Vatican City - the world’s smallest country

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[{"address":"Ottaviano","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.90939966425327,"longitude":12.458003200000025},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20001.m4a?alt=media&token=d6d889d5-4129-4a24-aa8c-8689e08e8dcd"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FtempFileForShare_20221121-161930.jpg?alt=media&token=461e559c-71ae-4319-97f9-2714857f7f3c"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpexels-valentin-onu-4102416.jpg?alt=media&token=ca3a861a-3a09-45ea-97c7-a99ca37665ce"},{"type":"text","content":"Welcome to the Vatican City! \n\nI’m Arianna and I’ll be your guide to enjoy an unforgettable experience in the world’s smallest country. We’ll start our tour by visiting the heart of Christianity: Piazza San Pietro and Basilica di San Pietro. \n\nBoth sites’ visit is free but, **to avoid long queues, it’s better to buy in advance a ticket for the further stops, the Vatican Museum and Cappella Sistina at the link below**. "},{"type":"link","content":"https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home"},{"type":"text","content":"Vatican City has a fascinating history. It was 7 June 1929, when the treaty signed on 11 February of the same year between the Italian State and the Holy See came into force, sanctioning the legal personality of the Vatican City State.\n\nThe Vatican is the smallest state in the world, at least in terms of territorial extension - 0.44 square kilometres - and population, less than 1.000 inhabitants.\n\nPerhaps you do not know that Vatican citizenship cannot be acquired by birth: only cardinals who live there and those, including lay people, who reside there by reason of their office or employment are citizens of the Vatican.\n\n\nThe official language of the State is Italian, while Latin is the language of the Holy See: it is not a coincidence that the legislation of Vatican City is written exclusively in Latin.\n\n\nBelieve it or not, the Vatican is the country with the highest crime rate in the world: during 2006, the Vatican Ministry of Justice reportedly investigated 486 criminal cases and 341 civil cases. The most common crime, as you might imagine, is theft.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpexels-jeannette-granger-thompson-13035553.jpg?alt=media&token=225ca708-e1cf-458c-af0f-5d680a40915c"},{"type":"text","content":"The Pontifical Swiss Guard is an armed corps serving the papacy since 22 January 1506, when a group of 150 Swiss mercenaries crossed the threshold of the Papal States to serve Pope Julius II. \n\n\nTo join the Swiss Guards, you must meet particular requirements: in addition to being male, you must be of the Catholic faith, have Swiss citizenship and be between 18 and 30 years of age. Moreover, you must have served in the Swiss army and be unmarried (marriage is only allowed for corporals and higher ranks in the corps).\n\n\nBefore you begin your visit, take a look at what you will visit with this spectacular video.\n"},{"type":"link","content":"www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNj2gTv7R14"}]},{"address":"Saint Peter's Square","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.902230922792654,"longitude":12.456849653939152},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20002.m4a?alt=media&token=0108ba5a-d142-4931-8cf5-b7b2d605888f"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpanorama-cupola-san-pietro-roma.jpg?alt=media&token=2ed79c52-e301-4812-99ad-4c19dc55331e"},{"type":"text","content":"Majestic and imposing, St Peter's Square welcomes you to Vatican City.\nIt is truly the beating heart of Christianity because it is the site of all the major events of the Catholic cult: from the proclamation of new popes to the pope's funeral, to the canonisation of saints.\n\n\nThe architecture of the square well represents the magnificence of the papacy. It can even accommodate 300,000 people!\n\n\nThe history of what is undoubtedly one of the most famous squares in Rome and Italy is long and complex. All you need to know is that what you see now is the result of a design by Bernini, who created it between 1656 and 1667.