Enjoy skip-the-line entry to what is arguably the most important and largest art collection in the world. For over five hundred years, Popes commissioned works of art from the most talented painters and sculptors to enjoy at the Vatican amongst an elite circle of clerics, nobles, and scholars. Each new Pope sought to leave a legacy greater than the last, commissioning chapels, frescoes, and sculptures until the Collection grew to more than 70,000 works of art.Walk in the footsteps of Popes and Renaissance Masters as you take in the Rooms of Raphael and of course the Sistine Chapel from its commissioning to the finishing touches by none other than Michelangelo Buonarroti. With an expert guide, learn to discern between myth, fact, and popular Hollywood fiction regarding this epic work of art.Gain fast-track access to St. Peter's Basilica to view masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Bernini among others before descending to the Papal crypts below.  We conclude on the portico with an overview of Bernini’s magnificent piazza (St. Peter’s Square), the central obelisk, and of course the Swiss Guard.