Italy｜Vatican Museum with a very rich collection

The Vatican Museums, located next to St. Peter's Basilica, are a collection of collections collected and accumulated by the Roman Catholic Church over the centuries. The museum was listed as a World Cultural Heritage as part of Vatican City in 1984. It is also a must-see when visiting the Vatican. There are many attractions in the Vatican Museums, and a simple stroll will take half a day. It is recommended that you visit St. Peter's Basilica in the morning when you come to the Vatican, and then you can slowly tour the Vatican Museums after lunch. The Vatican Museum is one of the largest museums in Europe. Its collections span five thousand years of history, from ancient Egypt, Rome, and the Renaissance. There are hundreds of thousands of pieces in the collection, which are very rich in variety, including monuments, statues, murals, cultural relics, and master-level works from different periods. This time I will select my favorite works and give a brief introduction. One of the more impressive ones is the "Ball within a Ball" in the middle of the Pine Cone Garden. It was designed by the famous Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. The two bronze balls combined at different levels symbolize the fusion and division of the world, and the design of rotating in place is also very eye-catching. The "Raphael Gallery" is also one of the areas that is dazzling to the eyes. Every room uses paintings to express each story. The paintings span every corner of the room. The most famous one is "The School of Athens". Raphael brought together more than 50 philosophers, artists, and scientists from different periods in Italy in the painting to express his belief in the harmony of human wisdom and his praise for human wisdom. The debate between Plato and Aristotle is the center, and then according to the ideological characteristics of each celebrity, each person's "personal soul" is painted in the most understandable way. Towards the end of the tour, you will arrive at the Sistine Chapel. The interior space combines two classic masterpieces by Michelangelo, "The Last Judgment" and "The Creation of Adam". "The Last Judgment" is based on the story in the New Testament Book of Revelation, depicting the return of Jesus at the end of the world and his personal judgment of good and evil in the world. In the painting, Christ is surrounded by saints. When he waves his hand, the Last Judgment begins. The good and evil of all people will be judged, and souls will rise or fall according to their fate. The good will go to heaven, and the evil will go to hell. "Genesis" is taken from the beginning of the Bible, which tells the story from the creation of the world to the flood and the ark. It is composed of 9 ceiling story murals, including the often-seen "Creation of Adam", which is a mural from "Genesis". The double spiral staircase, which is the last step to exit the museum, is also a very popular photo-taking spot. It was designed by architect Giuseppe Momo in 1932 as a tribute to the Renaissance architect Donato Bramante. The special feature of its design is that it is a two-way staircase with independent steps for going up and down, and the steps will not touch each other. From a bird's-eye view, it looks like a powerful whirlpool, while looking up, it feels like you are rushing into the sky with the spiral staircase. 📍Vatican Museums 🏦Opening hours Monday to Thursday 08:00-19:00/Friday to Sunday 08:00-20:00 #Sakura2024 #Vatican #Rome #Italy