The Vatican Museums house one of the most important art collections on the planet, accumulated by the Catholic Church over more than five centuries. With over 70,000 works spanning ancient Egyptian artifacts to contemporary pieces, displayed across 54 galleries and seven kilometers of corridors, the sheer scale of the collection is staggering. The journey through the museums builds in intensity, from the Egyptian and Etruscan galleries through the Gallery of Maps with its stunning 16th-century cartographic frescoes, and the Raphael Rooms where the master’s School of Athens commands an entire wall, culminating in the awe-inspiring Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel is the emotional and artistic climax of any visit. Painted between 1508 and 1512, the nine scenes from Genesis, including the iconic Creation of Adam, remain as powerful today as when they were first revealed. The Last Judgment on the altar wall, completed nearly three decades later, is darker and more turbulent, reflecting both the artist’s maturity and the turmoil of the Reformation era. Standing beneath these works in a room where popes are still elected is an experience that transcends art appreciation and enters the realm of the profound.

Pro tip: Book tickets online for a specific time slot well in advance, as the museums regularly see 25,000 visitors per day. Enter at opening time and head directly to the Sistine Chapel by following the shortcut signs, then work your way back through the galleries in reverse. This way you will experience Michelangelo’s masterpiece in relative calm before the rooms fill up.