As a precautionary measure given the COVID-19 pandemic, since March 15, 2021, the Vatican Museums and the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo have announced they will close their doors to visitors while the latest decree of the Italian Government is in force.
“Foreseen is the automatic direct reimbursement of all tickets or guided visits already acquired and reserved for the period of closure indicated earlier. Therefore, a visitor will not have to present a formal reimbursement request,” stated a press release on the Museums’ Webpage. Apologizing for the inconvenience, the Museums have made an e-mail address available for anyone who has questions or needs assistance: [email protected]
These installations were previously closed given the health emergency caused by the coronavirus. The closures were from March 9 to June 1, 2020, and from November 6, 2020, to February 1, 2021.
Instagram and YouTube
A post on the Museum’s Instagram page reminds us that even “if we are closed in the forthcoming days, we will publish weekly on our account the nicest photos taken by visitors.”
While the doors of the Vatican Museums remain closed, anyone can visit their YouTube channel to appreciate the art, history, and faith treasures kept in the Pontifical Collections.
The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani; Latin: Musea Vaticana) are the public art and sculpture museums in the Vatican City. They display works from the immense collection amassed by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums contain roughly 70,000 works, of which 20,000 are on display, and currently employ 640 people who work in 40 different administrative, scholarly, and restoration departments.
Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. The Sistine Chapel with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze di Raffaello decorated by Raphael are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. In 2019, they were visited by 6,882,931 persons, which combined made them the third most visited art museum in the world. They are one of the largest museums in the world.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
