The Pinecone Courtyard, or Cortile della Pigna, is named for the nearly 13-foot high pinecone sitting at one end. Made of bronze it dates back to the 1st century BC. It was originally found in the Campus Martius (Campo Marzio) area of Rome. But was is the meaning of the pinecone?

The museum takes its name from two popes; Clement XIV, who established the museum, and Pius VI, the pope who brought the museum to completion. It was founded in 1771 and it houses works of Greek and Roman sculpture.

Originally known as the “Statues’ Courtyard”, it actually already existed prior to the institution of the Vatican Museums and it housed the first nucleus constituting the papal collections of Classical Antiquity.There are intricately detailed sarcophagi, friezes and columns and a number of Ancient and Neoclassical masterpieces like: the Laocoön, the Belvedere Apollo, the Hermes, the Statue of River God and Canova's sculptures Perseus, Creugas and Damoxenos.

The Pope Leone X wanted the tapestries at any cost to be part of the chapel decoration and decided to entrust an artist, Raffaello Sanzio, with the drawings in 1514. Each tapestry took years to make. They were finely woven by the best weavers of the day (from Belgium), out of wool but also silk, and gold and silver thread.

The Gallery of Maps contains the largest collection of geographical paintings ever created. These wall-sized maps depict Italy and Italian provinces, and were commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII in the 16th century.

The Sistine Chapel's arguably most famous work of art, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, was painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512 at the request of Pope Julius II. It is home to some of the most famous art in the world, and its beauty is viewed by millions of tourists every year.The guide will give you an explanation of the chapel before you go in, since you are supposed to be quiet in there.

The St. Peter's Basilica is one of the largest buildings in the world and is the largest of the papal basilicas. The history of the St. Peter's Basilica begins in the 4th century when the Emperor Constantine decides to build a basilica where the apostle had been buried. Listen your guide to know how It is the centre of Christian Catholic Church