The Vatican Museums have opened two new rooms. One enables visitors to see what a 17th century pharmacy was like.
The design of the room is based on the so-called Spezieria of St. Cecilia in Trastevere, run by Benedictine nuns. It operated for more than 3 centuries until 1936.
LUCA PESANTE
Vatican Museums
It is first and foremost a private pharmacy, so it was a pharmacy for the monastery's use. About 60 nuns lived there, but around the monastery itself there were hundreds of people who worked and lived in the rooms owned by the nuns and who, above all, made Santa Cecilia one of the most important productive and mercantile centers in the city of Rome.
Some of the drawers still hold the plants they used to use to make medicine. Moreoever, there are other objects of great antiquity, such as this 17th century scale made of wood with the image of St. Cecilia.
These pots made in the maiolica style are one of the most important treasures of this exhibition as they have been preserved perfectly.
The other room now open in the museum is the Ceramics room. Here visitors can admire the pavement designed by Raphael for some of the rooms in the Vatican or other unique works such as the 34 plates from the Carpegna Collection.
These two rooms are located just outside the Sistine Chapel and reservations are required to access them.
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