The Department for the Byzantine-Medieval art is responsible for the care of the artistic heritage of the Museums and the Apostolic Palace from the end of the late Middle Ages (late eleventh century) to the early years of the fifteenth century with regard to the artists belonging to the International Gothic movement. The Department also includes the collection of icons.&nbsp;

The Department&rsquo;s task is the protection, enhancement and study of medieval paintings and icons and of what remains of the masonry and decorative works of the ancient Vatican Papal Palace, whose foundation and gradual expansion before the fifteenth century are due above all to the pontiffs Eugene III (1145- 1153), Innocent III (1198-1216) and Niccol&ograve; III (1277-80).&nbsp;

Particular attention is paid to the scientific updating, to the didactics and to the exhibition of medieval paintings in the first two rooms of the Pinacoteca. Among these works on display are masterpieces of the great protagonists of the painting of the period: Margaritone, Simone Martini, Lippo Memmi, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Giotto, Puccio Capanna, Vitale da Bologna, but also Gentile da Fabriano and Olivuccio di Ciccarello, lingering exponents of the International Gothic.

Since 1978, the collection of icons has been exhibited in Room XVIII of the Pinacoteca, a space that is dedicated entirely to Eastern sacred art.&nbsp;

Almost all the paintings come from the Sacred Museum of the Vatican Library, where the collection began in 1820 with the intention of documenting the origins and events of Christianity thanks to the precious iconographic repertoire accompanying these works. The &quot;Primitives collection&quot; was later enlarged and in 1837 the paintings were placed in the wardrobes designed by Raffaele Stern for Cardinal Zelada of the current &ldquo;Room of the Addresses.&rdquo;

Saint Pius X (1903-1914) was the first to consider medieval paintings not only as testimonies of faith but also as works of art; it was thus that the so-called &quot;Primitives&quot; were passed to the Vatican Pinacoteca, which was reorganized in 1909.

The current site of medieval paintings is the building erected by Pius XI (1922-1939) in which all the paintings of the old Pinacoteca (1932) converged. The department is dedicated to the study of works and their restoration, to the curation of exhibitions and temporary displays. The Department dedicates in-depth studies to the works being restored, curates exhibitions and temporary installations, updates the didactic section of the works on display, and participates in conferences The results of its research find space in targeted publications.

Byzantine - Medieval Art

Dr. Umberto Utro

This department encompasses the collections of Christian antiquities housed in the Lateran Palace until 1963. The Curator is Dr. Umberto Utro, and the Assistant is Dr. Alessandro Vella. The collection was founded by Pius IX in 1854. Previously, in 1852, Pius IX set up the Commission for Christian Archaeology given the task of &ldquo;conducting excavations in the catacombs and assuming responsibility for their maintenance.&rdquo; The monuments which could not be preserved on site, were transferred to this museum where they could be suitably protected and appreciated. The exhibition was arranged by Father Giuseppe Marchi and Giovanni Battista De Rossi. It originally consisted of two sections: the first, Pius Christian Museum, devoted to sculptures, mosaics and architectural fragments. The second, Christian Lapidary, was devoted to inscriptions. The first section is the only one open to public as a whole, and it places special emphasis on the countless collection of the early Christian sarcophagi. Moreover, the latter are arranged by subject and type. The second section contains historical inscriptions pertaining to public monuments and places of worship, poems of Pope Damasus I, tomb inscriptions with significant public dates, or those pertaining to various Christian dogmas, or the ecclesiastical hierarchy, and inscriptions accompanied by symbols. This second section can be visited upon prior request. A third section &ndash; the Jewish Lapidary &ndash; was added in 1914 and is completely open to the public. It is the most important collection It is the most important collection of inscriptions from an ancient Jewish community of the Diaspora and contains hundreds of sepulchral inscriptions and contains hundreds of sepulchral inscriptions, mainly from the Roman Jewish catacomb of Monteverde.

