When you are on a wonderful holiday in Rome, you should definitely book a Vatican guided tour. Vatican City is the center of the Catholic religious faith, and it is therefore a hugely important place, no matter what your own religion is, just for historical reasons. The atmosphere of the place should be experienced.
Going to the Vatican on guided tours of Italy is extremely popular as you might be able to get a glimpse of the Pope himself. He holds mass there every Wednesday and Sunday, and you can buy tickets to hear it yourself. This could indeed be a once in a lifetime opportunity that you will not want to miss. And speaking of things you will certainly not want to miss, St Peter’s Square, known as the gateway to Vatican City, is spectacular. You will see a huge colonnade that is created by using 284 columns and 88 pillars. This is to symbolize Christianity coming together. As well as this, your Rome tourist guide will point out the impressive Egyptian obelisk. This area of the Vatican is free to enter, so even if you only go this far, you will be pleased that you did. You will also certainly want to see the most famous – and arguably the best – picture gallery in all of Rome; the Pinacotea Vaticana. This is just one of the many galleries within the world renowned Vatican Museums. The Vatican museums are spectacular – there are over 1400 different rooms to explore. They contain art and artefacts that dates back over 3,000 years, detailing life in Rome and in the Vatican itself.
Most private tours of Rome will show you these wonderful sights, including the Gallery of Maps, the Gallery of Tapestries, the Gallery of the Candelabra, and the Raphael Rooms. To make this an even better treat, the museums are free on the last Sunday of every month. For something a little different, make sure you see the Castel Sant’Angelo. This was a tomb for Emperor Hadrian, a fortress, then a papal residence and later became a museum known as “Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo.” You can hear special concerts there on occasion today. And of course, the Vatican is where the world famous and stunning Sistine Chapel is. The crowning glory is Michelangelo’s ceiling mural which depicts the creation of Adam. On a Vatican guided tour, see if you can spot the Swiss Guards. They wear a rather bright stripy uniform, so are very easy to spot. This army is the oldest, but also the smallest. It was created in 1506 specifically to protect the Pope. Once inside on a Vatican private tour, you will be amazed at the things you can see there.
Missing out on a Vatican guided tour would mean missing out on seeing some of the most memorable and spectacular sights in Rome – perhaps even in the world. Private Vatican tours could even include the Tomb of St Peter, which is a very special thing to see indeed.
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