Vatican Museums, Bramante Staircase, Niccoline and Sistine Chapels Private Tour

The highlight of this special guided tour is the magnificent helical staircase designed by Bramante for Pope Julius II in 1505. This architectural gem, inaccessible until now, will be the special focus of a visit that will also explore the principal masterpieces of the Pope’s Museums. The tour is conducted by an educational guide authorised by Vatican City State and includes: Vatican Museums, Bramante Staircase, Niccolina Chapel, Pio Clementino Museum, Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries, Gallery of the Geographical Maps, Raphael’s Rooms, Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican City boasts countless great museums, with extensive art collections attracting thousands of visitors everyday. Inside these galleries we can admire classical sculptures and masterpieces of the Renaissance art. Among these few are able to admire Bramante Staircase, a revolutionary piece of architecture that is hidden inside the Vatican walls. Inside the Vatican Museums a vast number of art pieces and amazing architectures can be admired, belonging to different persiods, cultures and countries from all over the world. One of the biggest exhibition spaces inside the Vatican is the Pio-Clementine Museum, built in the 18th century as ordered by Pope Julius II to host countless Ancient Greek and Roman collections belonging to the Papacy. Among these priceless pieces lies an uncompared Renaissance architecture, commissioned by the same Pope Julius II at the start of the 16th century to link the Belvedere Palace of Pope Innocent VIII to the city of Rome. Tucked inside the large square tower belonging to the Pio-Clementine Palace we can see a breathtaking spiraling structure, carved in stone by a famous architect from Tuscany, Donato Bramante. The amazing thing about the “Bramante Staircase” is its shape: centuries before the DNA was discovered, Bramante created a staircase with the shape of a double-helix, something its contemporaries had obviously never seen before. His creation soon gained a huge popularity among the public. The purpose of this staircase, though, was very practical: it was once an entrance from street level to the Papal apartments, but it was built to accommodate even horses and mules carrying large items back and forth from the Papal Palaces. Not only is this staircase beautifully designed and carved: climbing it to the top will allow you to gain a breathtaking view across Rome and the Vatican estate. Today, though, Bramante staircase is closed to the general public. The Niccoline Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. It is especially notable for its fresco paintings by Fra Angelico and his assistants, who may have executed much of the actual work. The name is derived from its patron, Pope Nicholas V, who had it built for use as his private chapel.
The chapel is located in the Tower of Innocent III, in the most ancient part of the Apostolic Palace. The walls were decorated by Fra Angelico with images of two of the earliest Christian martyrs; the upper level has Episodes from the Life of St. Stephen, and the lower one Scenes from the life of St. Laurence. The vault is painted blue, decorated with stars, and features figures of the Four Evangelists in the corners. The pilasters are decorated with the eight Doctors of the Church.Only visitors who has been granted a special access have the privilege to walk this precious staircase. If you want to be among those few priviledged visitors, do not hesitate to check out our “Tours of the Vatican with Restricted Areas” and discover how to visit the Vatican with a Private Guide, entering most of the restricted areas of the Museums!

• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Child rate applies only when shared with 2 paying adults
• Dress code required for the Sistine Chapel: knees and shoulders must be covered

• Vatican Museums, Bramante Staircase, Niccoline and Sistine Chapels Private Tour
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  Pickup included

• “Skip the line” entrance tickets in the Vatican Museums
• Entrance in the Bramante Staircase and in the Niccolina Chapel (Hidden Vatican)
• Educational professional guide authorised by Vatican City State
• Pick-up and drop off with luxury transportation and private chauffeur
• Entrance in the Sistine Chapel
• Entrance in the Gallery of the Candelabra and Raphael’s Rooms
• Entrance in the Gallery of the Tapestries and in the Gallery of the Geographical Maps

• Entrance in St. Peter’s Basilica
• Gratuities (optional)

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• This Tour is Provided by Rome Italy Explora.
• Tour Timezone & Starts at Europe/Rome.
• Mobile or paper ticket accepted.
• All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
• Minimum 1 Travelers is required to book.
• Maximum 7 Travelers is accepted for booking.