The Vatican also has an extensive collection of ancient artifacts. It shouldn't be surprising
that many of these are of Roman origin (the museum being in Rome), but there is also a large
Egyptian collection.
Egyptian Relief Fragment (XXVI Dynasty)
Funeral Stele of Ptahmes (XVIII Dynasty)
Funerary Relief Fragment (XVIII Dynasty)
Sarcophagus of Djet-Mut, Thebes, 21st Dynasty
Scarab of Amenofis III, Thebes, 1379-80 B.C.
Shabtis Found in Tombs
Mummy and Sarcophagi
Golden Funerary Mask (1st C. A.D.)
Statues from Hadrian's Villa
Portrait of a Young Man, 4th C. A.D.
Roman Representation of River Nile, 1st-2nd C. A.D.
Nella and God Anubis, 1st-2nd C. A.D.
Bas-Relief from a Tomb (XXVI Dynasty)
Statue of Bull-God Apis
Other ancient civilizations are represented as well, including the Mesopotamia area - Assyria in particular.
Cuneiform Tablet
Bronze Age Tomb Pottery, Syria-Palestine
Winged Genius and the Tree of Life, 883-859 B.C.
One of the noteworthy Roman sculptures on display is the Laocoön Group, representing the
Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons being dragged away by a serpent sent by Poseidon for trying
to warn the Trojans about the Greek ruse of the Trojan Horse. The statue was unearthed in Rome
in 1506, and its authenticity was vouched for by Michelangelo, who had been sent to look at it
by Pope Julius II. It is thought by many to be a Roman copy of a Greek original. This statue
might be considered the beginning of the Vatican Museums, as the Pope had it put on public
display shortly after its discovery. The statue display was joined by other artifacts over the
years and centuries, until the whole thing got out of control and turned into the Vatican Museums.
Laocoön Group
Apollo Belvedere
Representation of Tigris River
Venus Felix
Perseus, Antonio Canova (ca. 1800)
Damoxenus, Antonio Canova (ca. 1800)
Main Hall, Chiaramonti Museum
Nella in Chiaramonti Museum
Shelves of Roman Busts
Connie with Roman Statue
Main Hall
Happy Busts
Statue of Augustus
Shelf of Small Statues
Chiaramonti Museum and Braccio Nuovo
Belvedere Torso
Hercules, The Round Room
The Round Room
Floor Mosaic from Tusculum
The Greek Cross Room
From the antiquities we took a long walk through some galleries to see Papal apartments
which were specially decorated by the painter Raphael and his assistants. These apartments
are considered part of the Vatican Museums and are called the Raphael Rooms.
