Musei Vaticani

Well tourist season is slowly beginning, so I decided that I need to see some tourist-y things I have yet to see before the crowds get bigger.

The Saturday after Abruzzo I went to the Vatican Museum. It was pretty crowded since it was a Saturday, but I had to go inside. While walking there so many people approach you doing unofficial tours and they're so sketchy and also annoying. So I just avoid them, but still hate them.

We got in just fine and it wasn't too bad of a crowd, but it wasn't empty. Everyone I know who had already gone in the museum said they spent about 6 hours inside. I had no idea how that would happen, so I didn't know what to expect. But after getting a map and seeing the inside, it is quite massive!

If you didn't know from my previous posts, I'm really not a museum person. But this one was a little different and it was gorgeous! You just kind of follow through hallways that takes you around the museum and it ends in the Sistine Chapel.

It was a nice sunny day and you walk through courtyards which were really nice.

You go through a lot of rooms with sculptures and paintings, and one had really beautiful tapestries. You also go through the Papal apartments where older Popes used to live.

Unfortunately there weren't a lot of signs to tell you what you were looking at, unless you bought an audio guide. So I just had to eavesdrop on a few English tours that I passed. There is a lot of work from Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Unfortunately that's all that I can tell you. But like I said, it was all gorgeous!

What I thought was interesting was that they had other exhibits in the museum, not related to the Vatican, so I was a little surprised by that. That had an Egyptian exhibit which was kind of random.

After you go through everything you FINALLY reach the Sistine Chapel. There was so much anticipation since they save it for the end. And it was a lot of walking.

I walked in and thought to myself "oh , the Sistine Chapel". Like it was no big deal. I was a little disappointed, because it wasn't as impressive as I thought. That's a terrible comment to say, but it's true! You had to be silent and you couldn't take any pictures, so everyone was just standing in there. It was a lot smaller than I thought. In Angels and Demons they make it seem huge. But I've come to learn that movies are false when it comes to Rome. It was gorgeous inside! But it just didn't exceed my expectations.

I was daring and snuck a pic of the ceiling. 

But it was crazy to think how the month before the Papal Conclave took place inside of the Sistine. Just imagining all of the cardinals being locked in there trying to elect the new Pope is insane. It's those kind of moments that it hits me how significant these places are. It all still seems like a dream.

Overall the museum was really pretty, and I did enjoy it. We spent a little less than 3 hours inside, so I'm not sure how others spent 6 hours. I'm glad I got to see it before I leave!

Cool exit

Chillin with Papa Francesco