Gallery of Maps
A 120-metre corridor lined with painted maps of sixteenth-century Italy.
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UNESCO World Heritage
The Gallery of Maps runs 120 metres along the west side of the Belvedere courtyard, its walls painted between 1580 and 1585 with forty topographical maps of the Italian regions and papal territories, worked up from surveys by the geographer Ignazio Danti. The vaulted ceiling above them is gilded and frescoed the whole length. It is one of the busiest stretches of the whole museum route.
What you actually see
- The forty maps - the Italian regions painted region by region.
- The gilded vault - the frescoed ceiling running the full length.
- The Danti surveys - the geographical work the paintings were made from.
- The 120 metres - the length of the corridor itself.
When to go
November to March is the quietest window. Early morning or late afternoon is least crowded. Closed on Sundays except the last of the month.
Honest expectations
The crowd flows through here toward the Sistine Chapel and stopping is difficult. Looking up at the ceiling while moving is how most people see it. There is no seating anywhere along it.
Nearby
The Raphael Rooms are south, and the Cortile della Pigna is north.
What to pack for Gallery of Maps
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
