Unofficial Website

MENU

Acquista Biglietti & Tours

Gallery of Maps

BOOK NOW
BOOK NOW

Vatican Gallery of Maps

The Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums is one of the most visually stunning and historically significant corridors in the museum complex. Created between 1580 and 1583 under the direction of Pope Gregory XIII, the gallery features a series of 40 large frescoed maps that depict the various regions of Italy, along with important cities and territories that were part of the Papal States. These maps, painted by the artist Ignazio Danti, offer a fascinating glimpse into the geography, history, and cartography of the 16th century.

Stretching for 120 meters, the Gallery of Maps is an impressive space not only for its size but also for its artistic grandeur. The vaulted ceiling is richly decorated with detailed frescoes that depict religious scenes and symbols, adding to the gallery’s magnificent atmosphere. Each map is incredibly detailed, showing mountains, rivers, cities, and even historical events, making it a combination of artistic beauty and scientific knowledge.

The Gallery of Maps is part of the main visitor route and leads towards the Sistine Chapel. Its vibrant colors, intricate details, and historical importance make it one of the most memorable stops in the Vatican Museums, offering visitors an extraordinary journey through the landscapes of Renaissance Italy.

Useful information

Opening hours:

  • Monday – Saturday: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (last entry at 4:00 PM).
  • Last Sunday of the month: free entry from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (last entry at 12:30 PM).
  • Closed days: Sundays (except the last Sunday of the month) and certain religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

Tickets:

  • It is advisable to purchase tickets online in advance to avoid long lines.
  • Tickets can be booked with timed entry to reduce waiting times.
  • Discounts are available for children, students, and groups.
  • Audioguides and guided tours are available in various languages.

How to get there

The Gallery of Maps is located within the Vatican Museums, along the route that leads to the Sistine Chapel. It is part of the Vatican Museums’ upper galleries, positioned between the Gallery of Tapestries and the Sistine Chapel. Its central location makes it a prominent stop for visitors as they progress through the museum, showcasing a spectacular combination of art and cartography before reaching the iconic Sistine Chapel.

History

The Gallery of Maps (Gallery of the Geographical Maps) is one of the Vatican Museums’ most ambitious examples of “knowledge as spectacle.” On the official Vatican Museums description, the gallery is 120 metres long and 6 metres wide and takes its name from the forty cartographical representations of Italian territories and Church dominions created at the request of Pope Gregory XIII. The aim was to recreate the entire peninsula to scale through a monumental painted cycle, turning geography into a visual statement of scope and authority.

The same Vatican source notes that the gallery was built between 1578 and 1580 by Ottaviano Nonni, known as Mascherino, and that the gallery was frescoed in less than two years by a large group of artists coordinated by Girolamo Muziano and Cesare Nebbia. The iconographic project was entrusted to Egnazio Danti, described as a leading scientific figure of the time—Dominican, cosmographer, astronomer, and mathematician—whose role bridges art and early modern science in a single corridor.

From the visitor perspective today, Tiqets’ description captures why the experience still feels so immediate: a long hallway with a shimmering gold ceiling, lined with 40 detailed topographical maps of Italy commissioned in the 16th century, each packed with symbols and places of interest. That density is part of the original intention: the gallery wasn’t meant to be glanced at; it was meant to impress through accumulation, scale, and meticulous detail.

As you walk it now, the Gallery of Maps functions both as art and as a historical document of how Italy was imagined, presented, and “read” in the late Renaissance world of the papacy. It also explains why the Vatican Museums’ corridors are so famous: in this complex, transitional spaces are not neutral. They are where decoration, politics, scholarship, and visual storytelling collide—at full, ceiling-to-floor intensity.

The Gallery of Maps (Gallery of the Geographical Maps) is one of the Vatican Museums’ most ambitious examples of “knowledge as spectacle.” On the official Vatican Museums description, the gallery is 120 metres long and 6 metres wide and takes its name from the forty cartographical representations of Italian territories and Church dominions created at the request of Pope Gregory XIII. The aim was to recreate the entire peninsula to scale through a monumental painted cycle, turning geography into a visual statement of scope and authority.

The same Vatican source notes that the gallery was built between 1578 and 1580 by Ottaviano Nonni, known as Mascherino, and that the gallery was frescoed in less than two years by a large group of artists coordinated by Girolamo Muziano and Cesare Nebbia. The iconographic project was entrusted to Egnazio Danti, described as a leading scientific figure of the time—Dominican, cosmographer, astronomer, and mathematician—whose role bridges art and early modern science in a single corridor.