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Christian Antiquities

The Decorative Arts Department is a relatively new section of the Vatican Museums. In fact, this department was created in 1999 by Pope John Paul II who wished to place the Vatican Museum Library under the jurisdiction of the Vatican Museums. However, the origins of the rooms that form the Vatican Museums Library reach back to 1756, during the papacy of Benedict XIV when the Christian Museum (which includes three rooms: Christian Museum, Room of the Tributes and Room of The Tributes to Pius IX) was the first to be formally addressed as the Vatican Museums (Costitutio Optimarum Artium). The objects on display in the Christian Museum rooms were intended for scholars and priests who, while studying the origins of Christianity in the Library, could easily compare and complete their readings with the actual objects. Professor Guido Cornini is the curator of this section, and he is assisted by Dr. Claudia Lega. The Decorative Arts Department takes care of the Christian Museum, the Profane Museum and the Museum of the Gifts. Indeed, these three Museums form part of the Gallery of the Ancient Library (or Vatican Library Museum), a gallery our Patrons are accustomed to walking through when they visit the Vatican Museums as it is also the exit for the visitors leaving the Sistine Chapel. Since October 2008, this Department has also acquired micro mosaics, liturgical vestments, as well as medieval and modern ceramics of the Vatican Museums.

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Decorative Arts

Dr. Alessia Amenta

Headed by Dr. Alessia Amenta, the Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities Department includes the&nbsp;Museo Gregoriano Egizio Egyptian Museum and the collection of Egyptian and Ancient Near East artifacts, together with a collection of Islamic objects. Founded by Pope&nbsp;Gregory XVI in 1839, the Egyptian Museum was arranged by Father L.M. Ungarelli, one of&nbsp;the first Italian Egyptologists. Rooms I and II still contain decorative motifs which imitate&nbsp;Egyptian architecture, dated to the opening of the museum: cornices, columns and winged solar discs. Room II contains the&nbsp;inscription by Gregory XVI on the cornice, written in hieroglyphics and composed by Father&nbsp;Ungarelli to celebrate the foundation of this museum. Rooms III and IV still retain their&nbsp;original early 19th Century decoration, with the walls painted in imitation alabaster and&nbsp;various landscapes evoking Egypt painted by Giuseppe de Fabris. The collection consists&nbsp;of Egyptian and Egyptianizing antiquities acquired by the popes, but mostly donated, from the late 18th Century on.&nbsp;

Egyptian and Near Eastern Antiquities

Dr. Rosanna Barbera

The epigraphic heritage collection, collected and preserved by the Holy See in the 17th Century and entrusted to the Vatican Museums, consists of more than 15,000 ancient inscriptions. They are medieval and modern, in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, and mostly on stone supports.

The Curator of this important collection is Professor Giorgio Filippi. Professor Filippi is essentially the librarian of a library made of stone where the visitor can find a lot of information about languages, religions, military, government, society, business, places and peoples, in particular about the ancient world. The Epigraphic Department was part of the Classical Antiquities Department until 1971, when it became the Department for the Epigraphic Collection.

The epigraphic materials are on show in various areas of the Vatican Museums, the most important being the Lapidary Gallery, where the Patrons Office is also located, and which represents the connection between the Vatican Museums, Classical Antiquities Gallery, and the Apostolic Building, the First Loggia. The members of the staff are supervised by Professor Filippi, Prof. Ivan Di Stefano Manzella and the assistant Dr. Rosanna Barbera.

Epigraphic Collections

Dr. Nadia Fiussello

The Ethnological Collections Department is a testament to the pontiffs&#39; enduring interest in the diverse cultures and civilizations of the world. It houses collections from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Oceania. The Curator is Nadia Fiussello, supported by Assistants Romina Cometti and Jean-Fran&ccedil;ois Genotte.

