Vatican - Air conditioned?

Not shallow at all. I cannot even imagine being on vacation in 96 degree heat. Googling it, most sources seems to say no AC except for the tapestry room. I was there early last November on a rainy, not cold day and it was a little on the warm side in some rooms even then. Of course any rooms with AC they would not have had it running on a day like that anyway. The actual Vatican website sounds a little more hopeful "Architectural constraints and the strict requirements for protection of the patrimony impose severe restrictions on air-conditioning (especially during the summer months) of some areas of the museums which receive heavy visitor traffic." -- they seem to suggest that some areas do have AC. One reference said the gift shop and ticketing area had AC. You've got nothing to lose with your tickets already purchased, and if anything maybe the heat will scare some people off or make them stay for a shorter time. Make the best of it, you'll be fine! At end of day try St. Peters and Castel S'Antangelo. The latter is much underrated and an open air sight.

There are temperature and humidity controls in some area, but this is to protect the artwork. The number of people in the museums causes it to feel pretty warm in summer. There is a nice courtyard if you need a break from the crush, cool drink or light meal.

The museums generally don't have any air conditioning so plan for it to be very hot and humid. If you plan to visit the basilica after the museums remember that you'll need to have your knees and shoulders covered or you'll be denied entry.

Donna

FWIW, I read somewhere that museum rooms with oil paintings are much more likely to be air-conditioned than rooms with statues. It's to preserve the paintings.

The "nice courtyard" can actually be quite a tourist oven, IIRC. I recall being baked there at the start of a tour by a not very good tour guide.

Just verifying that the heat was terrible on our 12:30 Vatican tour. We went thru St. Peter's first, which was comfortable enough in the morning. The very long line to get in was really only about 30 or 40 minutes long. The Vatican tour spent enough time in the courtyard near the beginning that we were all pretty baked as we started indoors. Yes, some rooms had AC, but not to the level that we have in the USA. Honestly, for several of our group, it was really hard.