Hello, everyone! I’m reaching out to you again via Worldmappin, one of my favorite communities on Hive because of the dynamic feature that lets us add new places to our map. Today I want to share the second part of my visit to the Vatican Museums, a wonderful and unforgettable place that I had the chance to explore a few months ago during my trip to Italy. If you want to read about my first impressions and part of the exhibitions, you can check out my first post @jesuslnrs/courtyard-of-the-pinecone-and-chiaramonti-museum-vatican-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here; and as I mentioned back then, the place is so huge that I didn’t even get to see all the exhibits, but I certainly got a feel for the essence and most of what the average person can access.

Visits to the Vatican Courtyards are a must, as they stand out for their beauty and artistry, and they also offer a welcome respite from such vast, crowded spaces—these museums welcome thousands of visitors every day. I already knew that the Vatican Museums housed stunning works of art steeped in history, but without a doubt, one of my favorite moments was when I arrived at the Octagonal Courtyard, because amidst all that holiness and the stories of emperors and kings of the past, you suddenly come across Greek mythology in the form of the most impressive sculptures I’ve ever seen in my life—not just because of their detail, but because of their age. I remember the guide mentioning that, for example, the Laocoön and His Sons is over 2,000 years old.

Octagonal Courtyard:

Inside the Pio Clementino Museum, I found another amazing place that filled my soul to the brim from the moment I walked in. It’s the Hall of the Muses, a room filled with Greek marble sculptures—the aspect of sculpture I appreciate most. Although I’d only ever seen copies or the originals on TV my whole life, suddenly, right in the middle of the exhibition, you come across the Belvedere Torso... Wow 🤗 This work, which is currently incomplete, was discovered several centuries ago, but studies indicate that it was created in the 1st century BC by Apollonius of Athens, as indicated by his signature. We were also told that it may be a copy of an even older work made of bronze. One might think that so many incomplete works of art wouldn’t make an impression or inspire admiration until you actually have them right in front of you and feel their grandeur, especially given how ancient they are.

The Belvedere Torso:

After so much beauty and history, the adrenaline continues, because the room next to the Hall of the Muses is the Rotunda, which you perceive as just as imposing as the interior of the Pantheon in Rome from the moment you first see it. An immense circular space filled with art, including sculptures of Roman deities, and above and in the center, a large dome with an opening in the middle, just like the Pantheon. In rooms like this, no detail is overlooked; even the floor you walk on is art. In fact, we were told that the entire space was designed by the artist Michelangelo Simonetti at the end of the 18th century. It is definitely a privilege to be able to enter places like these and appreciate them, and I am very pleased that all the visitors contribute to maintaining the cleanliness and care of each room and its exhibits.

Rotonda Hall:

As I mentioned in my previous post, there's so much to share about the Vatican Museums, and I learned a great deal about their history and the sites themselves thanks to a guided tour in Spanish that only cost me 40 euros. You too can take a tour like this by searching carefully on the website https://tickets.museivaticani.va and booking well in advance; I recommend booking even a month before your museum visit. For now, I'll say goodbye, but I promise to share more of the rooms I explored on that endless day. Thank you for your kindness, support, and attention to this and other posts on my blog. Warmest regards...