Vatican Pinacoteca, Rome

The Vatican Pinacoteca is one of the museums in Rome, which deserves special attention. It is located in the building of the Vatican Museum. Paintings of different countries and historical periods are collected in the walls of the Pinacoteca. The gallery was founded by Pope Pius VI in the second half of the 18th century.

Pinacoteca, what is it?

• The word "Pinacoteca" appeared in the lexicon back in the ancient period. The ancient Greeks used it to name the place in which paintings donated to the goddess Athena were collected.
• In Ancient Rome, "Pinacoteca" is a room where art samples were exhibited.
• The Age of Renaissance gave the word its own meaning – a collection of paintings that were open to the public began to be called the "Pinacoteca".
• Nowadays "Pinacoteca" is used as a synonym for the word "picture gallery". As a result, the Vatican Pinacoteca is a large art gallery, in which works of masters from the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, Baroque and others are represented. Most of the pictures are religious.

The History of the Vatican Pinacoteca

The first collection of paintings of the Vatican, which formed the basis for the creation of the Pinacoteca, was opened because of the decision of Pope Pius VI. The collection was placed in the Gallery of Paintings and it became an excellent continuation of the Chandelier Gallery.

In 1815, at the Congress of Vienna, it was decided to return to the Vatican the paintings that Napoleon Bonaparte took to Paris in 1797. Thanks to the fact that the exhibition has expanded considerably, five rooms of the Borgia apartments, in the Pope’s chambers were assigned to it, and this is where the Vatican Pinacoteca was located until the beginning of the 20th century,.

In 1908, the grand opening of the Pinacoteca collection was held for visitors. During this period the museum was located in one wing of the Belvedere Palace. However, lack of lighting and neglecting of the conditions for storing the exposition, led to the need to build a new building for the picture gallery. At the behest of Pope Pius XI, and in accordance with the design of the architect L. Beltrami, a new building was created in 1932, and this is here the Vatican Pinacoteca is still located today.

Halls of the Pinacoteca

The exposition of the Vatican Pinacoteca collects about 460 samples of works of art, which are placed in chronological order in 18 halls of the gallery:

1. In the first hall exhibits have special value: "Mary Magdalene" Veneziano, "Madonna and Child" Bologna, "Last Judgment" Giovanni di Nicola and other exhibits of the collection.
2. The second room holds works of the Italian artist Giotto, as well as his students and followers. The paintings are made in the Gothic style, in this room the special attention of visitors deserve: "The Madonna Magnificat" by the artist Daddi, as well as the painting "Christmas" – the work of the master Martini.
3. The third hall has a collection of paintings by Italian painter Beato Angelico. In his paintings, the artist depicted moments from the life of St. Nicholas. The main gem of the collection is the painting "The Madonna and the Angels".
4. The fourth room exhibits several elements of the fresco by the artist Melozzo, which depicts the angels.
5. The fifth hall has a collection of paintings by famous artists Cranach and Lucas the Elder.
6. In the sixth and seventh hall of the Vatican Pinacoteca, the works of the master Crivelli, as well as his disciples and followers, are collected. All paintings are vivid examples of the Umbrian school of painting. In this hall the pictures "Madonna and Child" and "Sunday" are the most striking.
7. The eighth room is dedicated to the collection of paintings by the Italian artist Raphael. Each picture deserves special attention, but you cannot ignore the two canvases: "Madonna di Folino" and "Transfiguration."
8. The exhibition of the works of the Venice School of Art begins from the ninth hall, here you can see paintings of such great masters of painting as Leonardo da Vinci, Titian, Muciano, Caravaggio and many others.
9. The subsequent halls are expositions of paintings on biblical themes, portraits, icons and mosaics of different masters and different historical periods.

How to get there

Thanks to the convenient location of the Vatican Pinacoteca in the building of the Vatican Museum, it is easy to get here. To the museum you can get by means of both: bus routes and tramways, as well as the metro line.

• Metro – you need to get in on any station on line A and go to the station Ottaviano-S. Pietro-Musei Vaticani.
• By bus, take the routes No. 49, 32, 81, 982, 492, 990.
• Tram number 19.

Special features of the visit

To visit the museum "Vatican Pinacoteca" you should choose discreet clothes. Tourists, who have clothes with open shoulders, or who are dressed in short skirts or shorts, risk not to see the beauty of the museum's collection. Also, it is worth to leave large bags, backpacks and knives, or products made of glass.

Opening hours: from 09:00 to 18:00 (closed on Sundays). The ticket office is open until 16:00. On the last Sunday of every month from 09:00 to 14:00 the museum's doors are open for free visits.