MATINS AND MUFFINS

Step inside one of the world’s oldest, most extensive and cherished museums to enjoy a delicious Italian colazione followed by an in-depth tour of its priceless collection.

Your private guide and chauffeur will meet you at your hotel early in the morning and drive you to the Vatican Museums. Here, you begin your day with a sumptuous buffet breakfast, served at 7:45 AM in the enchanting setting of the Pinecone Courtyard. Feast on a banquet fit for a pope, featuring eggs, cheeses, bacon, pancakes, muffins, cereal, croissants, fresh fruit juice, espresso coffee and so much more. Sit back, relax and soak up the peace and tranquillity of this hallowed corner of Rome as it glows in the soft light of the early morning sun.

Next, its time to admire the wondrous papal collections. You will follow a carefully crafted route through the museum’s corridors and halls where you will be introduced to the masterpieces no visitor should miss. As you weave your way back down the centuries, you will learn about the origins and growth of this five-hundred-year-old museum. Though today the Vatican City is the world’s smallest state it was once one of the West’s most influential seats of power and the complex knot of mysteries, dramas and tales surrounding its prime movers will now be unravelled by your guide.

The beginnings of this eye-popping collection date back to 1506 when art enthusiast Pope Julius II first started arranging his acquisitions of classical sculptures in the Octagonal Courtyard. This extraordinary – though originally modest – assembly of works was enriched and extended throughout the centuries by successive pontiffs and evolved into the whopping nine-mile-long treasure trove you see today. The dazzling hoard of masterpieces on display includes artefacts from so many different eras, traditions and artistic styles, ranging from Egyptian artefacts to Renaissance fresco paintings, from Etruscan bronzes to Flemish tapestries.

Highlights along your trail include the Gallery of Maps, featuring 16th century forerunners of today’s atlases; the Room of Animals, filled with masterfully carved marble creatures; the Sala delle Muse, housing an ancient Greek sculpture which was to inspire generations of artists; Raphael’s Rooms, four beautifully decorated chambers once belonging to Pope Julius II’s private apartments.

Nestled among these marvels lies the spectacular Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo spent eight years of his life in this sacred room painting what would become the most renowned images in the whole of Western art. As you stand at the core of the Christian world gazing up at the stunning frescoes of the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgement your guide will help you spot intriguing details and decipher the secret messages left here by the Renaissance master in the 16th century.

Your tour will end inside St. Peter’s Basilica, built upon what is believed to be the burial place of the apostle and topped by one of the tallest masonry domes ever built. Michelangelo’s moving Pietà and Bernini’s magnificent bronze baldachin never fail to leave a deep impression on visitors to the largest and arguably the most glorious church on earth.