Vatican Museums offer special Lenten tours

During Lent, the Vatican Museums are offering a special series of guided tours exploring the rich artistic history of the Catholic Church, focusing on works depicting the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These tours take visitors on a thematic journey through the museums’ vast collections, beginning with early Christian sarcophagi decorated with scenes of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Visitors then move on to the Vatican’s Pinacoteca, where they’ll encounter masterpieces such as Caravaggio’s The Deposition, a powerful depiction of Christ’s lifeless body.

Continuing through the upper galleries, the tour culminates in the iconic Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” embodies the triumph of Christian hope.

These tours are designed to be accessible and informative for all visitors, including families with children ages 6 and up. Tours are conducted in Italian or English and are fully accessible to people with sensory, motor and intellectual disabilities.

The Vatican Museums are a treasure trove of art and history, showcasing the artistic heritage of the Catholic Church. Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century, the museums boast an immense collection spanning more than 20 centuries of world history – from ancient sculptures and Renaissance masterpieces to modern works.

Highlights of the museums include the Pio Clementino Museum, with classical Roman and Greek sculptures; the Pinacoteca, with iconic paintings by Raphael and Caravaggio; and, of course, the Sistine Chapel, a masterpiece of Renaissance (and Manneristic) art adorned with frescoes by Michelangelo.

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