VATICAN CITY
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Vatican City, officially State of the Vatican City, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome. At approximately 44 hectares (108,7 acres), and with a population of around 900, it is the smallest state in the world by both population and area. The state came into existence by virtue of the Lateran Treaty in 1929, which spoke of it as a new creation, not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756 to 1870) that had a previously encompassed central Italy. Most of this territory was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and the final portion, namely the city of Rome with a small area close to it, ten years later, in 1870. Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected monarchy that is ruled by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Catholic Church. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Apostolic Palace, the Pope's official residence, and of much of the Roman Curia. Vatican is one of the most visited places of worship in the world with more than 25 million devotees coming every year. In 1980 the Vatican City is entirely declared UNESCO World Heritage Site. The justifications for the inscription are:
- Criterion (i): to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- Criterion (ii): to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- Criterion (iv): to be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stage in human history;
- Criterion (vi): to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of oustanding universal significance.
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave within Rome. The open space which lies before the basilica was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1656 to 1667, under the direction of Pope Alexander VII, as an appropriate forecourt, designed "so that the greatest number of people could see the Pope give his blessing, either from the middle of the facade of the church or from a window in the Vatican Palace". Bernini had been working on the interior of St. Peter's for decades; now he gave order to the space with his renowned colonnades, using the Tuscan from of Doric, the simplest order in the classical vocabulary, not to compete with the palace-like facade by Carlo Maderno, but he employed it on an unprecedented colossal scale to suit the space and evoke emotions of awe. The trapezoidal shape of the piazza, which creates a heightened perspective for a visitor leaving the basilica and has been praised as a masterstroke of Baroque theater, is largely a product of site constraints. The colossal Tuscan colonnades, four columns deep, fram the trapezoidal entrance to the basilica and the massive elliptical area which precedes it. The ellipse's long axis, parallel to the basilica's facade, creates a pause in the sequence of forward movements that is characteristic of a Baroque monumental approach. The colonnades define the piazza. The elliptical center of the piazza, which contrasts with the trapezoidal entrance, encloses the visitor with "the maternal arms of Mother Church" in Bernini's expression. At the center of the ellipse stands an Egyptian obelisk of red granite, supported on bronze lions and surmounted by the Chigi arms in bronze. The obelisk, of the XIII century BC, was moved to Rome in AD 37 by the Emperor Caligula to stand in the central spina of the "Circus Gai et Neronis", which lay to the left of the present basilica. It was moved to its current site in 1586 by the engineer-architect Domenico Fontana under the direction of Pope Sixtus V. The Vatican Obelisk is the only obelisk in Rome that has not toppled since ancient Roman times. St. Peter's Square today can be reached from the "Ponte Sant'Angelo" along the grand approach of the "Via della Conciliazione" (in honor of the Lateran Treaty of 1929). The spina which once occupied this grand avenue leading to the square was demolished ceremonially by Benito Mussolini himself on October 23rd, 1936 and was completely demolished by October 8th, 1937. St Peter's Basilica was now freely visible from the "Castel Sant'Angelo". The effect of its demolition, however, was to destroy the characteristic Baroque "surprise".