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fbasilica-di-san-pietro-1.jpg?alt=media&token=3ac9405e-8e0c-49dc-8f1a-96dd7978830b"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20002.m4a?alt=media&token=5f15f3c0-c50d-4718-8d3c-f27be83ee62b"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FEl%20Obelsico%20de%20la%20plaza%20de%20san%20Pedro.jpg?alt=media&token=85722d65-07b0-42aa-94dc-0de71626aabe"},{"type":"text","content":"In the centre of the square, you will notice an obelisk about 40 metres high. \nIt is about 4000 years old and comes from Heliopolis in Egypt. Pope Sixtus V had it installed in front of the Basilica as work began on its construction in 1586. \nPlacing the obelisk in the centre of the square was not an easy task. An imposing scaffolding was built, from which directions were given to the workers with trumpets and drums: a total silence was imposed throughout the square so as not to disturb the work, and offenders would be punished very severely.\nDuring the final stages of the work, the ropes that supported the obelisk began to give way, but a man in the square noticed this and, at the risk of incurring punishment, began shouting *water to the ropes*, and saved the day. The man not only was not punished but his family was given the task of supplying the Holy See with palms for all religious holidays.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FPiazza-san-pietro-vecchia.jpg?alt=media&token=f61fdb5e-eddd-4a01-8de8-589ad8f61685"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fobelisco1.jpg?alt=media&token=b7272c9c-350a-4b7a-9bf9-97c2382216c2"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20003.m4a?alt=media&token=9556950a-bfd4-4d27-bbb9-cc29fbbcdddc"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Ffontane-gemelle-shutterstock_1030169698.jpg?alt=media&token=977521b9-b4ba-48f4-b759-c03ed671042c"},{"type":"text","content":"In 1821, a compass rose was embedded in the floor around the obelisk. In addition, panels with the signs of the zodiac were incorporated into the floor. The shadow of the obelisk at noon during the summer shows the current sign of the zodiac.\n\n\nObserve now the two fountains in front of the Basilica. There has been a fountain in front of St Peter's Basilica since the 5th century. In 1490 there was a fountain to the right of St Peter's Basilica, which was renovated by Carlo Maderno in 1614. Bernini moved the fountain a few metres to the northeast to adjust the position of the geometry of the new square. He also built a second so-called twin fountain on the south side of the square, to the left of St. Peter's Basilica. Both fountains draw their water from Lake Bracciano through the Aqua Paola aqueduct.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Frosa2.webp?alt=media&token=ccf1ef49-3dda-416c-aa0e-9cc302a990f6"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FFontane1.jpg?alt=media&token=649b0340-a256-4433-9844-5a9bc89b8a85"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20004.m4a?alt=media&token=ad954972-c067-44d1-a4b7-62ab0b250490"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fcolonnato2.JPG?alt=media&token=56013d9d-c662-4ba5-b712-b73c4d9ac21d"},{"type":"text","content":"Are you wondering how many columns there are in the square? As many as 284 to which are added 88 pillars that in turn support an architrave with 96 marble statues.\n\n\nBernini created a special masterpiece with the colonnades. He aligned all the columns towards a centre. Pay attention: there is a mark on the floor for the centre of the colonnades. If you stand on this mark you will see the columns aligned so that the back three columns disappear behind the first column. The diameter of the columns then increases outwards to preserve the proportions. \n\n\nOne last curiosity before entering the Basilica: the construction of the colonnades required over forty-four thousand cubic metres of travertine. The stone was brought from nearby Tivoli both by land and river. Hundreds of workers were needed to complete the work. Among them, there were also many volunteers, who offered themselves for this work as atonement for their sins.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fcolonnati.webp?alt=media&token=cf313f8f-f5a2-4bbc-816e-b27ad01558ac"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fcolonnato.jpg?alt=media&token=f524b011-5240-4ddb-abe7-37a649255ec9"}]},{"address":"St. Peter's Basilica","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.90212411424963,"longitude":12.45844115000001},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20005.m4a?alt=media&token=ac28a680-5d89-4b54-9379-6af007541178"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fbasilica-di-san-pietro-1.jpg?alt=media&token=bf770d11-8c50-4b81-a16e-62ebb1cc6e45"},{"type":"text","content":"Well, get ready now to enter the symbol of the Vatican State and the heart of Catholicism!