The tour begins with the collection of ancient Roman and Greek sculptures unearthed from excavations across Rome - when Central Italy was under papal control the Vatican had the rights to all such discoveries. Your guide will show you the most significant of these, including the Belvedere Apollo, the Torso, the busts of Claudius and Hadrian and the sarcophagi of Helen and Constance, the mother and daughter of Emperor Constantine. The tour will then move on to the Room of Animals and the Gallery of Candelabra where you can see (and walk on) rare Roman mosaics and admire the magnificent statues of Diana of Ephesus, the Muses and a multitude of Greek philosophers. Next, you’ll see the Gallery of Tapestries, the Sobieski Hall and Raphael’s Rooms. Formerly the private apartments of Pope Julius II, Raphael’s Rooms were decorated by Raphael and his apprentices, and house two of his most famous masterpieces, the Parnassus and The School of Athens.

tour of the Vatican would be complete without a visit to the famous Sistine Chapel, the Italy’s most popular attraction. You’ll hear from your guide about Michelangelo’s frescoes - The Last Judgment, the Creation of Adam and the Genesis - as well as information on the Stories of Moses and Jesus painted by Botticelli, Perugino and other Renaissance masters. The chapel is still used today for papal elections – known as Conclave.