The Vatican City sits to the north of the ancient city of Rome. Though its thick bare walls are rather unassuming, the architectural and artsy treasures that hide inside attest to Vatican’s historical and spiritual heritage. Though the Vatican is the center of Catholic faith, you don’t need to be a believer to appreciate its many masterpieces. There is no better way to unravel Vatican secrets than with a practical Vatican audio guide at your side.
Book this Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel ticket with Self-guided audio tour offers you detailed, hassle-free experience for a great price. The ticket includes a pre-booked, fast-track entry to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel as well as an informative audio guide worthy of the 21st century, the POP Guide app. [readmore]
POP Guide is a smartphone application that lets you enjoy a self-guided audio tour of the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel at your own pace while ensuring you see all the highlights. The Vatican art collection is incredibly vast, so the POP Guide makes sure you don’t miss the most noteworthy of the artworks. Moreover, instead of dragging around a bulky radio, you can enjoy the audio on your smartphone. And don’t worry, once you have downloaded the app, it doesn’t require mobile data or WiFi to function.
Book your Vatican Audio Guide tickets today and explore the Vatican with a world of knowledge in your pocket.
Read moreDress Code: Knees and shoulders must be covered to enter the religious sites
Student must carry ID before taking walking tour of Vatican City
Please note, you have to use your smartphone to access the POP Guide app
{{{description1}}} ..Read All
Vatican City welcomes thousands of visitors on a daily basis regardless of the season. Indeed, its religious, historical, and artistic appeal is undeniable. As a result, the Vatican ticket office is always busy.
This Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel self-guided tour not only offers you a fast-track access skipping the lines but it also provides you with the benefit of a handy Vatican audio guide. All you need to do is download the POP Guide app, scan the provided QR code and access the heap of audio information inside.
The Vatican decorates the bank of the Tiber River, watching over Rome from the top of the Vatican hill. Despite its humble size, this tiny piece of the world boasts some of the most extraordinary stories of the past.
Evolution of the Vatican State
Today, the Vatican is the home to the Roman Catholic Church and serves as headquarters to the Pope and the College of Cardinals. The Vatican City, although incredibly tiny, has been declared a Sovereign State in 1929. How was that possible?
Well, in the past, it wasn’t unusual for the Popes to have political power over surrounding regional territories. These territories were known as the Papal States. It was only in 1870 when the (finally unified) Italian government reclaimed pretty much all of the lands outside of the Vatican city walls. This naturally led to 60-year long bickering between the government and the church. Both sides reached an agreement and sealed it by the Lateran Pacts in February 1929. The pacts what were signed by Mussolini on behalf of the Italian King (Victor Emmanuel III), declared the Vatican City a sovereign state and granted the church a generous 92-million compensation for the loss of the Papal States.
Today, the Vatican has only around 900 full-time residents and 3000 commuting employees. It centers around the spectacular St. Peter's Basilica. Overlooking the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Square, this church is a combination of work of grand artists including Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, Bramante, and Maderno. The Basilica stands guard to the tomb of Saint Peter the Apostle and is the largest religious construction on Earth.
Origin of the Vatican Museums
Interestingly, the concept of Vatican Museums sprouted from the art collection of Pope Julius II. Though it wasn’t until the reign of the Pope Clement XIV that, in 1773, the galleries opened to the public. Following popes continued the tradition of to enriching the collections. Today, the Vatican Museums take pride in offering one of the largest art collections in the whole world.
Book your Vatican audio guide tickets with fast-track access today and make the most of your visit to the holy state.