The Vatican Museums are a vast collection of galleries and halls that display art and artifacts gathered by the popes over centuries. Visitors can see ancient Roman and Greek sculptures, Egyptian antiquities, Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces, and famous spaces such as the Gallery of Maps, the Raphael Rooms, and the Pio-Clementino Museum. The visit usually ends in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s frescoes—most famously The Creation of Adam on the ceiling and The Last Judgment behind the altar—cover the walls and vault, making it one of the most celebrated artworks in the world.

St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the Catholic world and the spiritual center of the Vatican. Built over the tomb of Saint Peter, it is a masterpiece of Renaissance and Baroque architecture designed by great artists such as Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini. Inside, visitors can admire Michelangelo’s Pietà, the grand bronze canopy (Baldachin) by Bernini over the main altar, richly decorated chapels, mosaics, and soaring marble columns. The vast interior leads to the dome, which offers panoramic views over Rome for those who climb it. Outside, the basilica faces St. Peter’s Square, famous for Bernini’s colonnades and its iconic setting for papal ceremonies.