Masses are offered throughout the day at the Vatican.Ask at the museum information desk for help.
Photos: Top--Statues are seen above the exit to the Vatican Museums at the Vatican Feb. 3, 2021. The Vatican Museums reopened this week after a three-month closure as COVID-19 restrictions eased slightly in Italy. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
Below-- A model of the Vatican City State was on display at the Vatican Museum in 2014. (Observer photo/Sharon Boehlefeld)
Why to go: The main museum on the grounds of the Vatican has several collections of artifacts, both religious and secular. But there are also archeological digs at the necropolis of the Via Triumphalis and at St. John Lateran in the city of Rome.
Within the Vatican, museums include the Gregorian Egyptian and Etruscan museums, the lapidary Gallery, several papal rooms and the Sistine Chapel.
For those unable to travel to Rome, the museums’ collections can be seen on their Instagram account at instagram.com/vaticanmuseums/ and with their online “tours” at museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/tour-virtuali-elenco.html
If you’d like to keep up with the museum, you can sign up for a newsletter in Italian or English by clicking on the plus sign on the top of the page near the right. The menu uses pictographs for searching, information, tickets and merchandise.
Accessibility: Some parts of the main museum could be difficult to get to for those with limited mobility. Ask about elevator access. The Vatican Museum Office of Services and Public Relations can answer email questions at help.musei@scv.va.
(Grand) Kid friendly: All ages are welcome.
Info: Address — Vatican Museum, Viale Vaticana, 00165 Rome
Phone — +39 06 69884676 or +39 06 69883145
Website — https://m.museivaticani.va
— Sharon Boehlefeld compiled this story
Send Destinations ideas to seasonedobserver@rockforddiocese.org