From the visitor perspective today, Tiqets’ description captures why the experience still feels so immediate: a long hallway with a shimmering gold ceiling, lined with 40 detailed topographical maps of Italy commissioned in the 16th century, each packed with symbols and places of interest. That density is part of the original intention: the gallery wasn’t meant to be glanced at; it was meant to impress through accumulation, scale, and meticulous detail.

As you walk it now, the Gallery of Maps functions both as art and as a historical document of how Italy was imagined, presented, and “read” in the late Renaissance world of the papacy. It also explains why the Vatican Museums’ corridors are so famous: in this complex, transitional spaces are not neutral. They are where decoration, politics, scholarship, and visual storytelling collide—at full, ceiling-to-floor intensity.

Show more

Reviews

A Stunning Walk Through History - Rachel S.
"The Gallery of Maps was one of the most beautiful parts of the Vatican Museums. The vibrant, detailed frescoes of Italy’s regions and cities are incredibly impressive. Each map is like a piece of art, showing not only geography but historical events and landmarks. The long corridor, with its high ceilings and intricate decorations, made me feel like I was walking through a masterpiece. It’s a must-see before reaching the Sistine Chapel!"
A Hidden Gem of the Vatican Museums - David S.
"I was blown away by the Gallery of Maps. I didn’t expect to find such an incredible collection of 16th-century maps in the Vatican, but this gallery is a real gem. The maps are stunningly detailed, and the whole corridor is filled with rich colors and historical charm. The ceiling frescoes are just as impressive as the maps themselves. If you’re interested in history and art, you’ll love this part of the Vatican Museums."
An Unexpected Highlight of the Vatican – Emily R.
"The Gallery of Maps was a surprising highlight during my visit to the Vatican Museums. The sheer scale of the frescoes and the attention to detail in each map is breathtaking. I loved seeing how Italy was depicted in the 1500s, and the fact that it’s all presented in such a grand, beautifully decorated space made it even more special. It’s a peaceful part of the museum, and I highly recommend taking your time here before continuing to the Sistine Chapel."

Tips

Do a “one pass fast, one pass slow” corridor plan: The Gallery of Maps is long enough that you can’t absorb it in a single stop-and-start shuffle. Walk it once at a steady pace to understand the scale, then pick three to five maps to revisit and study more carefully. This gives you structure in a crowded environment and prevents the most common mistake: taking two photos, feeling satisfied, and realizing later you didn’t actually look at anything.

Arrive with a light bag and a clear priority: The Vatican Museums involve security screening and restrictions on large items, and that friction can quietly steal the energy you need for slow looking. Carry only essentials, keep your ticket accessible, and decide in advance that the Gallery of Maps is your “pause point.” When you reach it, you’ll have more patience to step aside, look up at the ceiling, then return to the walls for details.

Use the Gallery of Tapestries as your built-in second highlight: Tiqets pairs the Gallery of Maps with the Gallery of Tapestries for a reason—they’re both corridor masterpieces on the main route. After you’ve taken in the maps, give yourself a short reset by switching from cartography to woven storytelling. It keeps your attention fresh and makes the corridor section feel like a complete chapter rather than a single stop.

Protect your pacing with a “no-rush rule” before the corridor: If you sprint through earlier rooms, you’ll arrive at the Gallery of Maps already mentally tired, and you’ll be tempted to rush it too. Instead, move efficiently but calmly through the early collections, hydrate beforehand, and save your slowest pace for the corridor. Ten unhurried minutes here often deliver more value than an extra hour of fast wandering elsewhere.

Vatican Museums's Top Experiences

Papal Apartments
Octagonal Courtyard
Collection of Modern Religious Art
Borgia Apartments
Gallery of Tapestries
Pinacoteca Vaticana
Gregorian Etruscan Museum
Gregorian Egyptian Museum
Pio-Clementine Museum
Raphael Rooms
Scroll to Top
BlogTips, highlights, tickets, and history for your Vatican Museums visit
View All
AttractionsSistine Chapel, Raphael Rooms, ancient statues, tapestries, maps, gardens
View All

Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel

caesar-augustus-head-statue-near-paintings-on-walls-and-ceiling-in-gallery-of-maps-at-vatican-museum.jpgFast Track Entry TicketBook now

Ticket + Guided Tour

cappella-sistina1Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's BasilicaBook now

Rome Tourist Card

Musei_vaticani_2.jpgThe Vatican City PassBook now