\n\n\nThe visit to the Basilica is free and open to visitors of all faiths. **It could be better, if you can, to get there very early. The hours change depending on the season but the opening is always at 7 am.**\n\nAlso, keep in mind that the church is closed to visitors during papal audiences (usually on Wednesday mornings) and also when an important ceremony is taking place (such as a funeral mass). \n\nPlease check the basilica's website before you leave to avoid disappointment.\n"},{"type":"link","content":"www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/index_it.htm"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20006.m4a?alt=media&token=4ef333e3-6a9b-4919-819c-f80fb26e9b22"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2F800px-Basilica_di_San_Pietro_facade_-_front_left_top.jpg?alt=media&token=0bd9db9e-c616-4c8a-b0dd-2c11a2867030"},{"type":"text","content":"Before entering the Basilica, look at its front. It is over 114 metres wide and over 45 metres high and was built between 1607 and 1614. \n\n\nThe two statues of St. Peter and St. Paul were carved in 1847. On the top are statues of Jesus, John the Baptist and eleven of the twelve apostles excluding St Peter. Why eleven and not twelve? Because a separate statue in the churchyard is dedicated to St Peter.\n\nAt the upper ends are two clocks made in 1785. The architect and goldsmith Giuseppe Valadier built two clocks on the unfinished towers to the right and left of the front. The dials are 4 meters in diameter. The clock on the left, called \n*Oltremontano*, shows the current time while the one on the right has a curiosity.\nIt is called *Italic* and shows the time from half an hour after sunset, so it shows XII half an hour after sunset and the next time twelve hours later. The advantage of this method is that you can see how much time is left before the sun sets. \n\n\nBut if you read the clock and start counting with the sunset, you will notice that the clock does not show the correct time. According to tradition, it is said that the clock shows the wrong time so that the devil does not arrive in time for mass!\n"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20007.m4a?alt=media&token=b80a30a0-8a5f-422f-96f1-d432619043e2"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fimg-Basilica-San-Pietro-opere-interno.webp?alt=media&token=ba8ccf73-209a-425d-b231-931efbbe632c"},{"type":"text","content":"Now start your visit to the Basilica by entering the gorgeous interior space, consisting of three naves divided by mighty columns on which large round arches open. \n\nI am sure you will be astounded by the quality of the decorations and the artistic richness of the basilica.\n\nA bit of history: St Peter's Basilica has its roots in the 4th century. It was in those years that with the Edict of Constantine the Christian persecutions came to an end, and the emperor decided to have a basilica built where St Peter, who had been executed in Nero's circus that previously occupied the space of the Church and the square in front of it, was said to be buried. \n\n\nBasically, on the Basilica grounds there used to be a Roman circus, where chariot races were held, and many executions of Christians were executed for the emperor's amusement. Towards the middle of the second century, the circus was abandoned, and the area was given to private individuals to build tombs (there was a necropolis nearby).\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fsan-pietro-navata-sx-1728x1080.webp?alt=media&token=b2dd3565-b300-4ff6-a24d-75c99bf5687c"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20008.m4a?alt=media&token=ca981260-8a6d-4a47-957d-7599c0428551"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FMichelangelo-Pieta.jpg?alt=media&token=cdef10bb-53d5-4566-882d-4bb6b885f5d9"},{"type":"text","content":"The nave is covered by a wide barrel vault and culminates in the monumental Cathedral. \n\nAs you walk down the right aisle you will find several chapels with statues, the most famous of which is certainly Michelangelo's Pietà, a superb work created by the artist in 1499. \nWhile you pause to admire it, I will tell you some interesting facts.