Saint Peter's Basilica
The Basilica of Saint Peter is located within the Vatican City in Rome, and is the best-known church and one of the holiest sites of Christendom. In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, was the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome. Although the New Testament does not mention Peter's presence or martyrdom in Rome, Catholic tradition holds that his tomb is below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes, starting with the first ones, have been buried there. The current location of St. Peter's Basilica is the site of the Circus of Nero in the I century AD. After Emperor Costantine officially recognized Christianity he started construction (in 324) of a great basilica in this exact spot, which had previously been a cemetary for pagans as well as Christians. In the mid-XV century it was decided that the old basilica should be rebuilt. Pope Nicholas V asked architect Bernardo Rossellino to start adding to the old church. This was abandoned after a short while, but in the late XV century Pope Sixtus IV had the Sistine Chapel started nearby. Construction on the current building began under Pope Julius II in 1506 and was completed in 1615 under Pope Paul V. Many famous artists worked on the "Fabbrica di San Pietro" (as the complex building operations were officially called). Michelangelo, who served as main architect for a while, designed the dome. Built from 1608 to 1614, the facade was designed by Carlo Maderno. The central balcony is called the Loggia of the Blessings, and is used for the announcement of the new pope with "Habemus Papam" and his "Urbi et Orbi" blessing. The relief under the balcony, by Buonvicino, represents Christ giving the keys to St. Peter. The facade is topped by 13 statues in travertine (Christ, the Baptist, and the Apostoles except St. Peter). Two clocks are on either side; the one on the left is electrically operated since 1931, with its oldest bell dating to 1288. Between the facade and the interior is the portico. Mainly designed by Maderno, it contains an XVIII century statue of Charlemagne by Cornacchini to the south, and an equestrian sculpture of Emperor Constantine by Bernini (1670) to the north. The northernmost door is the Holy Door, in bronze by Vico Consorti, which is by tradition only opened for great celebrations such as Jubilee years. The door in the center is by Antonio Averulino (1455) and was preserved from the old basilica. Known as the Filarete Door after the artist's nickname, it was too small for its new space, so panels were added at the top and bottom. The Door of Death is the far left door into the basilica. Its name derives from its traditional use as the exit for funeral processions as well as its subject matter. Immediately inside the central doors, a large round porphyry slab is set into the floor. Here Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Emperors knelt for their coronation in front of the high altar of the old basilica. Along the floor of the nave are markers with the comparative lengths of the other churches, starting from the entrance. In the northwestern corner of the nave sits the statue of St. Peter Enthroned, attributed to late XIII century sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio (with some scholars dating it back to the V century). The foot of the statue is eroded due to centuries of pilgrims kissing it. Walking along the right aisle of the basilica, there are several noteworthy monuments and memorials.
The first is Michelangelo's Pietà, located immediately to the right of the entrance. The sculpture depicts the Vigin Mary cradling the dead Jesus in her lap after the crucifixion, and was completed when Michelangelo was just 24. After an incident in 1972 when an individual damaged it with an axe, the sculpture was placed behinf protective glass. Up the aisle is the monument of Queen Christina of Sweden, who abdicated in 1654 in order to convert to Catholicism. Halfway to the transept is the large Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, entered through a Baroque wrought-iron grill designed by Francesco Borromini (1599-1667). Here the Blessed Sacrament (consecrated bread and wine) is exposed for the continuous adoration of the faithful. It is a rare place of silence and stillness in the tourist-filled basilica, and for many Catholics it is their favorite space. Inside the chapel, the sacrament is enshrined in a tabernacle of gilded bronze designed by Bernini (1674) and based on a more famous work by Bramante. Where the right aisle runs into the Pier of St. Longinus is the body of Pope John XXIII (d. 1963), displayed in a glass case beneath the Altar of St. Jerome. The pope was beatified (a step towards sainthood) in 2000. When the tomb was opened in order to move his body to the basilica in 2001, it was found to be incorrupt and was therefore placed in a glass case. This location was chosen because the pope was a specialist in the church fathers and a devotee of St. Jerome in particular. At the crossing of the transepts is the central focus of the interior, the Saint Peter's baldacchino. This monumental canopy shelters the papal altar and the holy relics of St. Peter. Artistically, it also serves to fill the vertical space under Michelangelo's great dome. Made of 927 tons of dark bronze (removed from the Pantheon's roof in 1633) accented with gold vine leaves, the baldacchino stands 90 feet (30 meters) tall. The baldacchino was created by Lorenzo Bernini from 1624 to 1633. The spiral columns derive their shapes from the columns of the baldacchino in the original St. Peter's Basilica built by Constantine, which legend has it came from Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Another element of great importance is the famous Michelangelo's Dome. The dome of St. Peter's was designed by Michelangelo, who became chief architect in 1546. At the time of his death (1564), the dome was finished as far as the drum, the base on which domes sit. The dome was vaulted between 1585 and 1590 by the architect Giacome della Porta with the assistance of Domenico Fontana, who was probably the best engineer of the day. Fontana built the lantern the following year, and the ball was placed in 1593. The great double dome is made of brick and is 42,3 metres in interior diameter (almost as large as the Pantheon), rising to 120 metres above the floor. In the early XVIII century cracks appeared in the dome, so four iron chains were installed between the two shells to bind it. Uniquely, Michelangelo's dome is not a hemisphere, but a parabola: it has a vertical thrust, which is made more emphatic by the bold ribbing that springs from the paired Corinthian columns, which appear to be part of the drum, but which stand away from it like buttresses, to absorb the outward thrust of the dome's weight.
