Vatican Museums in August - should we/can we?
Jun 5th, 2014, 01:39 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Vatican Museums in August - should we/can we?
We are in Rome from Wednesday 13th August to Sunday 17th August 2014 and we were planning to go to the Vatican Museums and St Peter's Basilica. However it seems the only day we can visit is the Saturday as it is closed on both the 14th and 15th... (we arrive too late on the Wednesday - 3pm - to make the Vatican I feel but are assuming this time will also be busy since it's before it closes for 2 days?) In your experience will this make the Saturday even more busier than ever to the point of being unbearable? We were planning on arriving at St Peter's early and booking tickets for the 9am entry but might this still prove to be crazy? I am very, very keen to visit but since I am travelling with my family (including 4 teenagers and a 7 year old) I worry that I am going to put them under too much pressure - my husband is not great with crowds in particular! I do have a plan of what we would like to see in the Museums and would limit our time in there to 90 mins for this trip - so could effectively be out by 10.30.
Any thoughts on how we could still visit and keep our sanity or should we just 'save the visit to next time'?
Any thoughts on how we could still visit and keep our sanity or should we just 'save the visit to next time'?
Jun 5th, 2014, 03:21 PM
#2
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 11,212
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<< We were planning on arriving at St Peter's early and booking tickets for the 9am entry >>
I'm fairly sure St. Peter's doesn't charge to go in but I could be wrong.
I would start with the museums, rather than the church, as the walk from the church to the museum entrance is rather long. The Sistine Chapel is at the end of the museums and you can then exit into St. Peter's square which makes things easier.
I don't travel in the summer but I would suspect that many people are at the beach rather than in hot Rome. There are always crowds and I don't think you will encounter an extraordinary number of visitors.
Many of the galleries have few visitors so choose those to explore. The main corridor will be busy but you can duck into an empty gallery to "cool off" for a few minutes. The Sistine Chapel will be crowded.
I would do the visit and not wait for another trip.
BTW - I would not count on visiting for only 90 minutes but allow yourself more time. At least 2 hours, if you can as there is lots to see.
I'm fairly sure St. Peter's doesn't charge to go in but I could be wrong.
I would start with the museums, rather than the church, as the walk from the church to the museum entrance is rather long. The Sistine Chapel is at the end of the museums and you can then exit into St. Peter's square which makes things easier.
I don't travel in the summer but I would suspect that many people are at the beach rather than in hot Rome. There are always crowds and I don't think you will encounter an extraordinary number of visitors.
Many of the galleries have few visitors so choose those to explore. The main corridor will be busy but you can duck into an empty gallery to "cool off" for a few minutes. The Sistine Chapel will be crowded.
I would do the visit and not wait for another trip.
BTW - I would not count on visiting for only 90 minutes but allow yourself more time. At least 2 hours, if you can as there is lots to see.
Jun 5th, 2014, 05:02 PM
#3
There are no entry tickets for St. Peter's (unless you mean for the Papal audience on Wednesdays). It's open from 7am to 7pm in summer. You do have to go through a security screening to enter, but that usually doesn't take long. I would be surprised if St. Peter's closed on either of those days.
The Museums will be closed those days. You can book tickets on the Vatican Museum website.
The Museums will be closed those days. You can book tickets on the Vatican Museum website.
Jun 5th, 2014, 05:34 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 4,416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
When the Vatican Museums are closed, the nearest open days get extra busy, and with no air-conditioning to speak of, the heat and humidity will be almost unbearable. It was bad enough in June, so August will be stifling.
Last year, Pope Francis, instead of holidaying at the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo like his immediate predecessors, just made a day visit there on Ferragosto (August 15) for the Feat of the Assumption (a public holiday in Italy) and addressed visitors and residents. So there will be no big public service in St Peter's and it should be open as usual, though papal calendar of events for August hasn't yet been announced. Should the Pope decide to stay in the Vatican, a Papal Mass at St Peter's will be likely and entrance will be by ticket only, until well after the Mass is ended.
Last year, Pope Francis, instead of holidaying at the summer residence of Castel Gandolfo like his immediate predecessors, just made a day visit there on Ferragosto (August 15) for the Feat of the Assumption (a public holiday in Italy) and addressed visitors and residents. So there will be no big public service in St Peter's and it should be open as usual, though papal calendar of events for August hasn't yet been announced. Should the Pope decide to stay in the Vatican, a Papal Mass at St Peter's will be likely and entrance will be by ticket only, until well after the Mass is ended.
Jun 5th, 2014, 07:55 PM
#5
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Depending on what the rest of your itinerary is like for those days (and what parts of town you'll be in) you could possibly split up your visit to St. Peter's on one day and the visit to the Vatican Museums on the 16th. This would add a little variety for the sake of your family.
