296 IV. Righi Bank. ROME. e. The Vatican;
B. Antiquities.
Admission, pp. 126,127. Short Catalogue by Ercole Massi, in English,
French, or Italian (274 fr.) may be bought at the entrance (larger edition
out of print).
The Vatican Collection of ANTiauiTiES, the finest in the
world, was begun by the Popes Julius IL, Leo X., Clement VII.,
and Paul III. in the Belvedere, which was rebuilt by Bramante
under Julius IL But only a few of the present masterpieces, such
as the Torso of Hercules, the Apollo Belvedere, and the Laocoon,
date from that period. By far the greater portion of the collection
made by these art-loving popes was scattered by their successors in
the second half of the 16th cent., especially by Pius V., and some
of their treasures were even presented to foreign collections. Cle¬
ment XIV. (Ganganelli, d. 1774) determined to institute a more
extensive collection, in consequence of which the Museo Pio-
Clementino arose under him and his successor Pius VI. This mu¬
seum was arranged by the celebrated E. Q. Visconti. It was de-
spoiled of its costliest treasures by the French in 1797, but most of
these were restored in 1816. Pius VII. added the Museo Chiara-
monti , and in 1821 the Braccio Nuovo ; and Gregory XVI. the
Egyptian and the Etruscan Museum.
The Entbancb is on the W. side of the palace, not far from the
N.W. corner. Approaching from the Borgo, we cross the Piazza
S. Pietro, proceed to the left of the great flight of steps of St. Pe¬
ter's through the passage under the portico, walk round the whole
of St. Peter's (comp. also pian, p. 268), and then, between the
Vatican Gardens (p. 304) and the palace, reach the gate under the
Sala della Biga. (This point may be reached by carriage ; so that
it is not necessary for visitors to alight in the Piazza of St. Peter,
as the drivers sometimes pretend.) We turn to the right at the of¬
fice, and ascend the steps to the left, entering the museum by the
Sala a Croce Greca, described below. (The glass-door opposite the
staircase leads to the Library, p. 310.)
**MuseoPio-Clbmentino. *MusboChiaramonti. *Bbaccio Nuovo.
The **Museo Pio-Clementino, the real nucleus of the Vatican
collection, contains several of the most celebrated antiques. It is
divided into li departments, denoted by Roman numerals.
I. Sala a Croce Greca, constructed by Simonetti, under Pius VI.,
in the form of a Greek cross. On the floor are three ancient mosaics.
By the steps, between the two sphinxes, *Flower-basket from Roma
Vecchia (p. 349). In the centre a shield with a bust of Pallas, sur¬
rounded by a blue girdle on which the phases of the moon and con-
stellations are depicted; found in 1741 in the Villa Ruffinella near
Frascati. The greater portion (the centrai square and the coloured
edges) is antique ; but the external four gegments of the circle are
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