Best City Guides

The Sistine Chapel & Vatican Museums

The Sistine Chapel's famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo looms above the frescoes on the side walls, painted by an illustrious team of artists that included Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Roselli, Pinturicchio, Signorelli and della Gatta. The altar wall is covered by Michelangelo's , revealing the figure of Christ hovering above centre and flanked by Mary and other saintly figures. The Vatican Museums provide an inspiring visit to one of the world's greatest collections of art. The galleries stretch over four miles (6km), and include the magnificent Raphael rooms, the Etruscan Museum and the Pio-Clementino Museum, which boasts the world's largest collection of Classical statues.