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Vatican Tour 7) - The Vatican State Archives and the Tower of the Winds

We can start talking about the Vatican State Archives only after 1610 when Pope Paul V Borghese established the "Archivum Secretum Vaticanum" to be different from the Apostolic Library, called «Bibliotheca Secreta» since 1471 created by Pope Sixtus IV. Today, the Vatican State Archives are the World largest collection of Religious books, manuscripts and codes. In quality of an Official Vatican Guide, I can have access to only upon request.

Note: although it was not filmed inside, we may see the original sites described in the moovie "Angels and Demons".

The Tower of the Winds was built in 1580 to be mainly used for the astronomical studies for the reform of the Julian Calendar. The hall is named after the Meridian accomplished together with the anemoscope by Ignazio Danti. The Vatican Meridian is a straight line made of white marble on the floor, parallel to the North-South direction, whose aim was to measure the altitude of the Sun at Noon according to the meteorological seasons. The observations carried out thanks to the meridian confirmed the corrections introduced in the Julian Calendar by the Gregorian Calendar.

Costs:

• EUR 250,00 as per our guiding fee. if you like to have this tour in combination with some other areas in the Vatican (Vatican Museums with the Sistine Chapel, etc), EUR 450,00 for 5 hours of private tour. No other people in your party.
• EUR 250,00 for the special permit to see either the Tower of the Winds of the Vatican State Archive from 1 to 5 people; EUR 300,00 from 6 to 10 people; EUR 500,00 from 11 to 25 people max.
• To have the special permit to see both sites (Tower of the Four Winds + Vatican State Archives): EUR 500,00 from 1 to 5 people; EUR 600,00 from 6 to 10 people; EUR 700,00 from 11 to 25 people max.

NOTES:

1. This tour runs only upon request and only from Monday through Friday from 14:00 to 15:00. People may have this special tour only because I am an Official Vatican Tour Guide.
2. 20% VAT to be added.