The Vatican Ethnological Museum owes its origins to the vision of Pope Pius XI, who transformed the temporary Missionary Exhibition held in the Vatican in 1925 into a permanent museum. The Ethnological Museum was inaugurated on December 21, 1927, and was housed in the Lateran Palace until 1963. The first director was Fr. Wilhelm Schmidt, assisted by Fr. Pancrazio Maarschalkerweerd and Fr. Michael Schulien, who succeeded Schmidt as director in 1939.

Another great pontiff, St. Paul VI, is credited with returning the Ethnological Museum to the Vatican from the Lateran. He placed it alongside the other great artistic and cultural collections of the past centuries, reaffirming its importance within the Vatican Museums.

The Museum was divided into two &ldquo;routes.&rdquo; The main route, designed for the general public, was inaugurated on April 19, 1973, while the secondary route, intended for scholars, followed in 1979. Two additional sections, dedicated to prehistory and boat models, were introduced in subsequent years. This reorganization was the result of the efforts of Fr. Jozef Penkowski, who succeeded Fr. Schulien as director in 1967.

As time passed, it became evident that displaying artifacts in an unstable environment posed risks to their integrity. Consequently, two projects focused on collections care and a third on restoration were launched in 1997 under the guidance of Msgr. Roberto Zagnoli.

From July 2009 to December 2023, Fr. Nicola Mapelli served as curator. He upheld the legacy of past pontiffs, emphasizing the importance of reconnecting and bridging the museum&rsquo;s collections with their original cultures. Over the past 20 years, the Ethnological Museum has undergone significant transformations, including major renovations in how its materials are displayed.

The Australia and Oceania section was inaugurated by Pope Francis in 2019, while the Africa and Americas section was completed at the end of 2022. Currently, work is underway on a new Asia exhibition and the creation of a new entrance and exit, both scheduled for completion in 2026.

Today, the Museum is known as Anima Mundi&mdash;&ldquo;The Soul of the World: Peoples, Art, and Cultures.&rdquo; This name transcends the ethnology and orientalism of the 19th and 20th centuries, embodying the Vatican Museums&rsquo; aspiration to continue Paul VI&#39;s vision. It reflects an inclusive spirit, as Pope Francis envisions the museum as a welcoming home where people from all over the world can reconnect with their roots.

Ethnological Collections Anima Mundi

Dr. Maurizio Sannibale

The section of Etruscan and Italic antiquities includes about 15,000 works, of which almost 4,000 are exhibited in the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, which in its itinerary through twenty-two rooms also includes the sectors called Collection of Vases and Antiquarium Romanum. 
Its curator, since 1996, is Dr. Maurizio Sannibale, archaeologist specialized in Etruscology. 
The museum, commissioned by Pope Gregory XVI from which it takes its name, was inaugurated on February 2nd, 1837. It was one of the first public museums specifically dedicated to Etruscan antiquities after the previous eighteenth-century foundations of Tuscan milieu (Etruscan Academy of Cortona and Guarnacci Museum in Volterra).

 
His birth coincides with an exciting season of excavations and discoveries that in those years involved some of the most important cities of ancient Etruria, then included in the territory of the Papal States, in particular Vulci, Cerveteri and Tarquinia. The museum also brought together works already present in the Vatican since the 18th century or even the result of more ancient collecting. 
Since its foundation the museum occupies the Papal Apartment of Retreat of Tor dei Venti, on the noble floor of the building begun by Michelangelo and Girolamo da Carpi in 1550 for Julius III and finished in 1564 by Pirro Ligorio under Pio IV, with its majestic scenery of the Nicchione which overlooks the courtyard of the Pigna, used by the Popes between the second half of the sixteenth and the first half of the seventeenth century. 
During the twentieth century, with four renovations, the Museum almost tripled its surface, extending also over the wing erected at the time of Pius VI and over the fifteenth-century Palace of Innocent VIII, also called the Belvedere. 
The works illustrate the artistic civilization and the millenary history of the Etruscan people, from the Iron Age (9th century BC) to its assimilation into the structure of the Roman state in the 1st century BC. Among these are famous masterpieces of ancient art, such as the jewellery of the Regolini-Galassi tomb, the bronze statue of the Mars of Todi, the Exekias amphora.

