Rome - the Vatican

Visiting the sites of the Vatican is often on the must-see lists of people who come to Rome. And it is here that you will really grasp just how many people come to visit Rome. At any time of the year, this area of the city is full of tourists, tour guides selling on the street, and locals trying to get through all the chaos. But what is the best way to visit the Vatican?

One of the main sights of the Vatican complex is the La Cappella Sistina, which is inside the Vatican Museums. The Sistine Chapel is a hot ticket, and you absolutely should book tickets in advance. I would suggest reserving a ticket for as early in the morning as they are open. The reason being is that lines form outside, and it can be rather confusing as to where you are supposed to wait. If you have the earlier timeslots, you can safely ignore the lines you see forming and go to the entrance, which is located on Viale Vaticano. Show an official that you have a reservation, and they will point you in the right direction. There will be a short line for security, and then you head to a kiosk to print your ticket from your reservation, and finally, you are in!

You can find this fountain in the Cortile della Pigna (yes, the Courtyard of the Pinecone) en route to the Sistine Chapel

The reason it can be chaotic outside the entrance is due to the large numbers of tourists trying to enter. There were already lines with hundreds of people before 8 a.m.! There are large groups, walking with their whisper boxes and stopping in front of the most popular works and congesting the small hallways. I found this rather took away from my experience. It is rather difficult to appreciate art when there are hundreds of people wandering about around you, in large groups that literally push you out of their way. This is not a problem unique to the Vatican Museums, but I would love to see museums in general try to find a way to ease this congestion problem.

There is so much more to see in the Vatican Museums besides the Sistine Chapel; we were there for about three hours. You will find several statues, including the famous Laocoön and His Sons, the Gallery of Maps, and the Raphael Rooms. Don’t rush through them; these are works of incredible beauty and historical significance, and too often I saw people walk right by them without realizing what they were missing. None more so than the contemporary gallery. A series of white rooms, the hallway to the Chapel runs through them, and while my family and I browsed the works, hardly anyone else did. I saw literally hundreds, if not thousands of people walk right by them.

Don’t rush through the Vatican Museums, you may miss treasures like these

Finally, then, you will reach the Sistine Chapel. It will be full of people, and staff at the entrance tell you to move along. Break off and go into the center space, then look up (you may be lucky enough to snag a seat on the benches along the wall, but be sure to be considerate of those who have difficulty standing). You will see the beautiful, legendary frescos. It’s a bit uncomfortable to look up, but it gives you an idea of how it must have been for Michelangelo. You are not allowed to take pictures, but I do suggest printing out beforehand something from the internet that has a descriptions of the different vignettes so you know what to look for.

When you exit the Sistine Chapel, you will be in Piazza San Pietro. St. Peter’s Square is a grand piazza, and if you wanted to send any postcards home from Italy, you should take the opportunity while here. There is a trailer with the Vatican Post Office, where you can easily buy stamps and mail them home from the Vatican! People love to get postcards as souvenirs, and also you don’t have to find a place to pack them! Walk a little out of the piazza down the Via della Conciliazione to really appreciate the grand scale of the Basilica di San Pietro.

The façade of the Basilica di San Pietro

After you’ve taken in the sight of St. Peter’s, look for the entrance line that will be winding along one side of the colonnade. It may look long, but don’t worry! It’s only to go through security and to make sure your shoulders and knees are covered. The entrance is completely free. Once inside, prepare to be amazed. Saint Peter’s Basilica is just as enormous and ornate inside as it is outside. Michelangelo’s Pietà is to the right by the entrance. Be sure not to miss it as it has be cordoned off, probably due the large amount of visitors.

While visiting St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums will be relatively stress-free if you follow my advice and plan and buy your tickets ahead of time, the most essential piece of advice is this: don’t plan on visiting on a Wednesday or a Sunday. On these days, there is usually a Papal audience or blessing, and if you thought it was crowded normally…you will be astonished by just how many people can fit into this piazza. If this is why you came to Rome, you can find info on how to get tickets for the Wednesday morning audience here; the Sunday Angelus blessing is open to anyone who can find a place to stand. Pick up some religious articles to be blessed at the Comandini store and take your time strolling down the beautiful Borgo Pio.

Piazza San Pietro

I understand why so many people want to visit St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. For religious reasons, historical fascination, and artistic interest. But the incredible amounts of people really can make it challenging. The lines and the heat, if you’re visiting in summer; these things can leave you hungry and borderline hangry. So, after viewing what are considered some of the most beautiful holy spaces in the world with thousands of strangers in too close contact, you might find yourself in need of a sandwich and a beer.

Fortunately, just around the corner you will find Piazza Risorgimento, which is home to the go-to panini place of my university friends and I, Duecentro Gradi. In Italian, panino simply means “sandwich” (panini is plural!). I like this place especially because among the varied selections they also have delicious vegetarian and vegan options!

The Baroque interior of St. Peter’s Basilica

Less than a 30-minute walk from St. Peter’s Square, you can find Bonci Pizzarium. It sounds far, but consider it a pilgrimage. I first heard about Bonci while watching the late, great Anthony Bourdain. I couldn’t wait to return to Rome and try for myself. Serving up pizza al taglio, the large pan pizza from which each piece is cut to your specifications and warmed in the oven for you, Bonci serves gourmet quality food with unique ingredients. Try a few of the different options and take them with a beer to one of the stand up tables or benches nearby. The Cipro metro stop is down the street, and since Linea A is connected to all the main tourist sites, you can easily resume your day of sightseeing.

I’ve lived in Rome twice, and visit often, and even I was overwhelmed the last time I was there and visited these sights. It’s truly insane how many people there are. So just be aware of that, remain calm, know you are in the presence of some great beauty and history, and enjoy, knowing you have a great meal waiting for you.

This is the second post in a series about Rome, the city I consider to be a second home. You can check out the other posts here.

As the Vatican is an independent country within Italy, I have included it in my “Regioni d’Italia” collection, more of which you can find them here.

Note: The header image was taken inside the Vatican Museums.