There is an admission charge and often a line, but it is a very worthwhile experience. There is an elevator option as far as the dome, and from there on it is stairs only. The view from the gallery around the cupola of Michelangelo's dome provide an impressive sense of the enormity of the church, a look at the top of the baldacchino, and a closer view of the cupola's inscriptions and medallions. From the gallery, stairs continue to the roof, where you step out on the east side of the dome. This provides a sweeping view of St. Peter's Square and Vatican City from behind the huge statues on the facade. More stairs lead up to the lantern at the top of the dome, which provides even more impressive views. Michelangelo's Dome is supported by four pilasters, each with niches that contain impressive statue of Saint Andrew, Longinus, Veronica and Helena. Each of these pilasters also contain important relics; namely, the head of St. Andrew, the Holy Lance that was used to pierce the side of Christ (found near the True Cross by Helena), the veil of St. Veronica, and a piece of the True Cross brought to Rome by St. Helena. The basilica has a concert of six bells. Since the conclave of 2005 Saint Peter's bells have an important role: their sounds is the definitive signal of the positive result of the conclave. This measure is been accomplished to dispel any doubt about the colors of the smoke that comes before the "Habemus Papam".
Visiting Hours
The Opening Hours to the Saint Peter's Basilica are:
From April to September from 07:00 am to 07:00 pm;
From October to March from 07:00 am to 06:00 pm.
The Opening Hours to the Michelangelo's Dome, with lift and 320 steps with a ticket of € 7,00, are:
From October 1st to March 14th from 08:00 am to 05:00 pm;
From April 1st to September 30th from 08:00 am to 06:00 pm.
The Opening Hours to the Michelangelo's Dome, with climb on foot (551 steps) with a ticket of € 4,00, are:
From October 1st to March 14 th from 08:00 am to 04:00 pm;
From April 1st to September 30th from 08:00 am to 05:00 pm.
Vatican Grottoes
The vast underground graveyard or crypt beneath St. Peter's Basilica is known as the Vatican Grottoes. It contains architectural fragments from earlier churches on the site and the tombs of many popes, including the simple tomb of John Paul II. But the focus of pilgrims and tourists alike is the tomb of the very first pope: Saint Peter. These prized relics have been the goal of millions of pilgrims since the early centuries of Christianity, and have a good likelihood of authenticity. A glass wall at the end of the crypt provides a view of the reliquary below the altar, which may well contain the actual bones of Saint Peter. A chapel stretches out behind the shrine into the crypt for services at this holiest of shrines.
Visiting Hours
The admittance to the Vatican Grottoes, from the right transept of St. Peter's, is free; the opening hours are:
From April to September from 07:00 am to 06:00 pm;
From October to March from 07:00 am to 05:00 pm.
Vatican Necropoli
The excavations carried out under St. Peter's Basilica have revealed a necropolis dated back to II century AD. The tombs are set in two parallels rows with an east-west orientation; the oldest row is the northern one where there is the inhumation rite together with the cremation rite, while in the southern row the inhumation prevailed over the cremation. In the tombs of the rich freemen there are some strong differences between the simplicity of the outside part, made in lateritious with a brickwork facade, and the richness of the inside part where there are many stuccos decorations, frescoes and mosaics and some wonderful sarcophagi. The decorations of the Julian tomb (date back the end of II or the beginning of the III century) stand out from among the others for theirs Christian symbolism: on the wall there is Jonah at the sea between the jaws of the whale, while in the vault there is Christ as the Sun on a horse-drawn chariot. The Christian tombs were set in the northern part where a small square was created and it was enclosed in three sides by tombs built between I and IV century AD. Around this area was identified the tomb of St. Peter. The studies have permitted to say that in the simple original grave was built a monument in the II century AD, known as the "Trophy of Gaius" ("Trofeo di Gaio") and it was characterized by an aedicule and two columns and were built two stairs for climbing up until the Trophy. A graffito on the posterior wall with the name of St. Peter says that the grave was the one of the Saint. This place became sacred for the pilgrims and for this reason it always was embellished with marble and mosaics, it is also possibly to find this decoration in the floor of the small square located near the Trophy. In the IV century AD the Emperor Costantine decided to built the basilica around the tomb of St. Peter that became the presbytery and it was visible to the pilgrims. To visit the Necropolis needs the permission by the "Ufficio Scavi". To obtain the permission it is necessary a written request that must be sent to the "Ufficio Scavi" by e-mail, fax or directly in office. In the request you must write: the number of the partecipants (maximum 15 people), their names, the language that they speak, when you want to visit the necropolis and how the office can reply to your request. During the visit it is forbidden to carry cumbersome objects (for example rucksacks) or photographic equipment and the clothes must be right to a sacred place. If you are claustrophobic, we advise you to avoid this visit because you will be underground the entire time.
