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Information About
the Vatican City in Rome
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Best
sites Information about theVatican City
Italia
Roma Città del Vaticano main attraction
www.vaticanguidedtour.com
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More than just
a city, the Vatican
(città del Vaticano) is actually the world's
smallest independent sovereign
state, established by the Lateran Treaties
in 1929. It is ruled by the Pope (il Papa)
and covers an area of just 108 acres / 43 hectares.
Close to the right bank of the River Tiber (Fiume
Tevere), the Vatican City has its own civil
and judicial systems, post office, bank, newspaper,
radio station, supermarket and railway station.
Often referred to as the Holy See, the most
popular places to visit include St. Peter's
Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) and the
Sistine Chapel (cappella Sistina).
The Pope usually gives a public audience
at 11:00 every Wednesday, and if you wish to attend
you should apply at the nearby Prefetura della
Casa Pontifica on the day before.
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Rome St.Peter's Basilica
Information
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St. Peter's
Basilica / Church (San Pietro in Montorio)
- Piazza San Pietro, Rome 00193
 First
opened in 326 AD, this great temple stands
over the tomb of St. Peter, the founder of
the Church of Rome. It was torn down during
the Renaissance, to make way for a grand
basilica which took around 150 years to complete.
The dome, which dominates the church,
was designed by Michelangelo and you can
reach the top by using an elevator and stairs, where
there are some stunning panoramic views of
the city, from over 100 metres / 328 feet high.
The church contains a number of well-known
works, including the canopy over the high
altar, a majestic creation by Bernini,
the gilt bronze Chair of St. Peter, the monument
to Clement XIII by Canova,
and Michelangelo's famous 'Pietà', a wonderful
marble sculpture. The Basilica is
nowadays 187 metres / 613 feet long and 132 metres
/ 432 feet high and is the heart of Christianity.
The cavernous interior holds a staggering 60,000
people for services and blessings.
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Rome Vatican Museum -
Sistine Chapel Information
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Vatican Museums
(Musei Vaticani)
- Viale Vaticano, Rome, Italy
 The
Vatican Museums
are a group of palaces which house
some of the most important collections
in the world. There are several exhibitons,
including the Etruscan Museum, Raphael
Rooms and Loggias, the Egyptian
Museum and the world-famous Sistine
Chapel, which is probably the most important
part of this vast museum complex.
Also worth a visit are Raphael's Rooms
(Stanze di Raffaello), several rooms
of the Vatican apartment that were
painted by Raphael at the request
of Pope Julius II. The The Vatican Museums
are part of the Vatican Palace, which
has been the official residence of the
Pope since 1377. With painted ceilings,
chapels, an estimated 1,400 rooms and
many galleries, there are approximately
5 miles / 8 km of exhibits.
Open: daily - 08:45 to 16:45, Satudays to
13:45
Admission: charge - free entrance every
last Sunday of the month
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Tour of the Vatican
- Sistine Chapel Tour
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The Sistine
Chapel (Cappella Sistina)
- Rome, Italy
Built for Pope Sixtus IV in 1475,
the Sistine Chapel is probably the
Vatican's ultimate building and crowning
glory. In 1483 it was decorated by some
of the best painters in the world -
Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio,
Signorelli and others. However, it was
Michelangelo whose painting of the
vast ceiling and his masterpiece
'The Last Judgment, that have made
this chapel famous throughout the world.
Pope Julius II ordered Michelangelo
to paint the ceiling of the Chapel
in 1508 and this was an enormous task to
undertake. The ceiling is 929 square metres
/ 10,000 square feet and it took him over
three years to paint the scenes, some of
which depict the story of creation, for
which he was paid very little. Michelangelo's
painting 'The Last Judgment was
painted on the wall over the altar in 1541.
When it was unveiled it shocked many Vatican
officials, especially one member, Biago
di Cesena, who critised its indecent
nudes. In retaliation, Michelangelo painted
Biago's face on a figure with donkey's ears
in Hades and he also painted his own face
on the wrinkled human skin in the hand of
St. Bartholomew.
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VATICAN MUSEUM+COLISEUM TOUR
NO
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Combined Tour Special
Price
€ 65 All inclusive
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WIth privileged entrance (no line)
TAX AND ENTRANCE FEES INCLUDED
DURATION: AROUND 2,5 HOURS
EACH TOUR |
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