One of the most famous attractions of the Vatican. St. Peter's Square, built in the XVII century, is located in front of the Cathedral of the same name. The line visually continuing the symmetrical semicircles of the colonnades forming the square is the outer boundary of the Vatican. The square is decorated with two fountains and an Egyptian obelisk delivered by Caligula to Rome.

The official residence of the Pope consists of a whole collection of palaces, galleries and halls connected by passages. The Apostolic Palace houses the Papal Apartments, several chapels, offices of the Roman Catholic Church, as well as museums and the Vatican Library. Here you can visit the Pinakothek, Sistine Chapel and Stanzas Raphael.

St. Peter's Cathedral is the real heart of the Vatican. In the IV century, a small basilica was erected over the supposed grave of the Apostle Peter, which in the XVI century it was decided to rebuild into a grand cathedral. The consecration of the building took place in 1626. On the creation of the Cathedral of St. Peter was worked by such great masters as Raphael, Michelangelo and Bernini.

The artificial Grotta di Lourde cave, located on the territory of the Vatican Gardens, is a smaller copy of the French Lourdes Grotto. The reason for the construction of the Grotta di Lourde was the dogma of the Pope of 1854. Construction of the cave began in 1902, and its consecration by Pope Pius X took place on March 28, 1905.

The Sistine Chapel is a unique religious and cultural monument of the Renaissance. Not too remarkable in appearance, The Sistine Chapel became famous all over the world thanks to its frescoes. Works Botticelli, Rosselli and Perugino in 1536-1541 were supplemented by a grandiose "Last Judgment" Michelangelo. Currently The Sistine Chapel is used for conclaves.

The Vatican Pinacoteca was founded in the XVIII century by Pope Pius VI, and received its own separate building in 1932. This art gallery, open to the public, consists of 18 halls in which more than 400 paintings are exhibited in chronological order from the XII to the XIX centuries. Here you can see the works Caravaggio, Raphael, Giotto, Perugino, Titian and other famous masters.

The famous Vatican gardens were first mentioned in the XIII century, when their main use was in the cultivation of vegetables, fruits and medicinal plants. Now the Vatican Gardens, with an area of more than 20 hectares, have decorative significance, and you can visit them only with a guide. There is a heliport for communication with Roman airports.

Raphael's stanzas are four small rooms in the Papal Palace decorated with frescoes by the great painter. Work in these premises was carried out from 1508 to 1517. Some of the frescoes decorating, in particular, the Hall of Constantine, were made after the death of Raphael by his students.

The Villa of Pope Pius IV, also known as the Casino Piya, was built in the middle of the XVI century. Currently, the building houses the headquarters of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences. Villa The Piya consists of two pavilions and two covered walkways. All rooms are decorated with frescoes and statues, and the floors are lined with majolica tiles.

The Pio-Clementino Museum of Ancient Art was created on behalf of Pope Clement XIV and Pius VI, for which it got its name. This extensive museum was founded in the XVIII century in the Belvedere Palace. There are sculptures depicting people and animals, several mosaics and sarcophagi, as well as many Roman busts.

The Church of Santo Stefano del Abyssinia is considered one of the oldest churches in the Vatican. It was built in the V century, but after a while it was destroyed. In 1159, the church was rebuilt again, after which it underwent several reconstructions. Now Santo Stefano degli Abissini is a functioning church decorated with a unique fresco of the XV century.

On the floor below Raphael Station is an apartment Borgia. These rooms at the end of the XV century were the private chambers of Pope Alexander VI. The apartments consist of five halls decorated with frescoes. The subjects for the drawings were chosen by Pope Alexander VI personally. Apart from the halls, the Borgia apartments also include the treasury and the Pope's bedroom.

The Swiss Guard was created in 1506 and is currently the only armed forces of the Vatican. The guards take part in mass and diplomatic receptions, stand guard near the chambers of the Pope and the Secretary of State, and also guard the entrance to the Vatican and all floors of the Apostolic Palace.

A very modest chapel room Nikkolina (only 6.6 × 4 m) consists of two tiers. This is one of the oldest rooms of the Apostolic Palace. Chapel Walls The Niccolinas are decorated with extraordinarily beautiful frescoes dedicated to the life of St. Stephen and St. Lawrence. The famous Italian artist Fra Beato performed the painting works Angelico.

Since 1828 in the South Traces of ancient settlements have been found in Etruria. It was decided to collect all the finds discovered during these excavations into one exposition. This is how the Etruscan Museum was created, which was opened in 1837. Various household items, a bronze statue of Mars and a marble portrait of Athena are exhibited here.

The Pine Cone Courtyard, as the Pine Tree courtyard is also called, is one of the attractions of the Vatican. This place got its name in honor of the bronze cone located in front of the Bolvedersky Palace. In 1990, the courtyard of the Pine Tree was additionally decorated with a huge spinning golden ball about 4 meters in diameter.

The unique Vatican Library began to be collected in the XV century. Currently, it includes a huge number of books (including in Latin and Greek), manuscripts, engravings, maps and coins. The halls of the library are decorated with frescoes on a religious theme.

Founded in 1839, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum contains various pieces of art from Egyptian dynasties. The museum consists of 9 halls in which ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, mummies, statues and steles, household items of ancient Egyptians, as well as Christian and Islamic ceramics are exhibited.

Chiaramonti is an antique museum of classical sculpture, created in the period from 1805 to 1807. The museum consists of a large arched gallery, called the Corridor, and two halls. Chiaramonti houses sculptures from the Roman era, art objects dedicated to Roman and Greek mythology, as well as more than 3 thousand fragments of unique inscriptions.

Medieval fortification, called The Leonine Wall surrounds, in addition to the Vatican, also the Borgo district. After the Saracens attacked Rome in 846, it was decided to start building a defensive wall. The Leonine Wall, designed to protect the Vatican from Muslim attacks, was built from 848 to 852.