Pinacoteca. Picture Gallery of the Popes of Rome

In February 1798, a black crew took the Pope into exile. Napoleon, who conquered half of Europe and captured papal Rome, plundered palaces and temples, taking priceless works of art to Paris. This triumph was short-lived. The defeat at the Battle of Waterloo was followed by the Paris Agreement of 1815, which obliged France to return the seized masterpieces to Rome. The agreement also concerned the Pope: the returned canvases were not sent to looted temples and monasteries. Collected in such an unexpected way, the collection was supposed to remain unified and find a worthy place in the halls of the Vatican Museums, with a chronological exposition.

However, it will be almost a century before the Popes can fulfill the terms of the treaty by building a beautiful palace in the Vatican for the Art Gallery. A series of halls reveals before us seven centuries of Italian painting, from the XII to the XIX centuries.

On the facade of the Pinacoteca building, the names of those whose paintings are here are lined with gold mosaics: Titian, Leonardo Da Vinci, Caravagedo, Perugino, Beato Angelico, Domenicino, Guido Reni and three canvases of Raphael, including Transfiguration, his last creation in this world.

Acquaintance with Pinakoteca is an amazing journey into the world of beauty, art and faith!

The tour lasts about 3 hours and costs 130 euros. In addition, entrance tickets to the Vatican Museums (16 euros + 4 reservations) are paid. After the tour, you can stay in the Vatican and visit the other halls of the Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Cathedral.