Anyone spending their holidays in Rome cannot miss a visit to Vatican City, the smallest state in the world by both population and area.
A sacred, magnificent place, full of artistic treasures that no other place in the world can match: from St Peter’s Basilica to the Vatican Gardens, from the Sistine Chapel to the archaeological areas.
Visiting the places of the Pope, starting from St Peter’s Square.
Arriving in the Vatican, you find yourself in front of St Peter’s Square, enclosed by Bernini’s colonnade and dominated by the majestic Basilica, home to the main celebrations of the Catholic faith. Inside are works of extraordinary beauty, such as the Baldachin and the Dome, created by the finest Italian artists. Besides St Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican has many other churches that can be visited on organised tours.
To make the experience even more intense, you can also attend the papal audience, held in St Peter’s Square or in the Paul VI Audience Hall (read the article).
The Vatican Museums, a treasure chest of eternal beauty.
Continuing the tour, you come to the Vatican Museums, home to the collection of works of art gathered by the Popes over the centuries, and to the Sistine Chapel (decorated by Michelangelo), where the conclave is held. Here you only need to look around to be left speechless by the immense beauty that surrounds and overwhelms visitors: a place unique in the world, that takes your breath away. This is where Western art, history and culture find their most extraordinary expression.
The Vatican Gardens, a place that soothes the soul.
Not to be missed is a visit to the Vatican Gardens, where fountains, streams, small temples and grottoes create a relaxing and pleasant setting. The necropolis beneath the Basilica, the burial place of St Peter, and the Vatican Grottoes, with the tombs of the Popes, immerse you in an evocative atmosphere.
Castel Gandolfo, a timeless place.
A few kilometres from the Vatican, in the Alban Hills, lies the town of Castel Gandolfo, a charming place famous for the Pope’s summer residence. Set on Lake Albano, a body of water formed by the joining of two craters, the town is rich in monuments and fine buildings, including the Pontifical Collegiate Church of St Thomas of Villanova, designed by Bernini.
But the most valuable building in Castel Gandolfo is undoubtedly the Apostolic Palace, the papal summer residence: in 2016 Pope Francis opened the entire complex of the Pontifical Villas to the public as a museum, and since 2025 the Pope has once again spent part of the summer there. Visits and exhibitions are listed on the Pontifical Villas website.
How to visit the places of the Pope: useful information.
For those interested in visiting these wonderful places linked to the Catholic faith, over the years the Vatican Museums have offered a train linking the old railway station of Vatican City with the Pontifical Villas. A wonderful tour that takes you from the Vatican Museums to the Barberini Garden, passing through the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Gardens. The train is not always scheduled: dates, prices and bookings are on the official Vatican Museums ticket office. The Vatican Gardens and the Necropolis beneath the Basilica can also be visited only with a booking.
If you are about to spend a holiday in Rome and plan to visit these and other extraordinary places, choose one of our comfortable apartments. We will also give you all the information you need to reach the city’s main sights quickly and easily.