Papal Apartments – is where you start seeing the real splendour of the Vatican Museum.  If you were a Pope in the olden days you could commission Raphael to paint your apartment.  At the age of 25 Raphael was asked to do just that – scrap all the previous work done by some of the most famous artists in Rome and re-decorate the Papal pad. One of the works, which Raphael ended up saving, was by his own teacher and master.  While a Bishop of Wurzburg could afford to have one of his small rooms decorated with painted mirrors the Pope had his paintings done against gold background in all of his rooms.  Painting on gold was in, and mirrors were out so Raphael set to work painting some of the most astonishing paintings you will find in the Vatican except for one room which rules them all.