The only way I'd recommend going about this though, is if you get to St. Peter's very early to avoid a long line. The lines can go fast (sometimes), but I've also walked through the square and seen the longest snaking, non-moving lines you could imagine.
Otherwise, if you choose to do the Museums and then St. Peter's, as another commenter mentioned, you can jump straight from the Sistine Chapel into the doors of St. Peter's, which is rather convenient.
Perhaps this isn't ideal, depending on how your family travels, but if they weren't as interested in the museums, perhaps you could walk through on your own and have a pre-determined meeting place to join up again? There are some shops and department stores (ex. Coin) nearby that they could walk around and visit, or hang back at your hotel.
Hope the weather isn't too crazy for you - I've been there in August, too!
The only way I'd recommend going about this though, is if you get to St. Peter's very early to avoid a long line. The lines can go fast (sometimes), but I've also walked through the square and seen the longest snaking, non-moving lines you could imagine.
Otherwise, if you choose to do the Museums and then St. Peter's, as another commenter mentioned, you can jump straight from the Sistine Chapel into the doors of St. Peter's, which is rather convenient.
Perhaps this isn't ideal, depending on how your family travels, but if they weren't as interested in the museums, perhaps you could walk through on your own and have a pre-determined meeting place to join up again? There are some shops and department stores (ex. Coin) nearby that they could walk around and visit, or hang back at your hotel.
Hope the weather isn't too crazy for you - I've been there in August, too!
Jun 5th, 2014, 11:25 PM
#6
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 288
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Vatican Museums is the ultimate must when in Rome. They display works from the immense collection built up by the Roman Catholic Church throughout the centuries including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. It houses Raphael, Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio and Giorgio de Chirico. It also has a collection of Ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Babylonian and Carthaginian of incredible importance. And ofcourse the Capella Sistina, it is something you must see in your life.
Visit Musei Vaticani early in the morning, before Basilica di San Pietro. And Basilica di San Pietro has no tickets, it's a house of Prayer, not of Capitalism.
Visit Musei Vaticani early in the morning, before Basilica di San Pietro. And Basilica di San Pietro has no tickets, it's a house of Prayer, not of Capitalism.
Jun 6th, 2014, 04:09 AM
#8
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 7,958
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I visited the Vatican Museums once in August, and nothing on earth would induce me to do it again. That was a weekday, almost 20 years ago, and the number of visitors has increased since then. Saturdays are awful at any time of the year, and the Saturday after being closed for two days would be an inferno for me. I've been there four times now, and still haven't found a "good" time to go there.
To give you an idea, here is a photo I snapped on a Saturday morning in March, which was the last time I was there:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
Multiply the crowds by about 2 and add oppressive heat and humidity, and then decide if you want to subject yourself to that. My husband refuses to go there ever again. (He's already been there at least three times.) I want to go once more, because I still haven't seen the Pinacoteca, but I'll have to go alone or with someone else.
I especially wouldn't take a child there, unless you could carry the child the whole time, because anyone under five feet would see only the backsides of the horde.
By the way, there is no exit from the Sistine Chapel directly to St. Peter's Square, although I think there may have been on my first visit in 1994. Now there are two exits. One is in theory only for tour groups, and takes you directly to the Basilica. Apparently the guards often allow one and all to use this door, which is a great advantage, since you don't have to line up for security if you go out this way, having already been through security as you enter the museum. The other exit takes you back to the entrance, more or less, via the beautiful Bramante staircase. When you exit this way, you have to go all the way around the wall to get to St. Peter's Basilica, and furthermore line up for security, which in the summer is no joke, because the security queue gets very long, sometimes all the way out of the square, and you'll be standing under the sun, with no shade. People say it moves fast, but not fast enough for me! I would suggest going to the Basilica before 8 AM or after 5 PM, when there is usually not much of a line.
If you decide to go to the Vatican Museums, I would go there at about 3 PM, when it's a little less crowded than in the morning (although you may not believe that when you see the corridor leading to the Sistine Chapel!) At that time of day, when you leave the Museums, if you're not able to use the door for tour groups, at least you probably wouldn't have a long wait for security when you get to St. Peter's Square.
To give you an idea, here is a photo I snapped on a Saturday morning in March, which was the last time I was there:
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink
Multiply the crowds by about 2 and add oppressive heat and humidity, and then decide if you want to subject yourself to that. My husband refuses to go there ever again. (He's already been there at least three times.) I want to go once more, because I still haven't seen the Pinacoteca, but I'll have to go alone or with someone else.
