Musei Vaticani / The Vatican Museums

Access preferences

Accessible Website (Digital access)

The Vatican Museums website has been designed and realised with a view to making content accessible to the greatest possible number of users, especially those with particular types of disability.
To this end, we have sought to respect as far as possible the guidelines and recommendations in terms of accessibility and usability provided by the World Wide Web Consortium W3C, as part of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Clothing (General)

Entry to the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Gardens is permitted only to appropriately dressed visitors.
Sleeveless and / or low-cut garments, shorts above the knee, miniskirts and hats are not permitted. The requirement of decorum extends also to any visible personal objects as well as similarly visible distinctive personal signs (such as, for example, tattoos) that may offend Catholic morality, the Catholic religion and common decency.

Getting there (Getting there)

Metro
, Bus, Taxi instructions

Italian and American Sign Language (LIS, ASL) (Sign language)

In order to overcome any barrier or discrimination in the enjoyment of the artistic and cultural heritage accessible to visitors, the Vatican Museums have for some time opened their doors to deaf and hard of hearing visitors, offering a free service of guided tours in Italian Sign Language (LIS). An innovative video guide in American Sign Language (ASL), supplements and completes the options offered by the Vatican Museums for deaf or hard of hearing visitors.

Mission Statement from the Pope (Mission Statement)

Museums open to all
"If the Pope has museums, it is precisely for this reason! Because art can be an extraordinary vehicle for announcing to men and women all over the world, with simplicity, the good news of God Who made Himself man for us, because He loves us! And this is beautiful!" From Papa Francesco. La mia idea di arte, edited by Tiziana Lupi, Edizioni Musei Vaticani – Mondadori, Vatican City – Milan 2015, pp. 9-11.

Pets and guide dogs (Animals)

Access to the Vatican Museums, as well as to the Museum Complex of Castel Gandolfo, is not permitted to animals, even small ones, with the exception of guide dogs for the blind or partially-sighted, provided they are equipped with a muzzle and lead, and animals for the certified purpose of pet therapy. 
To enable reception and entry in these cases, communication of the visit must be submitted at least one day in advance by email at: accoglienza.musei@scv.va.

Seating (Complementary Offer)

Relaxation areas with seats are located along the museum itinerary to enable the visitor to take a break and to rest (Courtyard of the Cuirasses, Courtyard of the Pinacoteca, Square Garden, Courtyard of the Pinecone).

Touch Tours and Braille (Tactile Experiences)

For easier and more extensive access to their artistic patrimony, the Vatican Museums offer blind and partially sighted visitors a free service of tactile and multi-sensory tours. They are offered the opportunity to explore casts and a broad selection of sculptures and original works exposed in the Pinacoteca of the Vatican, the Gregoriano Profano Museum, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum and the Ethnological Museum, as well as the Vatican Gardens.
The intention is to enable also the blind and partially sighted to get to know, ichnographically, some of the masterpieces of the Vatican collections with the aid of thermoformed panels and prospective bas-reliefs, produced for the purpose with captions in Braille and/or in large characters.

Wheelchairs (Getting around inside the museum)

For visitors with mobility problems, the Vatican Museums offer free wheelchair hire from the cloakroom (subject to availability). 
To hire a wheelchair, it is necessary to present a valid identity document and deposit.

The Museums are accessible also to visitors on mobility scooters and with electric wheelchairs. However, due to space limitations, access or use are not permitted in some museum areas.
In this case, the visitor will be invited to transfer to a traditional wheelchair, which may be hired free of charge in the entrance hall.