Who founded the Vatican Museums?

The origins of the Vatican Museums can be traced back to the early 16th century. While Pope Nicholas V laid the foundation for what would become the Vatican, including founding the Vatican Library and commissioning the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in 1447, it was Pope Julius II who played a pivotal role in the birth of the Museums. In 1506, Julius II acquired the famous sculpture "Laocoön and His Sons" from a vineyard owner, marking the beginning of the Vatican Museums. Just a month after its discovery, the sculpture was put on public display in the Vatican’s Octagonal Court, setting the stage for the Museums' future growth.

Julius II also commissioned Raphael to redecorate what are now known as Raphael’s Rooms, further establishing the Museums as a center of art and culture.

The mission of the Vatican Museums

Since Laocoön and His Sons, the first acquisition of the Vatican Museums, was put on public display in 1506, its collection has expanded making it one of the most important museums in the world.

Art is evangelisation

The Vatican Museums is rooted in the belief that art is a powerful "tool of evangelisation". Art, in all its forms, serves as a medium to communicate the beauty of creation and deliver the message of Christianity. Historically, art has been used as a teaching tool, as seen in medieval cathedrals where stone sculptures conveyed catechism to those who could not read.

Museums open to all

To use art as a vehicle to spread the word of God, the Vatican Museums have been designed to be "a place of beauty and welcome." It is a space not only open to new forms of art but also to people from all walks of life. They are open not only to new forms of art but also to people from all walks of life. In the spirit of inclusivity, the Vatican Museums offer free admission to guests under 5 years old and to those with a disability over 74%, along with a companion. This commitment ensures that the Vatican Museums are truly open to everyone, reflecting their role as a living institution that embraces diversity and provides access to art for all, regardless of background or circumstance.

Restoration & scientific services

1. Restoration, conservation, research

The Vatican Museums has in place several bodies dedicated to restoring and conserving the various works of art that the Museums house. The Conservator’s Office, for example, develops strategies to lower the risk threshold and improve the quality of the historical-artistic and archaeological property under the care of the Vatican Museums. The Cabinet of Scientific Research applied to Cultural Heritage, on the other hand, carries out diagnostic procedures to determine the processes of deterioration of works and identifies integral materials and production techniques.

There are also laboratories dedicated to the conservation and restoration of all artifacts preserved in the Vatican Museums based on the materials used. This includes the Tapestries and Textiles Restoration Laboratory, Painting and Wood Materials Restoration Laboratory, Ethnological Materials Restoration Laboratory, Stone Materials Restoration Laboratory, Metals and Ceramics Restoration Laboratory, Mosaic Restoration Laboratory, and Paper Restoration Laboratory.

2. Scientific services

• The superintendence for architectural heritage has been entrusted with the responsibility of the conservation of the buildings within the walls of the Vatican since 2008. The office played a significant role in the restoration of the colonnade of St. Peter’s Square, the cloister of St. John Lateran, and the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova at Castel Gandolfo. It is currently involved in the restoration work of the Courtyard of the Pinecone.
  
• The historical archive works towards preserving all documentation relating to the collections within the Museums as well as activities of the Institution from the second half of the eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth century. The Archive is accessible to internal Museum staff and, to external applicants who have been approved by the Directorate.
  
• Collections Registry and Central Catalogue is a centralized office dedicated to compiling, maintaining, and updating catalog information relating to works within the Vatican Museums. The service of the Collections Registry is not open to the public.
  
• Instituted in 1938, the Vatican Library contains journals and texts that document the works of the Vatican Museums collections. It is home to around 50,000 titles. The library is reserved for the staff of the Vatican Museums.
  
• Photo library works towards the conservation, protection, enhancement, promotion, and study of an important photographic heritage. The collection includes the archives relating to the Museum's collections as well as photographs of historic photographs depicting views, landscapes, the city, and landmarks in Rome, as well as other Italian or foreign cities.

Online catalogue

Find information regarding the mobile works of art on display at the Vatican Museums with the help of the online catalogue. You can find data about the works found in the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, part of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, Pio Clementino Museum, Lapidary Gallery, New Wing, part of the Gregoriano Profano Museum, Pius-Christian Museum, Pinacoteca, parts of the Ethnological Museum and the Carriage Pavilion, Christian Museum, Collection of Contemporary Art, Tapestries Collection, Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo and the Antiquarium of Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo.

The Online Catalogue is available only in Italian, at present, as it is still in the implementation phase.

You can access the buildings through a virtual tour of the Vatican Museums, as well.