Name: Rome: Vatican Museums Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome) by Rick Steves Audio Europe
Duration: 54 min 20 s
Description: Set in an immense and lavish papal palace decorated by the likes of Michelangelo and Raphael, the Vatican Museums are a treasure chest of the ancient world, holding some of the greatest art anywhere. This tour leads you right up to the Sistine Chapel, covered in a separate audio tour. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.

Two Roman tour guides explain how to find the magic in Rome's backstreets, connecting ancient history and today's modern city. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome I: Travel Guide - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Travel blogger Angela Nickerson shares the highlights from researching her book, A Journey into Michelangelo's Rome. Related travel information at www.ricksteves.com.

Michelangelo in Rome - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Two tour guides to Rome join Rick to discuss the history and artistry of the greatest church in Christendom. For more info on traveling in Europe, see www.ricksteves.com.

Visiting St. Peter's Basilica - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Ancient domed temple.
     If your imagination is fried from trying to reconstruct ancient buildings out of today's rubble, visit the Pantheon, Rome's best-preserved monument. This domed temple, more than any other building, gives us a feel for the magnificence and grandeur of Rome at its peak. Engineers still admire how the Romans built such a mathematically precise structure without computers, fossil fuel-run machinery, or electricity. On this half-hour visit, we'll marvel at the magnificent dome, learn how it was built, see where Romans paid homage to their pagan gods, and visit the tombs of some famous people buried here. Finally, we'll stand under the Pantheon's solemn dome and gain a new appreciation for the enlightenment of these ancient people. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion maps.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: Admission is free. The Pantheon is open Mon–Sat 8:30–19:30, Sun 9:00–18:00, holidays 9:00–13:00, closed for Mass Sat at 17:00 and Sun at 10:30. To reach the Pantheon neighborhood, you can walk (20 minutes from Capitol Hill or 5 minutes from Piazza Navona), or take a taxi or bus (e.g. #64 and #40) to the square called Largo Argentina located a few blocks south of the Pantheon. Photos allowed, even with flash. The nearest WCs are at neighborhood cafes, including downstairs in the McDonald's on the Pantheon's square.
     The Pantheon neighborhood is well worth exploring, with historic churches, restaurants, Piazza Navona, and not far from the Trevi Fountain. The area is especially atmospheric at night.
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome: Pantheon Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Michelangelo's frescoes.
     The Sistine Chapel is the personal chapel of the pope and the place where new popes are elected. But its claim to fame is its paint job: colorful frescoes by Michelangelo, depicting the entire Christian history from the Creation to the Last Judgment. We'll start with Michelangelo's frescoes on the ceiling, painted in his younger days. We'll end with the work he completed nearly three decades later on the altar wall — the Last Judgment. These works are huge, and we'll talk about the monumental task of plastering and painting they entailed. On this 30-minute visit, we'll stand under dramatic episodes from the Bible, including one of the most iconic images of Western art — the touching fingers of the Creation of Man. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion maps.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: The Sistine Chapel is part of a visit to the sprawling Vatican Museum, which has erratic hours (observing Christian holidays), a dress code (basically no shorts or bare shoulders), and can have very long lines to get in. Get my guidebook and plan ahead, and check the latest information at www.vatican.va or tel. 06-6988-3860 or 06-6988-1662.
     Normal hours are Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00, last entry at 16:00. The cost is €14, except on the last Sun of each month when it's free. Avoid lines with an online reservation at http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va, €4 booking fee. The always-crowded museum is most crowded mornings, Sat-Mon, rainy days, and any day before or after a holiday closure. The nearest Metro stops are Cipro and Ottaviano. Taxis are reasonable (hop in and say, "moo-ZAY-ee vah-tee-KAH-nee"). No photos are allowed in the Sistine Chapel. Elsewhere in the museum, photos without a flash are permitted.
     The Sistine Chapel is located at the far end of the museum. Signs everywhere direct you to it. Either sightsee your way to the Sistine, or go directly there while you're still fresh. The rest of the Vatican Museum is a virtual catalog of world history, featuring Egyptian mummies, Greek statues, Roman sarcophagi, Raphael frescoes, and the magnificent palace they're housed in.
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome: Sistine Chapel Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Ruins of ancient "downtown."
     "Friends, Romans, Travelers, lend me your earbuds." For a thousand years, Rome ruled the known world, and the political, religious, and social center of this vast empire was a 5-acre patch of land known as the Forum. This guided walk takes you through what was once "downtown Rome," with the city's most important temples, triumphal arches, and halls of justice. On this hour-long walk we'll resurrect the rubble of the Forum, recreating the ancient world of Vestal Virgins, passionate orators, conquering generals, and sleazy emperors. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.
     Sightseeing nitty-gritty: The €12 combo-ticket includes the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. It's also covered by the €23 Roma Sightseeing Pass. Hours: The Roman Forum, Colosseum, and Palatine Hill are all open daily 8:30 until one hour before sunset: April–Sept until 19:15, Oct until 18:30, off-season closes as early as 16:30; last entry one hour before closing. Info office tel. 06-3996-7700. The closest Metro stop is Colosseo. The Forum has entrances on Via dei Fori Imperiali and at the Palatine Hill ticket office on Via di San Gregorio. From either entrance, it's a walk of several hundred yards to the Arch of Titus, where our tour begins. There's a Tourist Information near the Via dei Fori Imperiali entrance (near Basilica Aemilia). There are WC's at the entrances and another near the Temple of the Vesta. Wear sturdy shoes and carry a water bottle to refill it at the Forum's public drinking fountains.
     [This audio tour was updated in 2023]
     For more specifics, consult my guidebook. This was excerpted from Rick Steves' Rome 2010. Copyright 2009 Avalon Travel. Related information at www.ricksteves.com.

Rome: Roman Forum Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Italian tour guide Francesca Caruso and author Gene Openshaw take us on a walk through the romantic alleys and floodlit monuments of nighttime Rome. For more info on traveling in Europe, see www.ricksteves.com.

Rome After Dark - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Set in an immense and lavish papal palace decorated by the likes of Michelangelo and Raphael, the Vatican Museums are a treasure chest of the ancient world, holding some of the greatest art anywhere. This tour leads you right up to the Sistine Chapel, covered in a separate audio tour. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.

Rome: Vatican Museums Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

This walk winds through an urban village of narrow lanes, panoramic piazzas, fanciful fountains, and some of Europe’s best people-watching. Don't forget to download the handy PDF companion map.

Rome: Heart of Rome Walk Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

Tour guides give Rick insider advice on how to "do like the Romans do" and enjoy the buzz of Rome's modern-day neighborhoods.

Rome Neighborhoods

Italian tour guides living in Rome explain why they love their city, even with all its flaws.

Rome: Vatican Museums Audio Tour - Audio Europe: Italy (Venice, Florence, Rome)

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