\nThe Pietà was commissioned to Michelangelo by French Cardinal Jean de Billheres, who wanted to be remembered long after his death and was placed in St. Peter's only 200 years later, where you can admire it today. \n\nIt is made entirely of Carrara marble from a single slab.\n\n\nTry to look at it closely: on Mary's chest, you will find Michelangelo's signature, which is extraordinary because it is the only work that the artist signed. \n\nFinally, the statue of Mary herself was criticised because she was considered too young to have a child when she was 33 years old, as Jesus was believed to be when she died.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpiet%C3%A0%20madonna.jfif?alt=media&token=c4f2e657-3dc4-4862-aff0-b7b41d9d73de"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20009.m4a?alt=media&token=e1b46aad-5cda-41cc-a177-5c76ab80fa2c"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Finterni%20cupola.jfif?alt=media&token=bc4d6a17-45a8-48c9-a653-0f583d5d05de"},{"type":"text","content":"Now move to the centre of the Basilica and look at the monumental St Peter's Baldachin, made between 1624 and 1633. \n\nPlaced right under the Dome and made entirely of bronze taken from the Pantheon, it is almost 30 metres high. In the centre, the Papal Altar is placed, exactly vertically to St. Peter's Sepulchre. \n\nAlong the four immense pillars surrounding the dome are the sculptures ordered by Urban VIII, depicting St. Longinus (1639), St. Helena (1646), St. Veronica (1632) and St. Andrew (1640).\n\n\nJust below the altar, you can best admire the dome, which is 133 metres high and 41.50 metres in diameter. The dome was built by Giacomo Porta over a period of two years. The interior decorations were made using the mosaic technique and depict scenes with Christ, the apostles and busts of popes and saints. \n\n\nA curiosity: do you know where is the Latin saying *quod non fecerunt barbari, fecerunt Barberini* comes from? From Pope Urban VIII who ordered the reuse of marble and precious stones from the Colosseum to embellish part of the Basilica!\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fcupola-san-pietro-interni.jpg?alt=media&token=efae7933-1105-4a7e-a932-fcdcd40f242f"}]},{"address":"Tomb of Saint Peter","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.90183976424951,"longitude":12.453557450000007},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20010.m4a?alt=media&token=e1385dc3-1b63-4c62-b586-82b84f783edc"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Ftomba-di-san-pietro-pmek6r71qr7n2hgqzpef0xgzu78fk02gegn3tccg0s.webp?alt=media&token=e1014c66-becf-4d57-b413-3645f7e73444"},{"type":"text","content":"Now it’s time to visit one of the most sacred places for Christianity. \n\nSt Peter's tomb is located directly under the Altar of Confession. To reach St. Peter's tomb, walk down the flight of stairs next to the Altar of Confession to a small basilica, called the Lower Church.\n\nSt Peter's tomb is a *place of memory*, where the memory of the venerated and lost Constantinian basilica survives, of which few but significant remains are preserved, together with many testimonies of medieval and Renaissance transformations.\n\n**What makes it so important? It is the place where Christianity began and from where it spread**.\n\nThe New Testament says that, after Jesus' crucifixion (around 30 AD), his followers continued their work under St Peter - a fisherman who had become one of Jesus' closest friends and perhaps his most trusted disciple.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fnecropoli_1.jpg?alt=media&token=50274376-f4da-444e-b60c-65d043a7fd83"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20011.m4a?alt=media&token=6c876ab4-c326-455b-99f1-49e26881fc47"},{"type":"text","content":"The tomb was discovered in 1940 under Pope Pius XII when a floor was being dug for a new altar, next to one that had been dedicated to St Peter since 1594.\n\n\nIn 1939, the Pope had given the order to search for the tomb of St. Peter, believed to have been buried on the Vatican Hill near where St. Peter's Basilica stands today. \n\nPius XII wanted to prove that there was a connection between the first church built by Constantine and the tomb that was discovered beneath it.