The Vatican Museums

The Roman Catholic Church has been around for quite some time, and over the years they have managed to compile quite an impressive collection of art and historical artifacts. You can visit the works from their immense collection in Viale Vaticano in Rome, inside the Vatican City. Reserve a car hire in Rome for your visit to the museums of Vatican City.

Pope Julius II founded the museums in the 16th century, and they have since been filled with the religious and significant works of the past 500 years. In October 2006 the Museums celebrated their 500th anniversary by permanently opening the excavations of a Vatican Hill necropolis to the public.

On the last Sunday of each month the Vatican Museum is open to the public for free! This day is extremely popular with the public and it is common for people to wait in line for many hours to avoid an entrance fee. If you plan your visit on a week day you can use the online ticket office to purchase an individual ticket or group tour ticket, either of which will allow you to bypass the ticket line completely. Book your car rental in Rome online in advance and save even more time getting into the Vatican Museum.

Collections of the Vatican include the Pinacoteca Art Gallery, filled with famous paintings such as Giotto's Stefaneschi Triptych, Raphael's Madonna of Folinto, and Leonardo da Vinci's St. Jerome in the Wilderness. There are a group of museums surrounding the Cortile del Belvedere which are dedicated to sculpture, including Museo Pio-Clementino, Museo Chiaramonti, Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, and the Museo Egiziano.