hardly want to spend a few hours under the walls of the city to see the box office.
Now with the help of the Internet, you can buy tickets before. To do this, you need to decide where you want to get. Vatican offers a visit not only to the standard set of museums.
The set includes:
- Egyptian Museum,
- Gazebo,
- Hall Konstantin,
- Pinakotek,
- Museums Pio Clementino and Pio-Christiano,
- Museum of Kareet,
- Grigorian museums,
- Galleries of tapestries and geographical maps,
- Museum of Numismatics and Filateli,
- Rafael Machines,
- Apartments Alexandra Brodhia,
- And, of course, Sicstinskaya Capella
Worth a ticket to this set – 16 Euro.
Vatican museums offer group excursions accompanied by an official guide:
- Vatican Museums and Necropolis – 26 Euro (Excursion duration – 1.5 hours),
- Vatican Museums, Ancient Roman Necropolis and Vatican Gardens – 37 Euro (Excursion duration – 3 hours),
- Open Bus – Vatican Gardens (Vatican Garden Ride on Minibus + Museum Pass and Visiting Sicstinskaya Capella) – 36 euros;
- Breakfast in Vatican museums is an early visit to museums (before opening them for the general public, from 7:15 am). Start from breakfast in the buffet, then inspection of the museum collection with an audio guide (there is in Russian). Big plus excursions – this is the lack of a large cluster of viewers in the museum halls – 65 euros.
Recently, such a service appeared – "Vatican on the train". Vatican has its own train station and its railway. This road is very small. Vasy pass through the Vatican Railway, we will unite not only museums and the Gardens of the Vatican, but also We will be in the subfieldage subfield – Castel Gandolfo.
Different excursion set determines the ticket price – from 16 to 50 euros.
To buy a ticket to the Vatican Museums, you need to go to this site: Biglietteriamusei.Vatican.VA
You must register on the site and choose a service. But remember that for each paid unit you will have to pay more and Service collection in the amount of 4 euros.
With bought online tickets you can go to the entrance to the museums without turn.
Audio guide is worth 7 Euro, it can also be paid on the site. Certified guide services 250 euros for excursion.
Every last Sunday of the month to go to Vatican museums you can.
Only for this come need as early as possible. Usually on such days already at 9 am the turn is stretched a few kilometers.
Vatican museums work with 9:00 to 16:00 (winter timetable) and until 17:00 (Summer timetable).
Where to eat in the Vatican
Visiting the Museums of the Vatican need to devote a whole day, perhaps and not one. Therefore, we recommend to read well before going.
Coming on a tour with food is impossible: At the entrance to the museums and the Cathedral will check you. Of course, restaurants, pizzerias, cafe-bistro are provided on the territory of the Vatican.
But they are not very spacious, and through museums there is a huge number of people. And unfortunately, these institutions do not boast of good reviews. However, just in case you have Link to the page from the official website of the Vatican Museums.
I recommend not to expect from cafes and restaurants of the Vatican Details, you are more important to have a snack for maintaining forces to continue inspection. And you can eat normally already in the city, in proven cafes and restaurants.
The exit to the roof of the Cathedral of St. Peter has a cafeteria, there you can drink a cup of espresso, looking at St. Peter’s Square and Panorama Rome.
What to bring from the Vatican (souvenirs)
Souvenir products in the Vatican for sale a lot.
This is a standard set of goods: from magnets and booklets to reduced copies of masterpieces from museums. The main emphasis is placed on goods with religious theme: tanks, cross, icons, all kinds of Pope Pope.
A large number of souvenir shops is at the entrance to St. Peter’s Square. Immediately I need to say: all this products are not cheap. It is best to have cash with you, in the Vatican, frequent failures in the work of terminals for paying cards.
Having been in the Vatican, you will move away from shocks seen and eventually feel some breaking inside: it seems to be not left from Italy, and Rome did not leave, but visited as if in another world. The way it is. The Vatican is Italy, and not Italy at the same time, it is a purely Italian neoplasm, which has been for many years. Paradox? More thanks.
Thank you for reading. If you like my article, share it with friends. Also leave comments if you went to the Vatican yourself and you have something to say.