Etruscan - Italic  Antiquities

Dr. Claudia Valeri

The Classical Antiquities Department is one of the largest sections of the Vatican Museums and includes all the statuary, both Greek and Roman, of the ancient papal collection. Its Director is Dr. Giandomenico Spinola, and he oversees some of the most famous and fascinating areas of the Vatican Museums and &quot;outside territories of Vatican&quot; including Castel Gandolfo, the archaeological sites of:&nbsp;Saint John in Lateran,&nbsp;Saint Mary Major,&nbsp;Santa Maria di Galeria, and&nbsp;Palazzo della Cancelleria.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the Vatican Museums the Classical antiquities Department pertains: the&nbsp;Pio Clementino Museum&nbsp;is one of the most beautiful and most frequently visited areas of the Vatican and is located within the Octagonal Courtyard. This particular courtyard was the inner courtyard of the Belvedere and is considered the heart of the Museum. Originally square in shape and surrounded by orange trees; it was here that Pope Julius II placed his collection of ancient statues in 1503.

The&nbsp;Gallery of the Candelabra&nbsp;(1761) was originally an open loggia and was named after the candelabra, which stand in front of the pillars. The arcades of the Gallery were closed by Simonetti and Camporese under Pius VI. The ceiling of the Gallery was painted by Domenico Torti and Ludwig Seitz under the Pontificate of Leo XIII during the years of 1883-87.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Chiaramonti Museum&nbsp;was named after the family of its founder, Pius VII, and has only slightly changed in appearance since it was first laid out by the great sculptor, Antonio Canova. Nearly one thousand pieces of ancient sculpture are exhibited in the Museum, including statues of gods, portrait statues, pagan altars, architectural ornaments, urns and sarcophagi.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;Braccio Nuovo, which was ideated by Raffaele Stern under Pope Pius VII (1800-1823) in order to provide new spaces for the works of art taken to France by Napoleon and finally returned to the Vatican thanks to Antonio Canova.

The&nbsp;Gregoriano Profano Museumcontains a collection of antiquities formerly housed in the Lateran Museum. This particular collection was originally installed in the Lateran Palace by Gregory XVI and inaugurated on May 14, 1844. Most of the material within the collection comes from previous excavations and finds within the Papal States: Greek originals and copies made during the Roman Imperial period (1st-3rd Cent. AD), Greek originals of the Classical Age (5th-4th Cent. BC) and miscellaneous Roman sculptures arranged in chronological order: historical portraits and reliefs, urns, funerary monuments, sarcophagi, cult statues, and ornamental sculpture.

The recent excavation at&nbsp;Santa Rosarevealed one of the most fascinating and appreciated archaeological sites in the world. Given its early time period (I Century BC- III AD) and pagan content, the site entered the Museum&rsquo;s care. Unique to the site, all the objects of the ancient middle-class cemetery were left in the exact place they were found.&nbsp;The setting of several catwalks allows visitors to walk through the archaeological site. The inscriptions on the tombs and ancient colombari have proven new details of&nbsp;the period&rsquo;s Roman life and culture.

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Greek and Roman Antiquities

Dr. Sandro Barbagallo

Since its foundation by Pope Paul VI in 1973, the Vatican Historical Museum has functioned as an archive and display for a rich collection of objects illustrating the history of the Papal States. The Curator is Dr. Sandro Barbagallo, and the Museum consists of two parts &mdash; the Historical Museum and the Carriage Museum. While the Carriage Museum remains in Vatican City, below the Square Garden of the Vatican Museums, the main Historical collection occupies a satellite location at the Lateran Apostolic Palace, adjacent to the Basilica of St. John in Laterano in the city of Rome. These divisions of the Vatican Historical Museum were inaugurated in 1991.

The Historical Museum houses a variety of artifacts, including a series of papal portraits from the sixteenth century to the present, testimonials of the Pontifical Military Corps, records of the papal chapel and household, as well as relics of papal ceremony no longer in use.

