Visit to the Vatican Museums – Part II

In my recent posts, I shared some photography and video footage from my family’s visit to the Vatican Museums. These primarily focused on the outdoor area on the roof of one of the buildings where seagulls liked to hang out.

Only a few of the photos in this article will show objects out on the roof. The rest feature some of the things inside the museums.

 

This lion sculpture is part of a larger piece of architecture moved from Egypt to Rome.

 

And this is, well, a half-lion/half-man sculpture done in Egyptian style. Whether this particular piece was a true ancient artifact (like the black lion above) was unclear.

That brings us to the end of the outdoor displays I wanted to go over. Now prepare yourself for the beautiful interior!

The adorned hallway pictured in the photo above was actually an elaborate display of old maps! The walls were covered in them, all of them masterfully drawn and illustrated. Here are a few close-up examples:

 

This particular map showcases a certain province. Notice how the specific terrain is detailed for every area.

 

I really enjoy this one mainly for the fishy sea monster. I know it’s unrealistic, but it is really reflective of the knowledge and fears of the times in which these maps were made.

If you have read some of my past posts you might know that I am a huge geek over ancient Egyptian history. And the Vatican Museums were full of it!

 

Personally, I’ just have to wonder what this guy is looking at out of the corner of his eye…

 

Photo Credit: Leslie Tuttle

 

And last but not least, this is a photo of me posing in a frozen, stone-like posture beside a statue of one of the Ptolemaic kings of Egypt. I really enjoyed a lot of the stuff throughout the different museums of the Vatican.