\nAnd he succeeded! When archaeologists opened the tomb, they found an ancient Roman burial chamber with an inscription that read *PETROS ENI* or Peter is inside. Inside this chamber were other tombs belonging to three women and four men, including St Peter's brother Andrew.\n\n\nYou will notice that St Peter's tomb is a complex of several structures located beneath St Peter's Basilica. The tomb is located near the western end of a complex of mausoleums dating from around 130 to 300 AD.\n\n\nOn the level above the tomb, you can also see remains of a Roman necropolis of about 13,000 m2. and vestiges of what are thought to be pagan temples.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Ftomba-di-san-pietro-esterno.webp?alt=media&token=8ff32f9e-de77-47b7-bb88-bf0a0e7484a4"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fgrotte_vaticane_mic-768x621.jpg?alt=media&token=5b7dfe0e-e0a3-4464-94bd-43ace54a0ae4"}]},{"address":"Palace of the Canonicate","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.9021787421516,"longitude":12.453390834442816},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20012.m4a?alt=media&token=7d6eba3d-a6a7-4500-9436-b94d2aedfea0"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Ffew-faithful-on-the-dome-of-san-pietro-follow-pope-francis-news-photo-1645196672.jpg?alt=media&token=192175aa-56cd-4d26-84d7-e82be2d56379"},{"type":"text","content":"After visiting the interior of the Basilica, I recommend you climb the 537 steps (do not worry, only 230 if you take the lift) to reach the top of the Dome and admire a 360° panorama of Rome. \n\nHere is the link with all the info you need to have:"},{"type":"link","content":"www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/it/cupola/orari.htm"},{"type":"text","content":"Do you know what the huge ball on the dome of the Basilica is? It is a hollow sphere inside, made of bronze and covered in gold, and it is not as small as it looks, because up to 20 people can fit inside. \n\nAnd until not so many years ago, it was even visitable! Slits had been cut into the bronze roof, and the view from up there must have been one of the most beautiful in the world.\n\n\nThe last pope to climb it was Pius IX in 1847, on the eve of St Peter's Day, and in 1847 Gregory XVI even offered refreshments there for Tsar Nicholas!\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Flighting-torches-placed-on-the-cross-at-the-top-of-the-dome-news-photo-1645196347.jpg?alt=media&token=0c742a8b-504a-4ca1-8a52-f3b916f92816"}]},{"address":"Trattoria Sora Lella","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.890825064244,"longitude":12.477989449999978},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20013.m4a?alt=media&token=13f4268b-46ee-4c1b-b7fd-52b4ac3905ab"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fsora%20lella.jpg?alt=media&token=7b029db7-cb35-459e-a1f7-7e39e5b6a467"},{"type":"text","content":"Before continuing with our visit, I imagine you will want to take a break. You are lucky because in a close and suggestive location, the Tiberina island, you will find an institution in the capital since 1959, the Sora Lella restaurant. \n\nYou may see her below cooking one of her very special recipes on tv."},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fsora%20lella.jfif?alt=media&token=427304af-2409-4d39-aec2-4ec63be05624"},{"type":"text","content":"Trattoria Sora Lella\nVia di Ponte Quattro Capi, 16 \n"},{"type":"link","content":"www.tasteatlas.com/most-popular-dishes-in-metropolitan-city-of-rome-capital"}]},{"address":"Vatican Museums","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.90672286425195,"longitude":12.453508249999974},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20014.m4a?alt=media&token=b09b10e5-4ba2-4d60-abed-5b11db93ee46"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpexels-max-11512523.jpg?alt=media&token=189cd19c-a5e9-4035-a7bb-9bfbd54b8445"},{"type":"text","content":"You are going to visit one of the biggest museums in the world. The Vatican museums have a surface area of 40,000 square metres and a museum route of about 7 km in which almost 70,000 objects are exhibited in about 11,000 rooms!\n\n\nDon't worry, in our itinerary we only visit the must-see items from the various museum collections. In short, a way to be breathless with the beauty you will admire but also keep your feet safe!\n\n\nPlease remember that inside the Vatican Museums it is possible to take photographs without a flash but **inside the Sistine Chapel, it is absolutely forbidden to take photographs or videos**.