Institution

Vatican Museums

1506– · 16th century

The Vatican Museums are the art and archaeological museums of the popes in Vatican City, begun in 1506 when Pope Julius II displayed the newly found statue of Laocoön. Their collections include classical sculpture, Egyptian and Etruscan antiquities, the Raphael Rooms and the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's ceiling and Last Judgement. They are among the most visited museums in the world.

Vatican Museums
Image: Original: Fabio Mochi Vector: Kaidor · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Vatican City

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Vatican Museums. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/vatican-museums
MLA
“Vatican Museums.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/vatican-museums. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Vatican Museums.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/vatican-museums.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Vatican Museums’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/vatican-museums (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