Perhaps the highlight of its collection, however, is the building itself, a palace built by architect Domenico Fontana to replace the existing papal residence during the infamous pontificate of Sixtus V (1585-1590). The walls of the four large halls and eight rooms that make up this Papal Apartment at the Lateran Apostolic Palace are covered in late Mannerist frescoes, which appropriately depict the History of Rome and its popes. These rooms are also decorated with rich tapestries of various periods and schools (some Gobelins of French making, others from the Barberini and San Michele workshops in Rome), wooden sculptures from the thirteenth to eighteenth centuries, historical paintings, and other papal memorabilia, including liturgical vestments of the Borghese-Hercolani Collection. The second wing, the Carriage Museum, is an annex wing on the ground floor of the Vatican Museums that houses and displays the Vatican&rsquo;s historic collection of papamobili&mdash; decorated carriages, saddles, sedans, wagons, and even the first cars used by the Popes.

Historical Collections

Dr. Alessandra Rodolfo

Initially encompassing Byzantine, Medieval, and XV-XVI century art, the Department was formally established in 2008 following the updated Regulation of the Vatican Museums. Among its treasures, the tapestry and textile collection stands out as one of the oldest known. Though diminished over centuries by the effects of time and Napoleonic looting, the collection originated in the fifteenth century, driven by the pontiffs&rsquo; enduring passion for commissioning these exquisite pieces. A notable highlight is the celebrated Acts of the Apostles series, commissioned by Pope Leo X (1513&ndash;1521) for the Sistine Chapel, based on designs by Raphael and his pupils and produced in Pieter van Aelst&rsquo;s renowned Brussels workshop.&nbsp;

 
In the same gallery of the Vatican Pinacoteca, visitors can admire the remarkable Last Supper tapestry, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci&rsquo;s Cenacolo, a gift from King Francis I of France to Pope Clement VII in 1533. The collection also features a Flemish series depicting episodes from the Life of Christ, crafted in the early sixteenth century by Raphael&rsquo;s students, and a seventeenth-century series narrating episodes from the Life of Urban VIII, woven in a Roman workshop founded by Cardinal Antonio Barberini, a nephew of the pope. This enduring papal tradition continued into the eighteenth century with the establishment of a tapestry workshop by Clement XI Albani in the Hospice of San Michele in Rome. The workshop met the artistic and furnishing needs of the pontiffs until the Unification of Italy, producing works of exceptional value that remain in the collection.

 
The Department plays a vital role in advancing knowledge and appreciation of these works through scientific research, publications, conferences, study sessions, and exhibitions. It develops educational materials for visitors and oversees the protection, supervision, and restoration of the collection. Additionally, it fosters collaborations and exchanges with scholars and institutions across Italy and abroad, ensuring the ongoing preservation and celebration of this rich cultural heritage.

Tapestries and Textiles

Dr. Micol Forti

The 19th Century and Contemporary Art Collection is displayed in no less than fifty-five rooms of the Vatican Museums. This Department is overseen by Dr. Micol Forti. The collection, inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1973, is comprised of 600 works including paintings, along with sculpture and graphic works of art. These were collected thanks to the generosity of artists, collectors and public and private benefactors. Most of the donations were the outcome of direct contacts with the art world that Pope Paul VI fostered following his meeting with artists in the Sistine Chapel on May 7,1964.

On that occasion, the Pope emphasized the need to re-establish a dialogue between the Church and contemporary art. His hope was that the close and fruitful links of the past could be revived. His desire was also a way of contributing to his ambitious project: the realization of a 20th Century Art Museum in the Vatican collections. The works of art collected by Paul VI, and by his Secretary Monsignor Pasquale Macchi, thus came to enrich the small nucleus of already existing works, which had entered the Vatican Pinacoteca at the time of Pius XII. Over the last few decades, the collection has been further extended with the goal of expanding and completing the existing historical sections.