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2F900x600-musei-vaticani-curiosita-galleria.webp?alt=media&token=4e485aa3-e214-4b69-9adc-30fd12e05d56"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20015.m4a?alt=media&token=63d500e4-92c7-4de6-8276-ebcd6984028d"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FLaoconte2.png?alt=media&token=3d0c93cd-864d-4ce9-8b6a-d76f6d0d9889"},{"type":"text","content":"Well. let’s start with a bit of history: the Vatican museums were founded by Pope Julius II in 1506, but only in 1771, thanks to Clement XIV, they were opened to the public. \n\nThe first piece exhibited was a marble sculpture, purchased 500 years ago. The sculpture represents Laocoon and was found on 14 January 1506 in a vineyard near the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.\n\n\nYou can admire it in the Greco-Roman section, in the Belvedere Courtyard. The Laooconte illustrates the tragic end of the Trojan priest Laocoon and his two sons who were killed by a sea serpent that suddenly emerged from the waters during the Trojan War.\n\nIn the Vatican courtyards, you will find the *Pignone*, a huge bronze pinecone, too.\nAlmost four metres high, it was found in the Middle Ages at the Baths of Agrippa and is said to have originally been a decoration for a fountain in the Temple of Isis at the Campus Martius.\nEven Dante quoted it when describing one of the characters in the Divine Comedy: *la faccia sua mi parea lunga e grossa come la pina di San Pietro a Roma, a sua proporzione eran l'altre ossa*.\n\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2F1280px-Laocoon_Vatican-2.jpg?alt=media&token=4f2ef880-0fc3-4bd4-b47b-cffecb11c4f5"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpigna.png?alt=media&token=b381b9f0-8f36-4037-b791-8dd33ffd1e87"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2F900x600-musei-vaticani-curiosita-pignone.webp?alt=media&token=0f39a8a5-c171-499b-a33c-848c89d7754c"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20016.m4a?alt=media&token=769ec8f2-71b0-410b-a1dc-799d57ff35de"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FScuola-di-Atene-Raffaello-Sanzio-analisi.jpg?alt=media&token=897377df-25bb-4acf-9229-681407d2c197"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FScuola-di-Atene-Raffaello-Sanzio-Pitagora-Teleauge.png?alt=media&token=8a9f7da8-32e5-4b9c-b6cc-3b804f32a3d9"},{"type":"text","content":"Undoubtedly another of the most precious treasures of the Vatican Museums is Raphael's School of Athens, which you will find in the Stanza della Segnatura on the first floor of the galleries.\n\n\nIt is a huge fresco (5x 7.7 m), painted between 1509 and 1511 as a tribute to the greatest thinkers, philosophers and mathematicians known in Raphael's time.\n\n\nObserve the painting carefully: the faces of the famous philosophers and mathematicians of the past are those of some of the most famous people of Raphael's own time.\n\nThe artist chose them one by one according to the inclinations of each one to transpose them in a 'philosophical' key on the painting.\nSo, Plato has the face of Leonardo da Vinci, Aristotle resembles Bastiano da Sangallo, Euclid is represented by Bramante and Heraclitus resembles Buonarroti.\n\n\nIf you look carefully, moreover, aside from the pupils and behind Bramante, you will not struggle to spot a self-portrait of Raphael!\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FConfronto-Apelle-Sodoma-Perugino-Zoroastro-Raffaello.jpg?alt=media&token=ab05d1fa-dbcb-4280-aff8-5512b363aa23"},{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20017.m4a?alt=media&token=408093ca-291e-412d-9b1b-39f6c4da2bad"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fil-giudizio-universale-1.jpg?alt=media&token=dfa43485-4966-4814-a88a-9bf0ee59cce8"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fdio-divide-la-terra-dalle-acque-cappella-sistina-1.jpg?alt=media&token=c8debb11-95a1-4b01-8204-283deb0c013a"},{"type":"text","content":"What now? Well, here finally is the Sistine Chapel!\nLet's start with a bit of trivia. \n\nThe dimensions of the Sistine Chapel mirror those of Solomon's Temple as described in the Bible. And if you are wondering how many figures are painted, know that you will count 300 on an area of over 1,000 square metres.\n\n\nMichelangelo Buonarotti is the artist who created this marvellous work for Pope Sixtus IV, working day and night between about 1475 and 1481.