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Home/Countries/Vatican City/Museums & culture/Gregorian Egyptian Museum

Gregorian Egyptian Museum

Egyptian antiquities gathered in Rome and from the papal collections, opened 1839.

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UNESCO World Heritage

Typemuseum
WhereVatican City
Nearest cityRome
Best seasonNovember to March
Time to allowAn hour
Getting thereInside the Vatican Museums; off the route near the Pio-Clementino
EntryIncluded in the Vatican Museums ticket

Gregory XVI opened this museum in 1839 to hold the Egyptian material that had accumulated in Rome, much of it brought to the city in antiquity for the Egyptian cults that Romans practised, along with pieces from Hadrian's Villa and later acquisitions. There are sarcophagi, mummies, statuary and a room of Assyrian reliefs. It is a side gallery and many visitors miss it. The rooms run along one side of the Belvedere courtyard and connect back to the main route.

What you actually see

  • The Roman-era imports - Egyptian pieces brought to Rome in antiquity.
  • The Hadrian's Villa material - sculpture from the imperial estate at Tivoli.
  • The sarcophagi and mummies - the funerary collection.
  • The Assyrian reliefs - the carved panels in the adjoining room.

When to go

November to March is the quietest window. It is quieter than the main route at any time. Closed on Sundays except the last of the month.

Honest expectations

It is off the main route and easy to walk past. The collection is modest next to the great Egyptian museums. Labelling is limited.

Nearby

The Pio-Clementino Museum is south, and the Cortile della Pigna is east.

What to pack for Gregorian Egyptian Museum

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Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.

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