My favorite room, of course, was the Sistine Chapel. Someone in my hostel loaned me a mirror to view the ceiling, and after fifteen minutes of craning my neck up, I was glad I had it with me. The room is packed and very noisy (half the time the guards are the ones making most of it) but the art is amazing. It's so beautiful. The Last Judgement painting is great too. I heard that Michaelangelo used the faces of some polititions as the faces of the devils in the painting. The walk to the sistine chapel can take forever though, because you have to walk through the rest of the museum first. If you you follow the signs that say "directly to the sistine chapel" though, you should get there without walking miles and miles.

I also liked the room of Roman muses, which are huge statues of every kind of muse you can think of, each one unique, and beautifully detailed. It's a nice change too, to visit the modern art section of the mueum too, for a different take on religious art. The Egyptian artifacts are well worth going to see too, as well as the gardens, where you can take a break from looking at art, without having the leave the museum.

Towards the beginning of the tour on the lower level is an inner courtyard that can't be missed. A good way to find this place is to follow one of the large tour groups that's entering when you do. From what I detected, every group stopped here first as the inner courtyard walls are lined with maps, details and other added information for spending your day within the Vatican Museum. Possibly you, too might find this helpful or link-up with a group and tour guide speaking your language to catch all the extra trivia details they're always so well versed on.

Amid the maps and information, the walls are also lined with benches perfect for resting tired feet and fuzzy minds...hopefully while soaking up the warm Italian spring sun as I did. Whether sitting or ambling around, the views are impressive as works of art fill the exterior...second only to the interior! Most notable are the humongous pine cone, which used to be part of a fountain at St. Peter's, flanked by two bronze peacocks which were pirated away from the Mausoleum of Augustus. Throughout this journal, I've also referenced how ego contributed to the building AND downfall of Rome, but here you'll find the biggest head of all...literally! The colossus of Octavia, mounted against a wall, towers above the meager spectators below.

Another lesser resting place, but just as doable if needed, is an outdoor terrace just of the Pinacoteca Wing which is also near the small eatery and restrooms within the Museum. Here there are benches and shade trees while you can enjoy limited elevated viewing of the expansive Vatican Gardens and back part of St. Peter's.

I'd have to presume the Vatican Museum encompasses one of the top three art collections in the world. I write "presume" because before my experience here, I never considered myself the museum type; especially one for the arts. How that did change! Even not knowing much about anything when it comes to paintings, sculptures and other forms of masterpieces, I was recognizing "original works" that I'd seen in Bibles, story and textbooks all my life. Those looking to see familiars of the same, the Pinacoteca wing contained the largest collection of 15-19th century paintings including 'The Transfiguration'; the painting Raphael had almost completed before his death. The Pinacoteca areas are all but darkened allowing smaller spotlights to further showcase the impressive works.

The Eyewitness Rome has a pretty indepth key for all the different floors/wing with detailed information about highlights...but I didn't use it. I was surrounded, engulfed by art from the frescoed gold-gilted ceilings to the mosaic tiled floors. There's not enough film in Rome to photograph all the impressive, intriguing things you'll see; photos allowed everywhere but in the Sistine Chapel. And aside from the "mental overload intake" on the arts, take time to glance at some of your fellow tourists. That dazed look on their faces will likely best summarize what you'll be feeling but can't explain!

The lower hallway off the courtyard dedicated to Greek & Roman art reminded me of some gradeschool Show & Tell art project at PTA night. There was every size of head-bust and miniature sculptures laid out on tables/shelves, individually labeled, intact or severely mangled and all but vyeing for one's attention like could only come from a proud parent of their child's work. Otherwise, it was too much!

Continuing back thru the opened end of this exhibition hall was a good path for checking out the Bramante Stairway; a circular path built in a square tower as an entrance to the once palace. This area also feeds into rooms with larger sculptures; the Laocoon Trojan Priest (photo posted) a must see, and the Egyptian/Animal sections.

There's "supposed" to be a one-way course to follow through the museum, though, it'd seem, most don't. Was also disappointed not to find a good photographing angle for the "well shot" spiral stairway ramp which was used for the exit - not the entrance.

If you are a budget tourist and happen to be in Rome the last Sunday of the month, the Vatican is free. If you plan to see the Vatican on the Sunday that it's free, get to the museum at least 1/2 hour before it opens if you don't want to stand in line for up to 2 hours just waiting to get in. In the off season it's not so bad, but I still recommend shelling out the L18,000 and going when it is less crowded. Since the museum is closed Sundays, Monday's seem to be busier than other days. In off season, you can show up about the time the museum opens and only have about a 10-15 minute wait.

Aside from the Sistine Chapel, Raphello rooms, and the Borgia's Apartment, there are scores of other religious art. There are halls of tapestries, map rooms, Greek and Roman statues, a very interesting gallery of modern religious art, a surprisingly unbusy gallery of ancient Eutruscan artifacts, and a Pinacoteca full of paintings of Christ and the Virgin Mary.

Museum hours are 8:45 - 16:45 from April 1 -October 31, and 8:45-13:45 from November 1 - March 31. The museum is closed Sundays and all federal and religous holidays (if you don't know your Catholic holidays, you'll need to get a guidebook that lists them or call ahead to make sure it's open). From personal experience, March 19th is a religous holiday. I couldn't tell you which one, but we showed up at the Vatican to find it locked tight.