UFFICIO SCAVI - Fabbrica di San Pietro
Tel. +39 06 69885318 Fax +39 06 69873017
E-mail: scavi@fsp.va
Vatican Museums
The Vatican Museums are the public art and sculpture museums in the Vatican City, which display works from the extensive collection of the Roman Catholic Church. The Sistine Chapel and the Rooms decorated by Raphael are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums trace their origin to one marble sculpture, purchased 500 years ago. The sculpture of Laocoon, the priest who, according to Greek mythology, tried to convince the people of ancient Troy not to accept the Greeks' "gift" of a hollow horse, was discovered January 14th 1506, in a vineyard near the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. Pope Julius II sent Giuliano da Sangallo and Michelangelo Buonarroti, who were working at the Vatican, to examine the discovery. On their recommendation, the pope immediately purchased the sculpture from the vineyard owner. The pope put the sculpture of Laocoon and his sons in the grips of a sea serpent on public display at the Vatican exactly one month after its discovery.
The Vatican Museums include:
Gregorian-Egyptian Museum
Founded by Pope Gregory XVI, this museum houses a grand collection of Ancient Egyptian material. Such material includes papyruses, the Grassi Collection, animal mummies, sarcophagi and the famous Book of the Dead.
Gregorian Museum of Etruscan Art
Founded by Gregory XVI in 1837, it contains items from Southern Etruria and other archaeological material: sarcophagi, materials from burial chambers, bronzes, urns, architectural terracotta, all kinds of vases.
Chiaramonti Museum
It was founded by Pope Pius VII (Chiaramonti) in 1808. The museum consists of a large arched gallery in which sides are exhibited several statues, sarcophagues and friezes. The "New Wing" ("Braccio Nuovo"), built by Raphael Stern, houses important statues like the "Prima Porta Augustus" and the "River Nile". The "Galleria Lapidaria" is another part of Chiaramonti Museum, with more than 3000 stone tablets and iscriptions, which is the world's greatest collection of its kind. However, it is opened only by special permission, usually for reasons of study.
Pio-Clementino Museum
Pope Clement XIV founded the Pio-Clementino Vatican Museum in 1771, and originally it contained the Renaissance and antique works. The museum and collection were enlarged by Clement's successor Pius VI. Today, the museum houses works of Greek and Roman scultpure; among them, some of the best-known statues in the world: the "Apollo Belvedere" (a Roman copy from the original Greek sculpture, 130-140 AD), the famous group of Laocoon by Agesander, Polydorus and Athanodorus, the statue of Hermes (copied during Adrian's reign from an original Greek bronze of IV century BC), the colossal statue of Antinous. There are 54 galleries, or "salas" in total, with the Sistine Chapel, notably, being the very last sala within the Museum, visitors need to proceed through the other 53 salas before earning their reward with access to the Sistine Chapel. Some notable galleries are: the Rooms of the Animals (so named because of the several statues of animals that it houses); the Gallery of the Statues (houses, as says its name, important statues like Ariadne sleeping and Meandrus); the Mask Cabinet (the name comes from the mosaic in the floor of the gallery, found in Villa Adriana, which represents several masks); the "Sala a Croce Greca" (which houses the sarcophagus of Constance and Saint Helen, daughter and mother of Constantine the Great).
