Vatican Pinacoteca
The papal painting collection, eighteen rooms from the Byzantine to the Baroque.
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UNESCO World Heritage
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.
What you actually see
- 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.
Honest expectations
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.
What to pack for Vatican Pinacoteca
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.