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Rome--Extreme Sistine

I don't know if this is a temporary measure in advance of Holy Year, but crowd control measures at the Vatican Museums now make it impossible to do a beeline to the Sistine Chapel. There are roped-off corridors so that visitors are shunted through many many rooms en route to the chapel. Upstairs, downstairs. Upstairs, downstairs. Eventually the Long March begins reminding one of a brisk hike cross-country. The chapel itself is reached after the visitor passes through the Raphael and Contemporary rooms. The Sistine Chapel is glorious, no more crowded than it ever was, and the benches along the sides make it possible for the weary visitor to sit and drink in the experience. Exiting is fairly straightforward: Long March through a number of gift shops, past snack bars, pizzerias and WCs, down a long long spiral ramp and into the fresh air.
Again, not sure if this is a permanent situation but the visitor whose goal is the Sistine Chapel needs to budget--extra time and extra stamina.

Kathie

Posted by
1108 posts

Thanks, Kathie. I've added your notes to my file--we'll be at the Vatican in late December. It sounds as though being in the SC is more humane, and it's nice to know that there are benches.

Posted by
34355 posts

there have always been benches around the perimeter of the Chapel.

Posted by
34355 posts

well I say always - let's tone that down a bit. There certainly were on my only visit to the Sistine Chapel (many visits to Rome, just one to the Sistine Chapel) which was something like 15 or 20 years ago. Before that I cannot say...

Posted by
16777 posts

They (the benches) were there when I first visited in 1973, and according to some historical photos were there long before that.
(flip through a couple of the pix from 1949)

https://todayspictures.slate.com/20111101/

Editing to add: the difference in crowd and noise levels between my first visit in 1973 and my 2nd 35 years later (husband hadn't been, thus the 2nd) was astonishing and depressing. Couldn't wait to get out of there. Other than maybe very early or very late visiting hours, I can't imagine what it looks like now.

Posted by
4138 posts

Here’s the issue with the benches. I never knew they were around the perimeter of the room because the chapel was so crowded you couldn’t see them. Then in October of 2001 I was in the Sistine chapel again when there were very few visitors just a few weeks after September 11. There were less than 100 people in the whole room and I saw the benches lining the walls for the first time. Now I know they are there if you can make your way to the edge of the room to sit and take in the ceiling a little bit better.

Posted by
33 posts

I went a couple years ago and found bench space on the wall. I listened to the download of RS from his app and it was very enjoyable to follow what he was describing about the ceiling. Yes, the room was crowded, but with Rick in my ear, I didn't mind.

Posted by
111 posts

I only found the benches purely by accident on my last SC tour. Wanted to get as close to the walls as possible and stumbled upon one.