\n \nIt is said that during the works, Michelangelo never let anyone in, not even the Pope. However, the curious Pope insisted on being allowed to look at the vault of the Sistine Chapel. Exasperated by the Pope's constant demands, the artist decided to test the Holy Father's patience and staged a trap. Michelangelo said he had to go to Florence on business and would stay a few days, recommending that he not enter the Sistine Chapel for any reason. However, the Pope’s s curiosity was such that he had the doors opened and, upon entering, found the artist who had only pretended to be leaving and instead, had simply locked himself inside. Furious, Michelangelo threatened to leave the work unfinished.\n\n\nOne of the most emblematic and beautiful frescoes in the Sistine Chapel is the Creation of Adam. Before Michelangelo's depiction, God had no human face. From that moment on, the imagery of God with a long wise man's beard was born.\n\nIn one of the scenes of the huge fresco, you can even glimpse a self-portrait of Michelangelo. A hint as to where to find it? Look for the flayed figure of St Bartholomew.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVolta-della-cappella-sistina-1.jpg?alt=media&token=ab7fd819-973b-426e-82e5-902131b3b504"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fla-creazione-di-adamo.jpg?alt=media&token=6a7d9553-3f78-4817-9986-291d7545b439"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2F2018_michelangelo_san_bartolomeo_sistina.jpg?alt=media&token=f4c7f337-82da-45b5-8e67-ca1411e82816"}]},{"address":"Castel Sant'Angelo","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.10218818160659443,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":41.90280201424998,"longitude":12.466286600000025},"media":[{"type":"audio","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2FVoce%20018.m4a?alt=media&token=0b3c7ec7-727a-4f7c-8133-e3663f0858cd"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpassetto.jfif?alt=media&token=14211c30-e2b1-4156-afac-b0a302b4006a"},{"type":"text","content":"The last stop on our tour is a visit to a monument that is not part of the Vatican but is closely connected: Castel Sant'Angelo. \n\nYou can reach it starting from St Peter's Square and continuing along Via della Conciliazione. \nYou will find yourself in front of a very impressive monument from which you can admire one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Rome. \n\nIts original architecture is due to the fact that it was built as the tomb of Emperor Hadrian. Over the centuries the structure was used as a fortress for defensive purposes.\nToday is a Pope’s residence who can easily reach it with a stretch of the wall called *il passetto*.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fcastel%20angelo%20storia.jpg?alt=media&token=eb2d815b-82b3-4195-82dd-51e69d88acae"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpaolina2.jpg?alt=media&token=92dcd848-92af-45b7-8f49-78484755955b"},{"type":"text","content":"Castel Sant'Angelo has a lot of rooms rich in frescoes and decorations inside. \n\nOf all of them, I recommend you the Sala Paolina, one of the most beautiful rooms in Rome. Pope Paul III decided to entrust the frescoes in this room to Perin del Vaga, who painted them between 1545 and 1547.\nThis was the room where the Pope received his guests. On the ceiling you can see the coat of arms of Paul III and some representations of the life of Alexander the Great, whose greatness inspired the pope.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpaolina.jpg?alt=media&token=09f8e0f6-3072-4231-9315-89f3603b636e"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fsantangelo_statua_mic.jpg?alt=media&token=cfe8ac48-e3ff-4de7-82d2-4b88e611e3cf"},{"type":"text","content":"Now head to the Angel Terrace, overlooked by the statue of Archangel Michael. \n\nThe view of the Vatican and Rome will undoubtedly be the best conclusion to your day exploring the world's smallest city. Isn’t it?"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fsantangelo_vistapanoramica_mic.jpg?alt=media&token=eea36513-4cd7-4f53-8fff-ac8262de62e5"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2FstLFLyRyubZlSH4vu6Fa%2Fpontesantangelo_mic.jpg?alt=media&token=8a049f45-25b4-4c83-9a2f-811dc3b2f1f1"},{"type":"link","content":"www.tosc.it/en/artist/museo-nazionale-castel-sant-angelo/"}]}]