Vatican Museums “From the Renaissance Masterpieces to the Contemporary Art”

Thematic Tour “From the Renaissance Masterpieces to the Contemporary Art”

The second charming tour inside the Vatican Museums that we may suggest, after the first one called “Masterpieces from Antiquity to Renaissance” wants to show to the visitors not only some sections recently restored such as the “ Room of Raphael”, the “Sistine Chapel” and the “Borgia Apartment” but also some Modern and Contemporary masterpieces to follow the evolution of religious art from Renaissance to Informal Art.

Walking through the bronze doors made by Cecco Buonanotte, we can start our tour in the new area, created for the Jubilee of 2000, where the most significant work is the marble group  “Crossing the threshold” by Giuliano Vangi, dedicated to Pope John Paul II.

The monumental staircase, designed by architects Passatelli and Benedetti, gets to the “Pinecone Court” where, at the centre, there is the huge “Sphere with Sphere” made in 1990 by Arnaldo Pomodoro.

We pass the three historical Galleries: the Candelabra, the Tapestries and the Maps ones, then we  get to the Sobieski Room, that hosts the great painting “The Triumph of the king Jan Sobieski” by Jan Matejko.

We see the Room of the Immaculate Conception frescoed by Francesco Podesti and reach the “Raphael’s Stanze“:  Constantine Room, Heliodorus Room, the Segnatura Room with the famous “School of Athens” and at last the “Fire in the Borgo” Room, all recently restored.

Our tour continue in the Borgia Apartment, decorated by Pinturicchio for Pope Alessandro VI Borgia, that houses part of the rich collection of religious contemporary art, opened by Pope Paul VI in 1973.

Contrary to what believed, the Vatican Museums don’t house only ancient art but they welcome also works  made by contemporary artists either Italian or foreigner as Guttuso and Morandi, Van Gogh, Rodin, Matisse, Dalì and Bacon.

At last we admire the fabulous Sistine Chapel with the wonderful original colour used by the artists of the Italian Renaissance and now visible in all its greatness after a very meticulous restoration in 2000.