Vatican Pinacoteca

The Pinacoteca holds the papal collection of paintings in a purpose-built gallery of eighteen rooms opened in 1932, arranged in order from Byzantine panels through to the eighteenth century. Raphael's Transfiguration, Leonardo's unfinished Saint Jerome and Caravaggio's Deposition are all here. It sits off to one side of the museum route, which means a great many visitors walk past it without going in.

Highlights

• Raphael's Transfiguration - the painter's last work, finished after his death.
• Leonardo's Saint Jerome - the unfinished panel in monochrome underpainting.
• Caravaggio's Deposition - the altarpiece painted for the Chiesa Nuova.
• The chronological hang - eighteen rooms running from Byzantine to Baroque.

When to go

November to March is the quietest window. Mornings early or the last two hours are least crowded. It is closed on Sundays except the last of the month.

Before you go

Most visitors head straight for the Sistine Chapel and skip this entirely, which is a mistake but does keep it quieter. It is a long walk back from the main route. Lighting in some rooms is poor.

Nearby

The Pio-Clementino Museum is east, and the museum entrance is north.

Key facts