Vatican City: Managing the Queues to See Michelangelo

The Vatican is an independent state of 0.44 square kilometres inside Rome, 800 inhabitants, 6 million visitors per year. The Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica are the reasons most people come. The practical problem is managing the crowds: without pre-booking, the entrance queue to the Vatican Museums can exceed 3 hours. With timed-entry pre-booking at museivaticani.va, you walk straight in. This is the single most important piece of practical information for visiting and should be the first thing you do when planning the trip.

The Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512 under commission from Pope Julius II. The central panels tell the Genesis story from the separation of light and dark to the story of Noah; the Creation of Adam is in the fourth panel from the altar end. The Last Judgement on the altar wall was painted 25 years later, between 1536 and 1541, after the Reformation and the Sack of Rome had changed everything.

The chapel is at the end of the museum circuit; if you walk the standard route you’re on your feet for 90 minutes before reaching it. The ceiling is best seen from the centre of the room, looking straight up. Take your time. The interpretive panels at the chapel entrance explain the iconography and are worth reading before you go in.

St. Peter’s Basilica

The current basilica was built between 1506 and 1626. At 218 metres long it is the largest church in the world. Michelangelo designed the dome, completed after his death. The interior contains his Pieta (1499) in the first chapel on the right: a marble sculpture that was made when he was 24 years old and represents technical mastery of a kind that most sculptors don’t achieve in a career.

Entry to the basilica is free. Climbing the dome costs €8 on foot or €10 by lift to the drum, then stairs. The view from the drum gallery over St. Peter’s Square is excellent; going to the lantern at the very top is only marginally better and the stairs are narrow and crowded.

St. Peter’s Square was designed by Bernini in the 17th century, with two curved colonnades containing 284 columns and 140 statues. The obelisk at the centre came from Heliopolis, transported to Rome in 37 CE.

Dress Code

Covered knees and shoulders required at both the basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Enforced at the entrance. Paper wraps are available from street sellers outside at €3-5. Wearing appropriate clothing costs nothing and avoids being turned away.

Where to Eat

The Borgo Pio streets immediately adjacent to the Vatican are tourist-facing and overpriced. Walk 10 minutes south to the Prati neighbourhood. Osteria dell’Angelo on Via Bettolo serves a set Roman lunch (pasta, main, side, house wine, €25/person) for the neighbourhood residents rather than tourists. Closed Sunday and Monday lunch.

Getting There

Metro Line A to Ottaviano or Cipro, then 10 minutes’ walk to St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican Museums entrance is on Viale Vaticano, a 15-minute walk from the square along the outside wall. Book timed entry online before you travel.