I especially wouldn't take a child there, unless you could carry the child the whole time, because anyone under five feet would see only the backsides of the horde.
By the way, there is no exit from the Sistine Chapel directly to St. Peter's Square, although I think there may have been on my first visit in 1994. Now there are two exits. One is in theory only for tour groups, and takes you directly to the Basilica. Apparently the guards often allow one and all to use this door, which is a great advantage, since you don't have to line up for security if you go out this way, having already been through security as you enter the museum. The other exit takes you back to the entrance, more or less, via the beautiful Bramante staircase. When you exit this way, you have to go all the way around the wall to get to St. Peter's Basilica, and furthermore line up for security, which in the summer is no joke, because the security queue gets very long, sometimes all the way out of the square, and you'll be standing under the sun, with no shade. People say it moves fast, but not fast enough for me! I would suggest going to the Basilica before 8 AM or after 5 PM, when there is usually not much of a line.
If you decide to go to the Vatican Museums, I would go there at about 3 PM, when it's a little less crowded than in the morning (although you may not believe that when you see the corridor leading to the Sistine Chapel!) At that time of day, when you leave the Museums, if you're not able to use the door for tour groups, at least you probably wouldn't have a long wait for security when you get to St. Peter's Square.
Jun 6th, 2014, 04:16 AM
#9
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 7,958
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
By the way, this wouldn't work for you, but there are Friday evening openings to the Vatican Museums from May through October, except in August. Not all of the rooms are open for these visits, but you could never see the whole museum on one visit anyway.
On Friday evenings (at least for the moment) the crowds are manageable, because they only allow entrance by reservation. However, on the Friday you'll be there, the Museums will be closed for the Feast of the Assumption, apart from the fact that it will be August.
Anyone who's reading this and is going to Rome at a time when there are Friday evening openings, should try to go then. The evening openings begin at 7 PM. You can combine this with an earlier visit to St. Peter's Basilica, which closes at 7 PM in the summer. Of course you can't then exit through the tour group door.
http://mv.vatican.va
On Friday evenings (at least for the moment) the crowds are manageable, because they only allow entrance by reservation. However, on the Friday you'll be there, the Museums will be closed for the Feast of the Assumption, apart from the fact that it will be August.
Anyone who's reading this and is going to Rome at a time when there are Friday evening openings, should try to go then. The evening openings begin at 7 PM. You can combine this with an earlier visit to St. Peter's Basilica, which closes at 7 PM in the summer. Of course you can't then exit through the tour group door.
http://mv.vatican.va
Jun 6th, 2014, 02:13 PM
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 54
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thank you for your replies and all the valued information! Sorry I wasn't clear - we were planning on visiting St Peter's early - ideally by 7am ish and then aiming for the 9am tour with pre-booked tickets for the Vatican Museums.
Good idea re splitting visiting St Peter's and the Vatican Museums into two separate visits...plus we are also considering if I just go with the older children and leave my husband with the 7 year old...actually all the children are very interested including the youngest so maybe just leave the husband!
Having just looked at the picture of the crowds at the Vatican Museums in March - I can see the 'problem' - however my heart is saying we must go...I think we will have to hope for the best, book the earliest tour and do a very fast trot through the museums to get a 'feel' and aim straight for the Sistine Chapel. Not ideal at all but with children...maybe the best idea?
Good idea re splitting visiting St Peter's and the Vatican Museums into two separate visits...plus we are also considering if I just go with the older children and leave my husband with the 7 year old...actually all the children are very interested including the youngest so maybe just leave the husband!
Having just looked at the picture of the crowds at the Vatican Museums in March - I can see the 'problem' - however my heart is saying we must go...I think we will have to hope for the best, book the earliest tour and do a very fast trot through the museums to get a 'feel' and aim straight for the Sistine Chapel. Not ideal at all but with children...maybe the best idea?
Jun 6th, 2014, 02:22 PM
#11
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Maybe it will work early in the morning, but the two times I've been to the Vatican Museums, there was absolutely no possible "very fast trot" to anywhere. It was wall-to-wall humanity, and every child under 5' had no hope of seeing a thing other than the armpits of the adult in front of him.
I'll spare you my overall thoughts on that collection of treasures that could easily save a few million starving people in a few developing countries. I find the entire place utterly appalling (with the exception of the Sistine Chapel, which I at least assume was commissioned with some human good in mind).
I'll spare you my overall thoughts on that collection of treasures that could easily save a few million starving people in a few developing countries. I find the entire place utterly appalling (with the exception of the Sistine Chapel, which I at least assume was commissioned with some human good in mind).
