Vatican City Things to Do

You can forget good manners here and queue so as to look through the keyhole of the entrance that leads into the complex of the Order of the Knights of Malta. The curiosity is the unusual view of the dome of St Peter's which, f... more

If ever in the Vatican on Sundays, the Pope giving the Angelus is worth attending. Speaking to a throng of people from the window of his personal apartment, you need not know Latin or Italian to have an enriching experience. On... more

The basement floors of Palazzo Senatorio contain relics of religions of ancient Italic populations, relating in particular to the cult of the god Veiovis. This god had a preference for unhealthy, marshy locations, and took the... more

This villa was built in 1500 and later acquired by Pope Clement VIII Aldobrandini. The villa itself is not open to the public, but the recently restored gardens are accessible. During restoration work in this area the gardens h... more

In the center of Piazza San Pietro, the Vatican obelisk stands between two enormous fountains and four cast-iron lamp posts. It stands on four bronze lions and was placed in the square by Domenico Fontana for Pope Sixtus V. It... more

The Fontana dei Tritoni by Francesco Bizzaccheri is located in the Boario Forum, in a grassy space in front of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, situated between two ancient temples known respectively as the Temple of Male... more

Parallel to the elegant Via del Babuino runs the narrow but noteworthy Via Margutta. Here a great number of young artists, with great hopes and little money, made their names. The street is now peppered with little art gallerie... more

The fountain was sculpted by Pietro Gucci at the end of the 16th Century. It was designed by the famous Giacomo della Porta and is regarded as one of his best works. It was left in the city depository until 1924, when they used... more

The name is taken from the shape, which resembles a sheaf of wheat, but it is in fact a tomb. At the end of the 19th Century, a beautiful sarcophagus was discovered inside, at present in the Musei Capitolini; it contained a dar... more

The two enormous statues in the Tempio dei Castore e Polluce are Roman copies of Greek sculptures and date back to the 5th Century BC. They represent Castor and Pollux, patrons of riders, and they were placed at the entrance of... more