Let's hit the grisliest sight
at the museum first...

 ...A real mummy in the wing devoted to ancient Egypt!

It's nice to stretch your legs at
the end of a long millennium.

The mummy (and other items) are from between 3,000 and 600 BC.

This museum wing is called
the "Museo Egiziano."

The Museo Egiziano was founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1839.

1:06 pm

This dude is so easy to beat
at "rock, paper, scissors."

You should see the size
of his litter box.

I never got tired of doing this.

1:18 pm

The Pine Cone Courtyard...

...so named because of this giant bronze pine cone fountain

"Sphere Within A Sphere"
by Arnaldo Pomodoro

The courtyard is officially called the "Cortile della Pigna."

The pine cone fountain was originally found in the baths of Agrippa.  During the Middle Ages it was located in the
hall of St. Peter's basilica.

Me, I prefer the vodka fountain.

"Perseus with the Head of Medusa"
by Antonio Canova

Coming in from the courtyard you
pass under this glorious ceiling.

The corridor leads to the
Museo Pio-Clementino,
housing the world's largest collection of classical statues.

The "Belvedere Torso" dates
back to the 1400's.

It is believed by many to be a representation of Hercules.

the ancient Roman "O" face?

Dana in front of
"Adoration of the Shepherds"

a wider shot of the tapestry

the liner notes

the details of the tapestry
in the previous photo

For my money, this is the
most amazing ceiling in the
Vatican Museums apart
from the Sistine Chapel.

Dana in the Gallery of Maps

Every inch of the map gallery's
barrel vault ceiling is covered
with dazzling frescos.

The walls here are covered
with these maps.  Each region
of Italy is depicted
with extraordinary precision.

a close-up of part of the
ceiling in this gallery

another shot of the ceiling in the "Galleria delle Carte Geografiche"

There's Italy as a whole
depicted in a map.

This text describes
the painting prior.

the paintings inside the dome in the ceiling of the Gallery of Maps