PINECONE COURTYARD

This court is named after a huge roman bronze pine cone, it adorns the double staircase that leads up to the Nicchione executed by Pirro Ligorio.

OCTAGONAL COURT

In the Cortile Ottagono stand the most famous sculptures in the history: the  Laocoonte, Apollo del Belvedere and Perseus of Canova.

CANDELABRA GALLERY

A unique collection of greek, hellenic and roman sculptures.

TAPESTRIES GALLERY

It shows tapestries woven in Belgium on the Raphael’s and his pupilis’drawings and tapestries produced in the XVII century in the Barberini factory.

MAPS GALLERY

The gallery, built at the time of Pope Gregory XIII is richly decorated with frescoes showing all Italian regions, is the first example to the world of maps with a scale of reference.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHAPEL

Commissioned by Pope Pius IX, following the celebration of the Immaculate Conception, is decorated with beautiful frescoes.

RAPHAEL’S STANZAS

Residence of several popes. The frescoes that deal with stories of the Church are the work of a group of leading artists of the Renaissance led by Raphael.

SISTINE CHAPEL

The frescoes on the vault and the famous fresco of the Last Judgement, are the sum of the work of Michelangelo. The lateral ones, among which works by Pinturicchio, Botticelli and Ghirlandaio, depict the “Story of Moses” and “Stories of Christ.”