Pio-Clementino Museum
The classical sculpture collection, including the Laocoon and the Apollo Belvedere.
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UNESCO World Heritage
The Pio-Clementino holds the Vatican's Greek and Roman sculpture, assembled around the Belvedere courtyard where popes had been displaying antiquities since the early sixteenth century. The Laocoon group, dug up in Rome in 1506, and the Apollo Belvedere are the two pieces the collection is built around. The Round Hall with its porphyry basin and the Hall of the Muses are part of the same suite.
What you actually see
- The Laocoon - the group unearthed in Rome in 1506.
- The Apollo Belvedere - the figure that defined classical taste for centuries.
- The Round Hall - the domed room with the porphyry basin at its centre.
- The Octagonal Court - the Belvedere courtyard the collection grew around.
When to go
November to March is the quietest window. Early morning is least crowded. Closed on Sundays except the last of the month.
Honest expectations
It sits on the main route and the crowd moves through steadily. Labelling is minimal for a collection of this importance. The best pieces are surrounded most of the day.
Nearby
The Gregorian Egyptian Museum is north, and the Gallery of Maps is east.
What to pack for Pio-Clementino Museum
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.
