A Day in Vatican City

Our second day in Rome was spent in Vatican City. A taxi drove us from our hotel to the Vatican around 11AM. We found a little restaurant near the entrance, and ended up sharing a plate of lasagna there before picking up our audio guides and heading inside the museum.

Our tickets allowed us entrance into the Vatican Museum as well as the Sistine Chapel. There were a lot of different sections within the museum, so it took us a while to get through all of it. All of the artwork and sculptures were so interesting and intricate, and the entire experience was just amazing. There was so much going on on each wall that it was hard to understand everything, but my 12 years of Catholic schooling definitely helped me out since many of the paintings were depictions of biblical scenes that I was familiar with (s/o my religion teachers). One thing that stuck out to me the most about the museum was the section of the museum dedicated to the ancient Egyptians and their religious practices. I thought this was random since most everything else in the museum was dedicated to the history of Catholicism.

Once we got to the Sistine Chapel it took me about 5 minutes to realize that I was actually in the Sistine Chapel. Imagine asking, "Sooo, when are we gonna get to this place?" just to get the response, "Uuh, look up." LOL. I had imagined it to look completely different, so I was surprised when I was told that I was actually in it. I had imagined it to be a building with a dome-shaped roof with Michelangelo's famous painting of God and man touching hands painted all across the ceiling, but instead it had a rectangular-shaped roof, and that painting was no larger than any of the other paintings across the ceiling. Also, the Chapel was not as gaudy as I had expected it to be. In fact, other parts of the Vatican were much more flashy than the Sistine Chapel, but the detail in each painting on the ceiling and each of the walls is absolutely insane.

I definitely recommend visiting the Vatican, whether or not you are Catholic. The art presented in the museum was definitely the most interesting artwork I've ever seen because of all of the hidden meanings and the symbolism involved in each painting and sculpture. Not to mention that the Vatican itself is filled with historic and artistic significance. Definitely a must-go attraction in Rome!

A few tips before your visit
1. Buy tickets to the Vatican online beforehand. I bought ours just a week before we went and I didn't have a problem finding a time/date that worked for our schedule.
2. Make sure to buy your tickets directly from the Vatican's website (https://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking). Third party websites may overcharge/scam you
3. If you are a student, or a person 18 and under, you are eligible for a discount on your tickets (I got our tickets for about half the price of 2 adult tickets because of this discount)
4. You absolutely must have some sort of tour guide. We paid for audio guides, which weren't expensive (with our discount), but I would recommend a tour with a real tour guide if you want to get the most out of your experience. There is no way you're going to understand everything on your own.
5. Girls, make sure to wear clothing that covers your shoulders and your knees if you plan on going into the Sistine Chapel. There are guards that monitor the entrance of the Chapel, and even though I didn't see anyone get caught for inappropriate clothing while I was there, it's better to be safe than sorry!
6. You aren't technically allowed to take pictures inside the Sistine Chapel, but I didn't see anyone get caught for using their phones to take pictures, sooo just keep that in mind...

Pics from Vatican City

Within the walls of Vatican City

The ceiling art>>

Capella Sistina