Beautypically

The center of the Catholic Church, the city-state Vatican, swells with invaluable art treasures and buildings familiar from Dan Brown’s favorite novel, for example.

Concentration of religion, art and culture

Just 44 hectares in size, the Vatican City is located in the heart of the Italian capital, Rome, and is the smallest independent state in the world. Despite its small size, the Vatican is a real treasure trove for cultural tourists.

The Vatican is, in a word, a great destination for lovers of architecture and art history, especially as architecture and art go hand in hand there. The area’s most architecturally stunning buildings often also contain other invaluable art treasures, such as Michelangelo’s paintings and Bernini’s sculptures.

Easter draws pilgrims to the Vatican

According to countryaah, the Vatican, like Italy, has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry, winters are cold and rainy.

There are tourists in the city all year round, but the liveliest travel season is from June to the end of August. Rising temperatures can go to the big city to suffocate during the hot summer months. The best travel times are spring and early autumn, when the temperatures are pleasant and the largest tourist crowds are gone.

Easter is the real high season in the Vatican as thousands of Catholics travel to the religious center. Queuing at sights can then be a waste of time.

Vatican euros as a souvenir

The Vatican’s currency is the euro and the state even strikes its own euro coins. Vatican Euros can be purchased at the souvenir shop to take home. In addition to shops offering special euro coins, you should also stop by the Vatican Post Office – you will receive a Vatican postmark on the cards.

The price level in the Vatican is generally in the same range as in Italy. In Italy, prices are slightly lower than in Finland, but in the busiest tourist areas, ie also in the Vatican, prices are often higher than average and the price-quality ratio in restaurants, for example, is poor.

The city state took over the day

Usually a visit to the Vatican City is combined with a trip to Rome. The city-state is small and can be knocked out in a day. The Vatican is located on the hill of Monte Vaticano and the Tiber River flows right next to it. The Vatican is separated from Rome only by the walls that surround it, but the tourist may not even notice that he has stepped on the side of the Vatican.

The most popular sights of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, are worth waiting in line. The Vatican is the center of Catholicism and the Pope is its head of state, who must also be respected by tourists. When visiting churches, one should cover the upper arms and knees.

When visiting the sights of the Vatican, it is easy to visit Castel Sant’Angelo, the mausoleum of Hadrian, located opposite St. Peter’s Basilica on the banks of the River Tiber.

FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN VATICAN

By plane to Rome

Short for VAT by abbreviationfinder, the Vatican is located within the city of Rome and the easiest way to explore the Lilliput State is to do so during your trip to Rome. Several airlines fly from Helsinki to Rome, a classic city holiday destination. The cheapest round trip flights are available for about 200 euros. Some travel agencies also arrange package tours to Rome.

Numerous accommodation options

Accommodation options in a big city like Rome range from five-star hotels to modest hostels.

Hotel prices are naturally affected by the location of the hotel and the time of travel. Close to popular attractions and tourist destinations, hotel prices are much higher than on the outskirts of the city.

Getting around the Vatican

The city-state is small and all the attractions are so close together that it is easy to take over on foot. The Vatican is easily reached by Metro, for example. The nearest metro stations are Ottaviano and Ciro “Musei Vatican”.

VATICAN ATTRACTIONS

St. Peter’s Church

The most famous building in the Vatican is undeniably St. Peter’s Basilica, considered the central site of the Catholic Church. Introduced in 1626, the church is one of the largest churches in the world.

St. Peter’s Church is said to be located in the same place where the Apostle Peter was crucified. The tomb of Peter, who is considered the first pope, is believed to be under St. Peter’s Church. The church is full of works by famous artists such as Bernini and Michelangelo. The most famous of these is probably Michelangelo’s sculpture Pietà.

The St. Peter’s Square, which extends to the front of the church, is bordered by a four-row colonnade and 140 statues of saints. Interesting details can be found in the square; for example, there is a point marked on the ground from which, when viewed, the column corridor surrounding the square suddenly looks like a single row.

Sistine Chapel

The Vatican Apostolic Palace is a building complex, without a doubt the most famous part of which is the Sistine Chapel. Called the Sistine Chapel, the chapel is one of the most famous church buildings in the world, and the election of a new pope is performed in its holy hall.

In the 16th century, the Pope commissioned Michelangelo, considered one of the greatest geniuses in art history, to illustrate the ceiling vault. The painting covering the roof contains more than 300 figures and is an impressive sight to this day. Michelangelo’s handprint also features a magnificent Last Judgment fresco above the altar. Tens of thousands of visitors visit the Sistine Chapel every day to admire these world-famous works of art.

Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museum has one of the most valuable art collections in the world. The museum consists of several palaces and courtyards built at different times. Nowadays, the Palaces have been transformed into museums and the immeasurably valuable collection can be admired by all who wish.

The museum complex features art from several different eras. Interesting are, for example, the treasures of ancient Egypt and the magnificent paintings of Raffaello . The Sistine Chapel is also part of the Vatican Museums.

THE BEST OF VATICAN

The most famous works of art in the Vatican

1. Roof paintings of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel

2. Michelangelo’s Last Judgment fresco in the Sistine Chapel
3. Raffaello’s Athens School fresco in the Vatican Museum
4. Raffaello’s Parnassos fresco in the Vatican Museum
5. Michelangelo’s Pietà sculpture in St. Peter’s Basilica