Vatican Museums, Rome In the heart of Vatican City, the Vatican Museums offers 54 galleries within a complex of 26 separate museums. Each displays the immense collection of artistic and cultural artifacts amassed by the papacy and Church over the centuries. Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire and the Renaissance are among the various eras represented. Entry to the museums includes a visit to the
renowned Sistine Chapel. Walk, sit and reflect beneath Michelangelo’s extraordinary fresco The Creation of Adam on the ceiling. Exit the museum via Giuseppe Momo’s
double helix stairs. These are a homage to the 16th-century Bramante Staircase; the latter viewable on specialist tours to the museums. DON’T MISS: The Book of the Dead: a 30-page papyrus guide to the afterlife for the recently deceased. This can be found in the Gregorian Egyptian Museum.