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Among the most famous rooms in the world, the Sistine Chapel stands alone. Neither one of the largest nor grandest properties in the Vatican, its fame is mostly based on its immense ceiling frescoes created by none other than the great Michelangelo Buonarroti. This series of scenes from the New Testament of the Bible form a staggering tableau that...

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The Vatican Museums serve two purposes: As the Papal Palaces they have been home to centuries of popes, who built and decorated apartments to suit their sensibilities. Just as importantly though, they house some of the world’s most beautiful and important art. Covering a staggering 9 miles, the Vatican Museums’ art collection includes Greek and Rom...

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Gianluigi Colalucci was 91 years old when he died in Rome on March, 28. The former chief restorer of the Vatican Museums spent 14 years of his life brining Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel back to life. Colalucci made his mark in history by erasing the dulling marks of history from masterpieces. Centuries of dust, soot from candles, an...

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Are you tired of quarantine and would rather see one of the greatest art collections? Join an awesome Vatican guide for a virtual tour About this Event All of the proceeds from the virtual tour experiences will go towards keeping our guides employed and paying the wages of our dedicated staff, while on lockdown. We greatly appreciate your support i...

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After 88 days of closure due to Covid restrictions, the Vatican Museums in Rome reopened on February 1.  While travel restrictions are still in place, it is not too soon to start planning and getting ready for your next Italian trip. If that includes the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, keep in mind these dress code recommen...

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As much as we'd all love to flip a switch, get rid of COVID, and return to traveling like normal, it doesn't seem like that will happen anytime soon. That's the bad news. The good news is that museums and attractions around the world are providing virtual tours, allowing you to experience them from the comfort of your couch. Among the most iconi...

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Jesus, Mary and Joseph don't normally appear alongside astronauts or Darth Vader-like figures, but the Vatican has upset some Catholics by bringing them together in its latest nativity scene. Pope Francis inaugurated the scene, which features a number of life-sized ceramic figures, on Friday, but many people have expressed their disapproval of its...

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Saint Peter’s is Rome and  Rome is Saint Peter’s: the connection between the city and the most famous church in Italy is so deeply rooted we tend to forget that, technically, the basilica and its cupolone are not in Rome and not even in Italy, for that matter, because the Vatican is an independent entity.  The small city-state was created, in the f...

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Chicago writer-director Lucia Mauro’s new documentary, I Have a Name – that puts a respectful face on homelessness through the programs of  The Chicago HELP Initiative – won Best Documentary at the 2020 Mirabile Dictu International Catholic Film Festival at the Vatican in Rome. The prestigious film festival, under the High Patronage of the Pontific...

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Italian-born Cardinal-designate Silvano Tomasi describes himself as “one of those 40 million Americans who were born outside the United States, but at the same time are part of the makeup of the country.” The Italian-American cardinal-designate, who celebrated his 80th birthday on Columbus Day, has not lived full time in the United States since 198...

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