The Collection is displayed along an area leading from the Apartments of Innocent III, Sixtus V and Alexander VI Borgia to the Sistine Chapel, enabling the visitors to see a representative selection of Italian and international 20th Century art through the works of some 250 artists. It is our hope that, with the generous donations of modern religious works of art, we can continue to expand this important collection.

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XIX Century and Contemporary Art

The department, originally encompassing Byzantine, Medieval, and XV-XVI century art, was officially formed in 2008 in line with the Vatican Museums&#39; updated regulations. Its focus is primarily on seventeenth- and eighteenth-century artworks, with a notable inclusion of the oeuvre of renowned Venetian sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822). The department&#39;s responsibilities extend to preserving and managing art within the Vatican Museums, Gardens, and other historically significant sections of the palace and museum areas. A key duty includes the conservation and promotion of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century paintings.

The department&#39;s central collection, which began around 1790 under Pope Pius VI, highlights Baroque masterpieces by prominent artists like Caravaggio, Nicolas Poussin, Guido Reni, Andrea Sacchi, Guercino, and Valentin de Boulogne. These works are exhibited in Room XII of the Pinacoteca, an octagonal gallery designed by Luca Beltrami in 1932. The collection also showcases the works of major figures from late seventeenth- and eighteenth-century classicism, reflecting the Roman religious tradition, the Enlightenment, and the Grand Tour era.

The department oversees the collection&#39;s daily management, including cataloging, restoration, exhibition planning, and public education initiatives. It also engages in scientific research to support conservation efforts and deepen understanding of the Vatican&#39;s rich artistic heritage. Its activities often culminate in conferences, publications, and collaborative events, fostering exchanges with the global scientific community and paving the way for interdisciplinary partnerships with various institutions.

&nbsp;

XVII-XVIII Century Art

Dr. Fabrizio Biferali

The XV-XVI Century Art Department took its current form in 2008. Still, its origins date back to 1932, when the then Monuments, Museums, and Pontifical Galleries collections were divided into three sections, including the Medieval-Modern section, entrusted in 1933 to the direction of Deoclecio Redig De Campos. In 1971 the Museums were subdivided into Departments, and the Department for Medieval and Byzantine Art was established, directed starting the same year by Fabrizio Mancinelli. Upon the latter&#39;s death in 1994, the Department was entrusted to Arnold Nesselrath, who was in charge until 2017 and then replaced by Guido Cornini (who died prematurely in 2022).

The artistic heritage under the Department&#39;s responsibility includes pictorial and architectural complexes of extraordinary historical and cultural significance, including, to name but a few, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, with the scenes commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV and executed between 1481 and 1482 by Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, Cosimo Rosselli, and Luca Signorelli, up to the vault and altar wall with the Last Judgment, created by Michelangelo at the time of Julius II and Paul III; the Raphael Rooms, frescoed by the Urbino master and his pupils between 1508 and 1524; the Gallery of Maps, a 120-meter corridor decorated in the years of Gregory XIII (1572-1585) under the direction of Girolamo Muziano and Cesare Nebbia; the Niccoline Chapel, frescoed under Nicholas V by Beato Angelico (1448-1450); and the Borgia Apartment, commissioned by Alexander VI and frescoed by Pinturicchio between 1492 and 1494.

The Department also has the task of protecting and enhancing the Vatican Pinacoteca&#39;s collection of paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries, including several masterpieces by such masters as Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Melozzo da Forl&igrave;, Carlo Crivelli, Giovanni Bellini, Perugino, Leonardo, Raphael, Giulio Romano, Titian, Veronese, and many others.