Gallery of the Candelabra
Once a loggia, the gallery was enclosed during the pontificate of Pius VI. Arches supported by columns and pillars were used to divide the space, which was then hung with candelabra, one for each arch: hence the name of the gallery.
Gallery of the Tapestries
Decorated during the pontificate of Pius VI, the gallery is named after the tapestries which were first exhibited there in 1814.
Gallery of the Maps
The Gallery is named after the maps painted on the walls in 40 different panels, each devoted to a region, island or particular territory of Italy.
Sobieski Room
The name comes from the painting which takes up the entire north wall with its depiction of the victory of John III Sobieski, King of Poland, over the Turks outside the walls of Vienna in 1683. The work was painted by Jan Matejko (1883).
Room of the Immaculate Conception
Located in the Borgia Tower, this room is decorated with frescoes by Francesco Podesti depicting scenes based on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
Raphael's Rooms
The four rooms commonly known as the "Rooms of Raphael" were part of the new residence chosen by Julius II on the third floor of the building. The series of four communicating rooms was a reconstruction carried out by Nicholas V (1447-55) of the XIII century palace of Nicholas III (1277-80). Towards the end of the first decade of the XVI century Perugino, Sodoma, Baldassarre Peruzzi and Bramantino were all at work decorating them, but in 1509 Julius II dismissed them and commissioned Raphael to decorate the whole of this part of the Vatican. He worked there for about ten years, but only three of the rooms were completed before his death in 1520, and the direct intervention of the master is certain in only two of them. The result is one of the masterpieces of painting of all times. The most famous scenes represented are: "The Dispute of Sacrament", "The School of Athens", "The Liberation of St. Peter from Prison", "The Fire in Borgo".
Collection of Modern Religious Art
The collection includes hundreds of paintings, sculptures, engravings and designs donated to the Holy See by private individuals and, in some cases, by the artists themselves. Housed in 55 different rooms, the exposition was inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1973. The itinerary begins in the Borgia Apartment, named for Alexander VI, who had the room decorated with the now famous frescoes, most of which are the work of either Pinturicchio or his students. The collection includes works of Renato Guttuso, Marc Chagall, Paul Gauguin, Giorgio Morandi, Wassily Kandisky, Giorgio De Chirico, pablo Picasso, etc.
Sistine Chapel
Deservedly one of the most famous places in the world, the Sistine Chapel is the site where the conclave for the election of the popes and other solemn pontifical ceremonies are held. Built to the design of Baccio Pontelli by Giovannino de Dolci between 1475 and 1481, the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned it. It is a large rectangle with a barrel-vaulted ceiling and it is divided into two unequal parts by a marble screen. The frescoes on the long walls illustrate parallel events in the Lives of Moses and Christ and constitute a complex of extraordinary interest between 1481 and 1483 by Perugino, Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli and Domenico Ghirlandaio, with their respective groups of assistants, who included Pinturicchio, Piero di Cosimo and others; later Luca Signorelli also joined the group. In 1508 Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to fresco the chapel's ceiling. The result is "The Creation of the Universe" and "The History of Humanity", a stunningly harmonious composition with myriads of figures, in a miraculous synthesis of plastic, architectural and pictorial elements. Decades later Pope Paul III ordered the aged artist to decorate the wall above the altar: between 1535 and 1541 Michelangelo painted the dramatic scenes of "The Last Judgment": among a crowd of 293 figures, Christ sits as the Supreme Judge of Good and Evil. The incomparable ensemble, stemmed from the Florentine's titanic genius, is considered by visitors of all times the highlight of their journey in Rome.
Vatican Art Gallery
Started in the late 1700s by Pope Pius V, the gallery features a huge collection of paintings, mainly by Italian artist (from the Byzantine period to the XVIII century, with special attention to Renaissance and Baroque) and 10 remarkable tapestries manufactured in Bruxelles in 1515 from Raphael's designs. Here again we find great names: Giotto, Lorenzetti, Melozzo da Forlì (beautiful "Musician Angels"), Perugino, Pinturicchio, Raphael (among other works, the unfinished "Trasnfiguration", completed by his assistants), Leonardo, Tiziano, Caravaggio ("Deposition").