Jun 6th, 2014, 02:49 PM
#13
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jax, that's great that the teenagers are interested in seeing the Museums!
One thing too, and apologies if you've already thought of/done this, is that you could take a look at the specific collections (http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...ettori.html)to see what would be of interest to you/the teenagers/7-year old.
That could help you focus and be more intentional on how to work your way through the Museums, ending of course, in the Sistine Chapel.
I've been there twice (June and November) and only saw smatterings of the collections. For my part, Raphael's rooms (frescoes) especially the Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament, and the Map and Tapestry Rooms are amazing. (During certain feast days, the Vatican temporarily moves some of the tapestries to St. Peter's during the Holy Father's celebration of the Mass. So they're not just fixed 'works of art', but still very much fulfilling their intended purpose for decoration/instruction/devotion.)
And yes, it's crowded, but it's like that with any random European museum. You go in with some patience and enjoy the works of art.
There are many *priceless* treasures and a sampling, as Petros mentioned above, of some of the great sculptors/painters/artists. Considering how much you've mentioned you have your heart set on going, I think you'll have an enjoyable experience.
Also, early AM is, in my opinion, the best time to visit St. Peter's as you've indicated you'll be visiting. So much less crowded and infinitely quieter than during the afternoon. A much more conducive time to take in the magnitude and transcendence of the space and not be distracted by crowds!
One thing too, and apologies if you've already thought of/done this, is that you could take a look at the specific collections (http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...ettori.html)to see what would be of interest to you/the teenagers/7-year old.
That could help you focus and be more intentional on how to work your way through the Museums, ending of course, in the Sistine Chapel.
I've been there twice (June and November) and only saw smatterings of the collections. For my part, Raphael's rooms (frescoes) especially the Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament, and the Map and Tapestry Rooms are amazing. (During certain feast days, the Vatican temporarily moves some of the tapestries to St. Peter's during the Holy Father's celebration of the Mass. So they're not just fixed 'works of art', but still very much fulfilling their intended purpose for decoration/instruction/devotion.)
And yes, it's crowded, but it's like that with any random European museum. You go in with some patience and enjoy the works of art.
There are many *priceless* treasures and a sampling, as Petros mentioned above, of some of the great sculptors/painters/artists. Considering how much you've mentioned you have your heart set on going, I think you'll have an enjoyable experience.
Also, early AM is, in my opinion, the best time to visit St. Peter's as you've indicated you'll be visiting. So much less crowded and infinitely quieter than during the afternoon. A much more conducive time to take in the magnitude and transcendence of the space and not be distracted by crowds!
Jun 6th, 2014, 02:54 PM
#14
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Jax, was replying as you wrote that last comment. If the Chapel is indeed your goal, it's possible to move through the other spaces at a (hopefully) more accelerated pace, but they're not all a straight shot through. Sometimes they wind around a bit and some have some restoration going on right now (map room). Best of luck!
Jun 7th, 2014, 12:11 PM
#15
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 248
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
<<<I'll spare you my overall thoughts on that collection of treasures that could easily save a few million starving people in a few developing countries. I find the entire place utterly appalling (with the exception of the Sistine Chapel, which I at least assume was commissioned with some human good in mind).>>>
So sell it off to mostly *private* collectors, buy a limited supply of perishable food and close the Vatican Museums along with the income it generates over the following decades?
I'm a Atheist and not the biggest fan of the Catholic Church but they are the largest (#1) donors and operators of the World's charities by any religious organization.
I think their condom stance is wrong but understand their religious reasoning.
And out of their *many* charities they are also the "biggest private provider of AIDS care in the World">
"The Catholic Church is a world leader in the provision of care to victims of AIDS. According to UNAIDS, the Vatican estimates that Catholic Church-related organizations provide approximately 25% of all HIV treatment, care, and support throughout the world. In 2010, the Vatican reported that more than 5,000 hospitals, 18,000 dispensaries, and 9,000 orphanages, many involved in AIDS-related activities, were being supported by the Catholic Church.
[Snip] Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 164 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, partners with UNAIDS as one of the organizations on the steering committee of the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections in children.
In 2008, the UK's Guardian newspaper reported that:
[T]he Catholic Church is the biggest private provider of AIDS care in the world, providing anti-retroviral treatment, home-care visits and counseling to one in four of the world's 33.3 million AIDS patients, according to the Catholic charity Caritas International.
So sell it off to mostly *private* collectors, buy a limited supply of perishable food and close the Vatican Museums along with the income it generates over the following decades?
I'm a Atheist and not the biggest fan of the Catholic Church but they are the largest (#1) donors and operators of the World's charities by any religious organization.
I think their condom stance is wrong but understand their religious reasoning.