XV-XVI Century Art

Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran

BAV Gallery of the Ancient Library

Borgia Apartment

Carriage Pavilion

Chapel of St. Peter Martyr

Chapel of Urban VIII

Chiaramonti Museum

Christian Lapidarium

Christian Museum

Collection of Contemporary Art

Ethnological Museum

Excavations of St. John Lateran

Excavations of St. Paul Outside the Walls

Excavations of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica

Established in 1839 at the initiative of Pope Gregory XVI, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum spans nine rooms and features a grand semicircular gallery opening onto the terrace of the &quot;Niche of the Pinecone,&quot; home to various sculptures. These rooms, originally part of the private apartment and retreat of Pius IV in the Belvedere Palace of Innocent VIII, were curated by Barnabite Father Luigi Ungarelli, a prominent Egyptologist of the time and a disciple of Ippolito Rosellini. Traces of the initial design remain, including exotic architectural elements and wall decorations intended to evoke the atmosphere of the Nile.

The museum&rsquo;s collection is notable for its connection to the region&#39;s history, featuring materials from Roman Egypt and Egyptian-inspired Rome. Many of the earliest pieces were brought to the city under imperial orders to adorn buildings, temples, and villas. Among these is the statuary group from the Gardens of Sallust (Horti Sallustiani), now showcased in the Hemicycle. Additionally, the museum includes numerous Roman-made Egyptian works that reflect a significant phase in the evolution of pharaonic culture, such as items originally from the opulent setting of Hadrian&rsquo;s Villa in Tivoli.

The final three rooms of the museum are devoted to artifacts from the Ancient Near East, which were added to the collection in the 1970s.

Gregorian Egyptian Museum

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

Gregoriano Profano Museum

Jewish Lapidarium

Lapidario Profano ex Lateranense

Lapidary Gallery

<h3>Santa Rosa Necropoli</h3>

In 2009 the&nbsp;excavation project designed to link two areas of the necropolis discovered in the Vatican, named Autoparco and Santa Rosa begun. These two existing areas were uncovered in the excavations of 1956-1958 and 2003.

Dating from about 50BC &ndash; 200AD, the approximately 40 large tombs and 200 graves of the site reveal a fascinating wealth of information about these social classes of which historians still know little. Tomb inscriptions offer interesting &lsquo;slices of life&rsquo; but also poignant indicators of Roman pagans&rsquo; relations to deceased loved ones. Amongst the extremely well-preserved tombs, one can see the grave of a slave of Nero, a set designer from the Pompey Theatre and a small boy whose 4 year-old face is forever preserved in an adorning marble sculpture.

The new area of the archaeological excavation was analyzed and studied using techniques that&nbsp;highlighted the stratigraphic levels within the ground, working down from the modern deposits to those from the Roman period. At the end of the excavation, all of the evidence was documented and compiled which contributed to a new tour for visitors. The archaeological area, which spreads trough a thousand meters, was finally opened to the public in February of 2014 thanks to the generosity of the Canadian Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. The site has recently been expanded with new display cases containing the remains found in the most recent excavation of that site and those from other areas of the necropolis, which are not open to the public. The display is intended to be instructive, with illustrated panels explaining the process of stratigraphic excavation, particularly the difference in ground level between modern and Roman times, and clarifying the different aspects of Roman funerary practices and rituals.

Eleven interactive screens and two large information screens have also been placed along the route. The multimedia equipment allows the most recent generation of visitors to come into direct contact with the evidence recovered at the site, thanks to three-dimensional reconstructions of individual burial structures as well as sweeping views of the countryside, designed to give the viewer a thorough overview of the different stages of the burial site. The use of short films has also proved particularly useful in providing a historical and topographical framework for the necropolis. The films reveal insights into the methods of excavation and restoration, raising issues related to the conservation of the site.