Missionary Museum of Ethnology
The material is vast and various and is presented according to didactic principles so as to document the religious cult of the various civilization which have flourished in other continents over an enormous span of time, from centuries before the coming of Christ right up to our times.
Carriage Pavilion
It was founded under the auspices of Paul VI and laid out in 1973 in a building constructed under the Square Garden. The collection contains: the carriage of popes and cardinals, with various harnesses; graphic and photographic documentation of solemn processions containing berlins and carriages; black landaus for daily conveyance and the first automobiles used by the popes.
Visiting Hours
Opening Hours, from Monday to Saturday from 08:30 am to 06:00 pm, with last admission at 04:00 pm.
Closed: Sundays, except for the last Sunday of each month, unless it falls at Easter or on June 29th (St. Peter and Paul); January 1st and 6th; February 11th; March 23rd and 24th (Easter and Easter Monday); May 1st (Ascension Thursday) and 22th (Corpus Christi Day); August 14th and 15th; November 1st; December 8th (Feast of the Immaculate Conception), 25th and 26th. The closed section in the Museums are indicated at the entrance. Access to the Museums is permitted only to visitors with proper attire.
Tickets
The admission ticket to the Vatican Museums is valid for visiting the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel only on the date of purchase. It is also valid for the entrance to the Vatican Historical Museum and Noble Apartment of the Lateran Apostolic Palace (near the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome) during regular opening hours if used within the five consecutive days from the date of purchase (included). Tickets are not refundable.
Regular € 14,00 - Reduced € 8,00 - Special € 4,00
Vatican Gardens
The Vatican Gardens date back to medieval times when vineyards and orchards extended to the north of the Apostolic Palace. In the 1279 Pope Nicholas II enclosed this cultivated area with walls. Today these walls are no longer standings owing to the site's transformation at the beginning of the XVI century. Two new courtyards were created: the Belvedere and the "Pigna" or Pine Cone. Nicholas V (1447-55) conceived a series of gardens which could be used in ceremonies of the papal court as well as for the pope's personal enjoyment in the area now occupied by the Courtyard of St. Damasus and by the late XVI-century building which is presently the pope's private residence. In the area of greenery which remained after the construction of the Belvedere corridors (now the Apostolic Library and the Vatican Museums), Piu IV (1559-65) had Pirro Ligorio construct the lovely Villa Pia or "Casina", intended for his moment of leisure and rest, which is now the seat of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; later, Paul V (1605-21) adorned it with splendid fountains. Today the Vatican Gardens are divided into two areas (as can easily be seen from the top of the dome of St. Peter's) by the remains of the medieval walls which encircled the Vatican before the construction of the surviving XVI-century ramparts. On one side, in a north-west direction, is the park of the Villa Pia and the wood above it; on the other side, behind the apse of the Basilica, is the area that was set aside for agricultural cultivation until the foundation of the Vatican City State (1929) and later left green, although today much of it is built up owing to the requirements of this extremely small state.
Santa Rosa Necropoli or Via Triumphalis
The necropolis was located along the Roman Via Triumphalis, a major north-south road commemorating an early Roman victory over the Etruscans to the north, roughly along the line of the modern Via Leone IV. It was lined with tombs dating from the late I century BC to the early IV century AD. This necropolis is generally of lower social status than the necropolis seen on the tour under St. Peter's, and the two are not thought to have been related. All of the tombs here appear to be pagan, even though the period of its use does extend into the Christian era. Due to development on the site, both inside and outside the Vatican, it is likely that only a small portion of the site has been excavated. There are actually two separate parts of the necropolis which are part of the tour, and they were discovered at different times, though both were found during construction of new parking garages. The first, known as the "Necropoli dell'Autoparco", was discovered in the 1950s, but was not opened to the public at that time. The second area, known as the Santa Rosa site, was found during work on a new garage in 2003. In total, around 40 large tombs and over 200 individual graves were found on the two sites. Both areas have just recently been set up for visitors and they were opened to the public in October 2006. The necropolis can only be visited on a guided tour. To schedule a tour, send an e-mail to visitespeciali.musei@scv.va (or visitedidattiche.musei@scv.va) with your name, the number of people in your group, the preferred language for the tour, and the dates you would like to take the tour.
+39 347 6708101
