CRYPTIC CLUES

Explore one of the world’s most cherished art collections on an exciting scavenger hunt. Secret symbols, hidden meanings, intriguing legends, enigmatic pictures: the Vatican is imbued with mystery. Follow your guide on a stirring trail through centuries of history and enjoy unravelling the riddles.

Over 2,000 rooms display stunning works of art that range from classical sculptures to Renaissance fresco paintings, from Etruscan bronzes to Flemish tapestries, from Egyptian steles to early Christian sarcophagi. Children will learn about the origins and growth of this five-hundred-year-old collection and how to turn the key that will unlock the meaning of the treasures preserved here. By stimulating their curiosity with hints, clues, puzzles and thought-provoking facts, young visitors will be encouraged to examine paintings and sculptures and search for tiny, fascinating details. Your guide will throw light on the history behind the artworks, entertain you with amusing anecdotes and help you untangle the intricate web woven by strands of art, religion and power.

Adults, too, are bound to be captivated by the stories they will hear and certainly enjoy an enlightening experience. You will dip into the lives of the popes and artists, their ambitions, feats and foibles. No one can fail to be beguiled by the tales and rumours that surround the protagonists of what was once one of the West’s most influential seats of power – and is today the world’s smallest state. Did you know that the Vatican is an eighth of the size of New York’s Central Park? In April 2017 its population was a mere 605! The Vatican is the only existing country to be entirely designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts more tourists than any other place in the world, with over 5 million visitors every year.

Your expedition will lead you to the Gallery of Maps. Can you spot familiar places? Isn’t it astonishing that long before airplanes and satellites were invented, artists drew up forerunners of today’s atlases? Next, prepare for a safari inside the Hall of Animals, followed by an encounter with illustrious Roman characters and mythological gods who await you in the Gallery of Statues. The Sistine Chapel conceals hidden portraits and secret messages left in the frescoes by Michelangelo in the 16th century. Here, with your gaze turned up towards the ceiling, try decoding the master’s enigmas. Your hunt will end inside St. Peter’s Basilica. Its colossal masonry dome is one of the largest ever built and the dimensions of its facade are comparable to that of a soccer field!

Your visit, enriched with fun activities, educational games, tales and curiosities about the protagonists of the Vatican’s history, will certainly be an unforgettable experience for the whole family.