Raphael Rooms

The four Raphael Rooms form a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace.
The four Raphael Rooms form a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace, now part of the Vatican Museums, in Vatican City. They are famous for their frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop.

Nearby Attractions

See all attractions in Rome
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, in Vatican City and the official residence of the pope.
Piazza del Popolo
The Piazza del Popolo is one of Rome's most beautiful squares, with an important and long-standing history.
Pinecone courtyard
First Main Courtyard in Vatican
Vatican Secret Rooms
With your guide, you will have access to the hidden passageways and secret rooms of Vatican Museum.
Gallery of Tapestries
Take time to explore the Gallery of the Tapestries.
Gallery of Maps
Become immersed in the grandeur of the Gallery of Maps.

Related Tours

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The Best of the Vatican and St Peter's Basilica: Private Tour
On this tour of the home of the Catholic Church, you will have the opportunity to visit the important landmarks with major significance to Catholics. Hear about the tumultuous history of the Church and the colourful popes who reside behind these sturdy walls. 

On your private tour, you will:

  • Discover the Highlights of the Vatican Museums, including the Pinecone courtyard, The Laocoön, the Room of the Maps, and Raphael Rooms;
  • Marvel at the works of Michelangelo Buonarroti, including the Creation of Man and the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel, the ‘Sculpture of the Pieta' in St. Peter's and of course the magnificent Dome of the Basilica;
  • Explore St. Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world, and see the precious marbles and artworks, including Bernini's famed Baldachin!;  
  • Your tour ends at St Peter's Square, where you can keep exploring at your own leisure. 

Vatican City is considered the centre of the Roman Catholic Church and is undoubtedly one of the most historically and culturally rich cities in the world. As the world’s smallest independent state, situated in the centre of Rome, Vatican City is home to the Swiss Guards – tasked with protecting the Pope; St. Peter’s Basilica – the centre of the Catholic world; St. Peter’s Square – a large plaza situated in front of St. Peter’s Basilica; Sistine Chapel – the official residence of the Pope; and Vatican Museums – home to paintings and sculptures collected by the Popes for hundreds of years.

The stunning St. Peter’s Basilica is the centrepiece of Vatican City, and its huge dome can be seen on the Roman skyline from most points in the city. Although not the mother church of the Catholic Church, it is its largest and holiest shrine and an important place of pilgrimage.

Then, your comprehensive tour of Vatican Museums will whisk you through the entire complex. Begin with a stroll through the impressive Belvedere Courtyard, before exploring the many rooms and galleries of the museums. Explore the Gallery of Tapestries, and the Gallery of Maps, and be mesmerised by Michelangelo’s great frescoes inside the Sistine Chapel.
Vatican Museums & The Sistine Chapel: Private 2.5 hr Walking Tour
Discover the dazzling treasures of the Vatican Museums, including world-famous antiquities, frescoes by Renaissance maestro Raphael, and of course the magnificence of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel on this private 2.5-hour tour. 
 
On your private tour you will: 
 
  • Explore the Vatican Museums in Vatican City – the smallest country in the world, home to the Catholic Church and the Pope himself;
  • See all the major highlights of these extensive museums with fascinating commentary from your guide; 
  • Admire some of the world’s best-known classical sculptures such as the Apollo Belvedere and the Laocoön;
  • Learn all about the Renaissance of Ancient Greece and Rome;
  • Marvel at the skill of the Gallery of Tapestries and the exquisite Gallery of Maps;
  • Learn the fascinating, complex, and sometimes scandalous history of the papacy;
  • Enjoy the masterpieces by Raphael in Pope Julius II’s private apartments and learn all about the life and times of the Warrior Pope; 
  • Hear all about the famous rivalry between Raphael and Michelangelo;
  • Stand beneath the awe-inspiring frescos on the Sistine Chapel walls and admire the Last Judgment by Michelangelo on the whole altar wall;
  • End inside the Vatican Museums to continue at your own leisure or exit with your guide.
Vatican City, located in the heart of Rome, is an independent city-state, and the smallest country in the world. It is the heart of the Roman Catholic Church and the traditional home of the Pope. 

The Vatican Museums with its hallowed halls and galleries, lined with world-famous priceless artefacts, antiquities, and art, is also home to works by the two Renaissance maestros and rivals Raphael and Michaelangelo. 

Your highlights tour of the Vatican Museums will whisk you through the galleries ensuring you see the most renowned pieces. You will see the Belvedere Courtyard with the Appollo Belvedere and Laocoön sculptures, explore the Gallery of Tapestries with designs of the life of Christ by Raphael and the exquisitely frescoed Gallery of the Maps. 

You'll hear all about the life and papacy of Pope Julius II who commissioned Raphael to paint his private apartments and Michaelangelo to paint the Sistine Ceiling. Your guide will show you the Raphael Rooms with the School of Athens fresco that would set a new standard in the art world, followed finally by the truly awe-inspiring and magnificent Sistine Chapel with those astounding frescoes painted by Michelangelo in his thirties and later his sixties. 

Admire the Creation of Adam on the Ceiling and the perfection of the human form with the 392 bodies in the Last Judgement. Most of us have seen reproductions of the Sistine Chapel, but nothing beats the real thing! 

Your guide will give you fascinating in-depth explanations, stories, and analyses of Michelangelo's life and masterpieces. 

Your tour ends inside the Vatican Museums. 

Please note this tour does not visit St. Peter's Basilica. It ends inside the Vatican Museums, allowing you to spend as long as you wish inside to get food and keep exploring at your own leisure.
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