Our visit to the Vatican Museums was definitely a challenge to enjoy. Firstly, I have been suffering from spring allergies here and my constant sneezing and sinus headaches lessened my excitement. Walking to the museums from St. Peter’s Square and seeing the massive, snaking line around the building foreshadowed the crowds within. Much of the day resembled herding sheep, and it was nearly impossible to stay with the group. The first galleries I went in were less crowded but required walking down a long hall with no exit except the way you came in, which becomes tiresome in such a large museum. I understand that the building must be organized so that traffic does not pile up, but it became clear early on that the majority of the visitors were solely interested in seeing the famous Sistine Chapel. If the museum had been less crowded, perhaps like the Capitoline Museums, then the use of space would have been much less problematic. Midway through taking the longer route to the Sistine Chapel I regretted my decision, because I was stuck behind large tour groups and families pushing strollers. I was so irritated by these other visitors that by the time I got to the jam-packed Chapel, I could not appreciate it fully. I only spent five minutes or so admiring the walls and ceilings and trying to ignore the disrespectful people around me before I left and had to walk through an equally labyrinthine exit. ‘Uscita’ in the Vatican does not mean the same thing as it does in the Metro, for example. The exit was many hallways, staircases, and gift shops after its first sign. Overall, the Vatican Museums are worth the trouble just for their beautiful artifacts, but their organization and overcrowding require the patience of a saint.
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