 
In 2012, the Vatican Museums signed an agreement with the &Eacute;cole Fran&ccedil;aise of Rome, the Laboratory of Anthropology at the University of Bordeaux, and the Archaeological Survey of Rome. This&nbsp; agreement allowed for a major excavation project of the necropolis and an in-depth anthropological study of the skeletal remains discovered there. The dedicated, four-person anthropological research team lead by Professor Henri Duday and Dr. Paola Catalan accompanied and shadowed the archaeologists in the early stages of the excavation, documenting and interpreting the data they uncovered. This team is presently working on the area of the Tomb of Alcimus and is also examining the graves discovered in the 2003 excavation. These ongoing investigations unveiled the most interesting results of the Roman funeral process and burial rites that have already been released.&nbsp;

Necropolis of the Via Triumphalis

New Wing

Niccoline Chapel

Pinacoteca

The origins of the papal collection of classical sculptures can be traced back to Pope Julius II (1503&ndash;1513), who established the original collection in the Cortile delle Statue, now known as the Octagonal Court. During the latter half of the 18th century, the collection grew significantly due to archaeological excavations in Rome and Lazio, as well as generous donations from collectors and antiquarians. Influenced by Enlightenment ideals, the collection was transformed into a modern museum, open to the public, with the goal of preserving ancient works of art and fostering their study and appreciation.

The museum, named Pio Clementino, honors the two popes who oversaw its creation: Clement XIV Ganganelli (1769&ndash;1774) and Pius VI Braschi (1775&ndash;1799). It occupies several grand exhibition spaces formed by repurposing existing rooms and adding new structures within and around the small Belvedere Palace of Innocent VIII (1484&ndash;1492). The collection brought together numerous ancient sculptures, many of which were restored to replace missing parts. The museum&rsquo;s neoclassical architecture, designed under the direction of Alessandro Dori, Michelangelo Simonetti, and Giuseppe Camporese, was further enhanced by contributions from numerous painters and decorators.

Following the Treaty of Tolentino in 1797, the Papal States were forced to surrender many of the museum&rsquo;s masterpieces to Napoleon, and these works were transported to Paris. However, after Napoleon&rsquo;s defeat and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Antonio Canova&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts led to the successful recovery of most of these treasures.

Pio Clementino Museum

Pius-Christian Museum

Pontifical Sanctuary of the Holy Stairs - St. John Lateran

Profane Museum

Raphael's Rooms

Room of the Aldobrandini Wedding

Located within the historic medieval heart of the Apostolic Palace, this room once served a variety of important roles over the centuries. Originally, it housed the cubicolarii, attendants responsible for overseeing the private chambers of the pope, and the palafrenieri, who were charged with carrying the sedia gestatoria, the pope&#39;s portable throne. By the sixteenth century, it had taken on a more formal role, serving as the venue for private meetings between the pope and the cardinals. Interestingly, it was once known as the &quot;Parrot Room,&quot; a name likely linked to the tradition of keeping a colorful bird in the space. The room&rsquo;s appearance as it stands today is the result of sixteenth-century redesign efforts. Its coffered wooden ceiling, attributed to designs by Raphael, showcases symbols and motifs linked to its prominent benefactor, Pope Leo X Medici (1513&ndash;1521). The walls are decorated with an elaborate architectural scheme, including painted columns supporting a band of ornamentation adorned with garlands and cherubic figures. Between these columns are painted niches containing depictions of Apostles and Saints, while below, there are artistic renderings that portray the dramatic events associated with their lives. Above these scenes, allegorical representations of Virtues can also be seen.

Room of the Chiaroscuri

Room of the Immaculate Conception

Sistine Chapel

St. John Lateran

St. Mary Major Basilica

<h2>Centuries of Human Culture and History</h2>

The Vatican Museums&rsquo; origin can be traced back to a Pope&rsquo;s inspiration from a single sculpture, along with the help of two artists. The sculpture, Laoco&ouml;n and His Sons, was discovered in a vineyard near Santa Maria Maggiore in 1506. At the request of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo Buonarroti and Giuliano da Sangallo viewed the work and then recommended its acquisition. Julius II placed this piece with a group of other marble sculptures and with that, The Vatican Museums were born. The Laoco&ouml;n is currently on display in the Octagonal Courtyard in the Museums. The Vatican Museums house the collections acquired by the popes over the centuries.

Today, the Vatican Museums consist of over twenty five galleries, chapels and rooms, including:

Centuries of Human Culture and History

Departments & Curators