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Musei Vaticani in Rome Italy

At first, it seems ironic that the world's smallest country should contain the world's largest museum. But consider the extravagance of the Catholic Church over the centuries and the volumes of priceless art commissioned by its many popes, and the mile upon mile of priceless collections, from ancient Etruscan statuary to Picasso Paintings, crammed into 1,400 rooms will perhaps come as less of a surprise.

Where to start? To help control the flow of visitors the Vatican has devised four colour-coded one-way paths through the collections, varying in length from 90 minutes to 5 hours. All pass through the Sistine Chapel (route A most directly)

Museo Pio-Clementino - This museum boasts a staggering collection of ancient Greek and Roman art and antiques, salvaged during the 16th century from ancient monuments ruthlessly dismantled to make way for Renaissance Rome. It includes the elegant Apollo Belvedere torso which so influenced Michelangelo and, most celebrated of all, the remarkable first-century BC. Laocoon group, uncovered in 1506 on the Esquiline Hill, depicting the Trojan priest and his two sons fighting off snakes sent by Athena to kill them.

Pinacoteca Vaticana - The fifteen-roomed Picture Gallery sometimes get short shrift, situated near the exit and full of weary visitors. This is a shame, as it contains a remarkable collection of canvases spanning ten centuries. Among the most important exhibits are works by Giotto, Fra Angelico, Lippi, Bellini's Pieta, Leonardo da Vinci's unfinished St Jerome in somber sepia tones, Raphael's Coronation of the Virgin (one of his first works) and Transfiguration (his last great work), Veronese's moving Sant'Elena, Caravaggio's dramatic Descent from the Cross and Melozzo da Forli's ethereal frescoes of Musician Angels.

Stanze di Raffaelo - During the Renaissance, parts of the museums were decorated with sumptuous frescoes, including the four Raphael Rooms containing the young artist's greatest works in Rome, commissioned by Pope Julius II.

Raphael's most noteworthy frescoes, in the Sala della Segnatura (1509-11), show the epitome of his classical style full of rich colours and with clever use of light and space, particularly apparent in the Dispute over the holy Sacrament and the acclaimed School of Athens fresco opposite, portraying ancient characters with the features of contemporary heroes - bearded Plato in the centre is Leonardo da Vinci, pensive Heraclites on the steps is Michelangelo, and to his right is Bramante, dressed as Euclid. Those in the Stanza d'Elidoro (1512-13), show the artist's development from High Renaissance art in The Miracle of Bolseno (over the window to the left) to a more powerful and realistic style in The Liberation of St Peter, where Julius II is portrayed as the saint himself - some of the finest artworks in the museum.

Capella Sistina - Nothing can prepare you or the visual impact of the recently - restored Sistine Chapel, one of the most visited sights in Rome, attracting over 20,000 visitors daily. On the ceiling of the chapel, Michelangelo (totally new to fresco techniques!) labored painstakingly for four years (1508-12) to create what is today considered the greatest painting ever produced.

It is an astonishingly elaborate work based on Old Testament scenes from the Creation to the Salvation Of Noah, none more famous than the Creation of Adam in the centre, with the celebrated outstretched fingers. Michelangelo began his oeuvre near the entrance and ended it over the altar. Benches are provided for viewing the ceiling from different perspectives. Remember to take binoculars and see whether you can spot the point (somewhere about midway where experts agree that the great sculptor became more assured with his new painting techniques, and started to produce bolder, more heroic and expressive figures. Around the walls, other great masters of the Renaissance including Botticelli, Signorelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino have added various biblical scenes.

Michelangelo also painted the brilliant lapis-blue Last Judgement fresco on the altar wall, 23 years after finishing the ceiling. Demonstrating his belief that suffering is a vital stage in the search for faith in God, it depicts the souls of the dead rising up to face the wrath of Jesus, with the good promoted to heaven, and the damned cast into the abyss of hell. This harrowing subject, rarely used as an altar backdrop, was chosen by the Pope as a warning to Catholics to heed their faith despite the turmoil of the Reformation. Michelangelo's self - portrait can be spotted on the flayed skin held by the martyr St Bartholomew at Christ's feet.

Also to see. If you have time try to fit in three other museums: the Egyptian Collection, the Etruscan Collection and the Gregoriano Profano Museum, which includes the Athlete mosaics from the Baths of Caracalla.

As you go around, make sure you view the Vatican Gardens through the windows, covering over a third of the Vatican's acreage with their woodland, fountains, Vatican Radio studios, railway station and even a cabbage patch, essential fare for today's Polish Pope. Garden tours require advance reservation through the Tourist Information Office, tel: 06 69884466.

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