Gallery of Maps

An incredible room worthy of its own museum. The art work on all the maps is detailed and ornate and there is so much detail. The ceiling’s are incredible to look at and again, are so detailed and beautiful to look at. It’s a sensory overload, but in a good way.

The 120m long hallway is full of spectacularly detailed maps of Italy and works of art including the death of Caesar. It gets very busy here but try to take your time to admire each one to the left, right and above. Recommend a visit, the whole museum can take approximately 2 hours to walk around.

This was a very impressive hall with maps lining each side and a gorgeous ceiling. There are many intricate details to get lost in. Don't rush, enjoy the art!

Visiting the Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums was an incredible experience, one that we highly recommend to anyone with an interest in history and art. The gallery is one of the most stunning and informative sections of the Vatican Museums, stretching over 120 meters and featuring a series of beautifully painted maps from the 16th century. The maps themselves were created by Ignazio Danti, a renowned cartographer, between 1580 and 1585. They were commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII to represent the geographical knowledge of the time, showcasing the papal territories and the entire Italian peninsula in incredible detail. What makes them even more fascinating is that they are painted directly onto the walls, offering a vibrant, large-scale view of the world as it was understood centuries ago. As we walked through the gallery, we marveled at the level of detail in each map. The landscape features, cities, and even coastlines are portrayed in vivid colors, almost as though they were alive, giving us a glimpse into how the world looked to explorers and cartographers of the late Renaissance. The ceiling of the gallery, adorned with frescoes of Roman emperors and mythological scenes, adds to the sense of grandeur, making the space feel both scholarly and awe-inspiring. If you’re looking to experience an integral part of both Renaissance history and the development of geography, the Gallery of Maps is a must-visit. It’s not just about seeing old maps—it’s about walking through a visual timeline that tells the story of how we once viewed the world, set within the stunning art and history of the Vatican.

This long hallway looks great. You have beautiful pictures on the top and maps of Italy on both of your sides. The golden colour of the ceiling looks amazing and is one of the main attractions.

This is a 120 metre long corridor that leads into the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel within the Vatican Museums. The walls are lined with 40 beautifully painted geographical maps of Italian regions, completed by artists under the direction of Ignazio Danti (1580-1585). I've always enjoyed spending time in the Gallery of Maps prior to walking through the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel. It is much less known but a really impressive and memorable inclusion to visits to the Vatican Museum.

I wish it can be less crowded, but it’s hard with this great masterpiece!

The Gallery of Maps is one of the interconnected museums you can visit when entering the Vatican Museums. It features enormous, detailed maps of Italy drawn according to the standards of that era. These maps, often nicknamed the "medieval Google Maps," vividly depict the characteristics of each town and reveal their historical evolution. They hold profound significance, allowing us to glimpse into the past and understand the changes over time.