Exploring the Vatican, where treasures of humanity are preserved

Not a Muslim pilgrim to the holy land of Mecca or a Catholic believer in the Vatican, I am an atheist drawn here by the allure of the artistic treasures that this sacred land holds.

Exploring the Vatican, where treasures of humanity are preserved

In the list of the world's largest museums, the Vatican ranks fifth after the Louvre (France), the State Hermitage (Russia), the National Museum (China), and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA).

The museums in the Vatican display numerous masterpieces of painting, sculpture, and other artworks collected by the popes over many centuries. It is the only country in the world recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

To save costs, I did not book tickets online, so I hurried to the museum gate early in the morning to queue up to buy tickets. Luckily, that day I only had to wait for an hour instead of the usual three hours.

Every corner and every wall of this tiny kingdom holds a treasure, so I just have to try to make the most of my time to preserve the memories.

Stepping into the Vatican, right at the modern spiral staircase built since 1932 (referred to as the Bramante staircase to distinguish it from the old Bramante staircase built in 1505 still exists today) are artifacts displaying various types of boats from civilizations around the world.

The Vatican currently has 19 museums of various sizes, and the exhibits inside include paintings, tapestries, ceramics, carriages, statues, and objects belonging to previous popes...

Visiting the Vatican, everyone is excited to find their way to the Sistine Chapel, built in 1475.

This is the most famous museum in the Vatican, named after Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484) because he wanted to build a larger room on the old 'Cappella Magna' - a sturdy room once used for the Papal Court.

The size of the room was copied from the largest Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.

The prayer house is renowned for its architecture and decorative paintings on the ceiling, such as the 3D murals executed by the greatest artists of the Renaissance period: Michelangelo, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli.

Among them, monumental works like the 800m2 mural depicting the history of humanity before the appearance of God, the Last Judgment... by Michelangelo leave viewers in awe.

There are plenty of places to visit, but Raphael's rooms are an absolute must-see, allowing comparison of the painting talents of Raphael and Michelangelo, who, along with Leonardo da Vinci, formed the triumvirate of great masters of the Renaissance period.

Pope Julius II (1483-1520) entrusted Raphael with full authority to erase all old drawings and create new ones in the Four Rooms of the Vatican: the Segnature (1508-1511), Heliodorus (1511-1514), Fire in the Borgo (1514-1517), and Constantine (1517-1524).

Especially in the Constantine room, most of the artworks are by Raphael's students, drawn after his sudden death in 1520. The School of Athens, a typical example of his talent, combines ancient Greek ideas into paintings, making theology, philosophy, literature, and law more appealing and accessible.

You don't need to go to Egypt to admire mummies. Right at the Egyptian museum in the Vatican, there are magnificent works of Egypt.

Pope Gregory (1831-1846) established this museum at the Lateran Palace in 1884, which was later moved to the Vatican in 1970 by Pope John XXIII. It exhibits numerous artworks from Egypt to other civilizations.

The Etruscan Museum, established by Pope Gregory XVI in 1837, will satisfy visitors who love decorated vases, beautiful paintings, a large collection of vases in the Greek-Italic style, and some from the Roman period, exploring bronze medals and archaeological discoveries in southern Etruria.

In Room II lies the tomb of the wealthy Etruscan family Regolini-Galassi, buried with countless bronze spears and gold jewelry, found in the ancient city of Caere in Italy. Rooms IV-VIII are dedicated to exhibiting gold jewelry crafted by Etruscan artisans in the 10th century.

The Gregorian Profane Museum, established by Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) at the Lateran Palace in 1884 and later transferred to the Vatican in 1970 by Pope John XXIII.

Original Greek statues, Roman copies, and structures from the 1st to the 3rd centuries AD are prominently displayed in this area. The most famous are two works depicting the goddess Athena and the woodland god Marsyas.

If you're fond of tapestries, you should visit The Tapestries Collection. Enormous Flemish tapestries created by artists from the Pieter van Aelst group under the influence of Raphael's disciples' works.

Masterpieces from the papacy of Clement VII (1523-1534) were first exhibited in the Sistine Prayer Hall in 1531 and later moved here in 1838.

The Pius-Clementine Museum is where Popes Clement XIV (1769-1774) and Pius VI (1775-1799) commissioned others to collect the most important masterpieces of Greek and Roman art for the Vatican.

Upon entering, you'll witness sculptures of gods and animals. The octagonal courtyard area features the Belvedere Apollo statue wearing a laurel wreath carved from marble, discovered in the late 15th century.

This was originally a Roman copy from the 2nd century of the original bronze from Greece. The Bust room mainly contains portraits of Roman emperors.

The circular room, built by Michelangelo Simonetti in the late 18th century in the pure Neoclassical style, with a dome based on the Pantheon's 21.60m diameter dome, includes a bronze-gilded statue of Hercules near the Pompey Theatre.

The Borgia Room was originally a chamber built specifically for Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503), then renovated through successive papacies. The project was temporarily halted until the late 19th century when it was opened to the public for visits.

Currently, the Borgia Room is used as a place to collect modern religious artworks, including about 600 paintings, sculptures, and graphics. Particularly notable are works by artists Gauguin, Chagall, Klee, and Kandinskij.

A less tourist-attracting place is the Map Collection room, named after 40 map panels on the walls depicting regions of Italy and properties owned by Pope Gregory XIII (1572-1585).

These maps were drawn by the famous geographer Ignazio Danti, from the mid-1580s.

In the sacred Vatican, one must tread lightly and quietly, necks sore and eyes weary from admiring too many masterpieces in just a few hours.

But amidst the bustling crowds of tourists, I found a place of my own to cherish memories of this invaluable artistic treasure.

By Kim Ngan/Tuoi Tre News

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Reference: Travel guide from Mytour