And out of their *many* charities they are also the "biggest private provider of AIDS care in the World">
"The Catholic Church is a world leader in the provision of care to victims of AIDS. According to UNAIDS, the Vatican estimates that Catholic Church-related organizations provide approximately 25% of all HIV treatment, care, and support throughout the world. In 2010, the Vatican reported that more than 5,000 hospitals, 18,000 dispensaries, and 9,000 orphanages, many involved in AIDS-related activities, were being supported by the Catholic Church.
[Snip] Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 164 Catholic relief, development and social service organizations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, partners with UNAIDS as one of the organizations on the steering committee of the Global Plan to eliminate new HIV infections in children.
In 2008, the UK's Guardian newspaper reported that:
[T]he Catholic Church is the biggest private provider of AIDS care in the world, providing anti-retroviral treatment, home-care visits and counseling to one in four of the world's 33.3 million AIDS patients, according to the Catholic charity Caritas International.
Jun 7th, 2014, 12:25 PM
#16
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 6,534
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi again JaxandCo
You wrote:
"we are also considering if I just go with the older children and leave my husband with the 7 year old"
This might be a good plan because the 7 year old might have a really, really hard time seeing anything if the place is crowded. He or she is too big to be lifted up on a parent's shoulders, and yet not tall enough to see past the backsides of an adult crowd.
It is really easy to identify spots in Rome for your family to regroup. There are landmark fountains, piazzas, famous pizzerie, your hotel, etc.. where you can agree to meet up again if you briefly go your separate ways. If your husband and the 7 year old are game for a private adventure, and if you and your older kids are game for taking on the crowds at the Vatican, you will be able to find each other again and share your adventures.
If you end up going alone, even without your older kids, don't regret it, go for it, and that is fine.
You wrote:
"we are also considering if I just go with the older children and leave my husband with the 7 year old"
This might be a good plan because the 7 year old might have a really, really hard time seeing anything if the place is crowded. He or she is too big to be lifted up on a parent's shoulders, and yet not tall enough to see past the backsides of an adult crowd.
It is really easy to identify spots in Rome for your family to regroup. There are landmark fountains, piazzas, famous pizzerie, your hotel, etc.. where you can agree to meet up again if you briefly go your separate ways. If your husband and the 7 year old are game for a private adventure, and if you and your older kids are game for taking on the crowds at the Vatican, you will be able to find each other again and share your adventures.
If you end up going alone, even without your older kids, don't regret it, go for it, and that is fine.
Jun 7th, 2014, 02:21 PM
#17
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I was there two weeks ago. We took the Vatican garden tour. This was our second visit . If you go, buy all tickets on line before you go. It is Very crowded. St. Peter's is manageable but the Sistine chapel is very crowded and long hallways with lots of tour groups. With our on line ticket voucher we were inside within 5 minutes. The security line was pretty fast. This was around 9 am. Good luck! St Peters will take your breath away.
Jun 8th, 2014, 05:05 AM
#18
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 604
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We did a Walks of Italy Pristine Sistine tour on Thursday, May 22nd and it was wonderful getting into the Sistine chapel ahead of the crowds. We met the tour at 7:35 near the Vatican and were divided into groups of 12 with a guide for each group and spent almost 4 hours moving through the Sistine Chapel (20 minutes there to admire the paintings in peace and quiet), Vatican Museums, and St Peters. There were so many twists and turns on the tour I can't imagine navigating it without a guide, and his explanations made what we saw so much more meaningful. Otherwise we would have just felt that we saw a lot of beautiful things without really understanding what we were seeing. I agree about the Raphael, tapestry, and map rooms being the highlights of the Vatican museums, though the completely preserved mummy in the Egyptian exhibit was perhaps the best preserved one I have seen and was interesting. By about 10 it became very crowded and even I had some difficulty keeping up with our tour guide because of the crush of the crowds in some areas. St. Peters was beautiful and we stayed after the end of our tour to go down to the crypt and spend more time in the church. We could easily have spent the entire day in the museums, St Peters, and the Sistine Chapel there was so much to see.
The Walks of Italy tour would be very expensive for a large family group but if only a couple of you went, it might be worth your while. if you go get Rick Steves website you can get a code for 10% off, plus there are discounts for seniors and children.
I hope that you can work things out as it is an amazing experience.
The Walks of Italy tour would be very expensive for a large family group but if only a couple of you went, it might be worth your while. if you go get Rick Steves website you can get a code for 10% off, plus there are discounts for seniors and children.
I hope that you can work things out as it is an amazing experience.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
escapetraveler
Europe
7
Aug 7th, 2015 08:54 PM
