The Vatican History Museum is just one part of the impressive Vatican Museums. Founded by Pope Paul in 1973, the collection of the Historical Museum was originally located under a square garden. It was not until 1987 that it was moved to the main floor of the Lateran Apostolic Palace and reopened to the public in March 1991. The Vatican City Museums began their activities in 1503 by the then Pope Julius. The museum's selection of works grew from private to public collections of rich families, former popes and the future pope. The Vatican Museums grew when the wide variety of collections required more buildings to house the works and this led to the Vatican Museum of History.

When visiting the Sistine Chapel, what catches people's attention is not its architecture, but the frescoes that completely cover the walls and ceiling. The Sistine Chapel is the pope's own chapel, the site of the pope's most important ceremonies and is used by the Holy College of Cardinals to elect a new pope when a seat becomes vacant. But when the chapel is not in use for practical reasons, tourists from all over the world flock to the chapel, all eager to catch a glimpse of the magnificent paintings hidden inside.