Cortile del Belvedere Rome

The Cortile del Belvedere is one of the most important architectural works of the High Renaissance and one of the sights in Rome. The Belvedere Courtyard in the Vatican Palace in Rome was designed by Donato Bramante and offers a wonderful view of the old St. Peter’s Basilica. It can be visited together with the Vatican Museums.

Cortile del Belvedere – View of the old St. Peter’s Basilica

The design of the Cortile del Belvedere comes from Donato Bramante. The implementation was a complex architectural project. It began with the construction of the Villa Belvedere on the hill with a view of the old St. Peter’s Basilica around 1484. The concept for the design of the inner courtyard was carried out from 1505 by Donato Bramante.

The long courtyard of the Belvedere was designed as a single closed space. He connected the Vatican Palace to the Villa Belvedere in a series of terraces connected by stairs. There were also narrow wings on its sides.

At the end of the 16th century, the courtyard was changed by a building and divided into two separate courtyards. Donato Bramante did not see the completion himself. Today, the spacious terraces and wide, elegantly curved outside staircases as well as the monumental baroque architecture are fascinating for all visitors.

In addition to the Belvedere courtyard, the Vatican courtyards include two other courtyards: the “Cortile della Pigna”, which owes its name to a four-meter-high bronze pine cone, and the library courtyard “Cortile della Biblioteca”.

Address

Vatican City, 00120 Città del Vaticano RM, Italy

Opening hours

Monday to Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Entry

The visit is possible in conjunction with a visit to the Vatican Museums.

Tickets & tours to Cortile del Belvedere