historical museum of the vatican ( museo storico del vaticano )

 

The Museum is established in the Apostolic Lateran Palace, which is a massive residential Palace built by Domenico Fontana in 1586 along the side of the cathedral of S. Giovanni.

Its construction was ordered by Pope Sixtus V who meant to replace the crumbling medieval Patriarchio with an adequate summer residence for the Bishop of Rome who resided in the Vatican at the time.

The ancient papal residence had in fact been destroyed in 1308 by a huge fire and afterwards abandoned by the Popes who escaped to Avignon. Therefore at the end of the Sixteenth century only a group of distressed and indecent medieval structures were remaining.

The Historical Museum, which was inaugurated in 1973 inside the Vatican is today hosted in some ofthe large halls frescoed by a large group of mannerist painters headed by Giovanni Guerra.

This singular and precious museum is meant to preserve the historical memory of the world related to the papal court.

It is divided into three sections: the iconographic collection of pontiffs and related historical representations; the section of the ancient ceremonial in force at the Papal Court and the collection of weapons, uniforms and historical relics of the Papal Armed Corps of Honour and Combatants.

The most ancient collection of items is that of weapons and armour which were originally located in the rooms of the Borgia Apartment in the Vatican.

The museum also has a rich exhibition of handicrafts from the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries pertaining both to the active combatant Units existing before 1870 and to those dissolved in 1970 and which served in the Vatican (Noble Guard, Palatine Guard of Honour, Gendarme). Some of the items on display in the museum deserve a special mention due to their rarity and quality, such as: the small Italian shields used in tournaments (Rotelle), they date from the first half of the Seventeenth century, they are decorated with a cycle of paintings referring to the chivalrous deeds of King Arthur.

The armour - sole surviving copy - used for the magnificent tournament organized in the Court of Belvedere in the Vatican on March 5 1565 to celebrate the wedding of Annibale Altemps and Ortensia Borromeo, the niece and nephew of Pope Pius IV.

Other items on display in the museum which are worth mentioning are; breastplates (armour made with plates in order to protect from the head to the waist); morions (helmets with a pointed arch profile) used by the so-called "Broken Spears", a srecial Corps of knights who aided the more famous Light Cavalrymen in the delicate and prestigious role of the Papal Honour Guards beginning in 1555, then merged in 1801 in the Corps of the Papal Noble Guard.

The sector dedicated to the pontiffs iconography from the Sixteenth century is located in the first of the three wings of the open arcade(loggia) overlooking the inner court of the palace, the most interesting portraits displayed here are those of popes which history has often forgotten, such as Urban VIII Casting who was Pope for only 12 days in 1590 or Marcellus II Cervini who was Pope for only 20 days in 1555.

The sector dedicated to relics, exhibits objects used in the course of the centuries for the papal ceremonies and which are no longer used or which have been abolished, this sector displays the clothing of the dignitaries who animated the Papal Court up until its abolition in 1968.

The uniforms and liveries of the Marescialli di Santa Romana Chiesa, Latori della Rosa d'Oro, Bussolanti di Sua Santita, Camerieri Segreti di Spada e Cappa, Sediari Pontifici, Mazzieri Pontifici, the Cavallerizzo Maggiore di Sua Santita, the Foriere Maggiore dei Sacri Palazzi Apostolici display scenes of pomp and ancient ceremonies which are almost unimaginable.

The collection of gestatorial chairs and flabella with the nineteenth-century thalamus used for the Corpus Domini procession also deserves special mention.

Information and Addresses

Address Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano

Visiting Hours Tuesday - Saturday guided tours 9.00,10.00,11.00, 12.00 am

Closed Dec. 24- 25-26-31

Telephone 06 69886386; Fax 06 69886394

Price € 4,00, concessions € 2,00

 

For Tours information – private guided tours – special entrances, no waiting in line - VIP services

www.tourinrome.com www.vaticanmuseuminformation.com  www.vaticanmuseumticket.com