- Vatican Mysteries are mini-quests offering Adventure Points and valuable items.
- Complete Fieldwork side quests first for access to certain mystery areas.
- Ernesto at the Post Office can sell pamphlets revealing mystery locations.
- Safe codes and puzzle solutions are crucial for completing each mystery.
- Collecting all Vatican Relics provides significant collectible bonuses.
Navigating the Vatican's Hidden Secrets
The Vatican in Indiana Jones and The Great Circle is a treasure trove of historical puzzles and hidden lore, presented as "Mysteries." These mini-quests not only enrich the game's narrative but also reward players with Adventure Points, unique items, and critical collectible guides. While some mysteries are encountered during the main story, many require keen observation and specific prerequisites, such as completing certain Fieldwork side quests, to unlock their full potential.
To make your journey smoother, consider visiting Ernesto at the Vatican Post Office. He can sell you pamphlets that reveal the locations of these elusive mysteries, though solving them will still test your wit and archaeological prowess. This guide will walk you through each Vatican mystery, providing clear solutions and detailing the valuable rewards you'll uncover.
Video Highlights:
- Overview of all Vatican Mysteries and their importance.
- Tips for preparing to tackle the mysteries, including fieldwork.
- Locating Ernesto for mystery pamphlets.
- General approach to solving puzzles within the Vatican.
Completing these mysteries is not just about gaining rewards; it's about fully immersing yourself in the rich history and intricate design of the Vatican within the game. Each mystery is a self-contained challenge, often involving a localized puzzle or a search for specific notes that clue you into the next step.
Before diving deep into the Vatican Mysteries, ensure you've progressed sufficiently in the main story and completed relevant Fieldwork side quests. Some mysteries are inaccessible without specific keys or uniforms obtained from these prerequisite missions, such as Juliana's key from the "A Nun in Trouble" fieldwork.
The Bulls of Blood: Castel Sant'Angelo's Secret
This is often the first mystery players encounter, located within the Castel Sant'Angelo. It's partially story-related and involves deciphering clues from notes to reveal a hidden passage. The core puzzle revolves around manipulating paintings to align their imagery.
Locate the Notes
After a courtyard encounter with enemies in Castel Sant'Angelo, find the first mystery note on a table in a room with two sleeping guards and one patrolling guard. Collect the "Red Bulls card" and "Angel Courtyard map" from a nearby table.
Solve the Painting Puzzle
In the same room, observe two hanging frames. The objective is to flip both paintings so that the white bull is at the bottom. This action will reveal a secret doorway.
Claim Your Reward
Enter the newly opened secret doorway to find the final note and complete "The Bulls of Blood" mystery. This rewards you with 100 Adventure Points.
Successfully solving "The Bulls of Blood" unlocks 100 Adventure Points and provides valuable early game lore.
House of God (Lever Puzzle): Belvedere Courtyard
The "House of God" mystery takes you to the upper levels of the Belvedere Courtyard, accessible by climbing construction platforms or using your whip through alleyways. This mystery centers around a large white model of a building and a series of lever manipulations.
Lever Sequence
- Move lever right: Opens left compartment, revealing Medallion.
- Move lever left: Creates an empty slot for the Medallion.
- Insert Medallion: Opens another compartment with Golden Chalice.
- Move lever left again: Final compartment reveals.
Key Items & Rewards
- Relief Medallion: Found in the first compartment.
- Golden Chalice: Found in the second compartment.
- Vatican Relics Guide: Unlocked upon completion, showing all relic locations on the map.
Completing the "House of God" mystery is highly recommended early on, as it provides the Vatican Relics collectible guide, making it infinitely easier to locate other valuable items throughout the Vatican.
A Free Spirit: The Case of the Missing Cat
This heartwarming mystery involves helping Father Bianchi find his lost cat. Located on the east side of the Vatican, near the Tower of Nicholas V, you'll need your camera and a keen eye to photograph several felines.
Cats to Photograph:
- Black and White Cat: Sitting in the garden next to the pharmacy.
- Orange Cat: On the rooftop, southwest of the pharmacy (requires climbing).
- White Cat: Perched atop a chimney, across from the orange cat.
- Black Cat: On the roof, northwest of the white cat, observing construction.
- Final Cat: On the catwalk leading down to the construction site in the garden.
After photographing all five cats, return to the post office where you found the initial note to complete the mystery. This will reward you with 100 Adventure Points.
While photographing all five cats completes the full objective, only one specific cat needs to be photographed to advance the core mystery if you're just aiming for completion. However, finding all five will grant you additional notes.
Father and Son: Borgia Tower's Safe
Accessible only after completing the "A Nun in Trouble" fieldwork (which grants Juliana's key), this mystery is located in a room next to the Borgia Tower. It involves deciphering a safe code using two cryptic notes.
Access the Room
Use Juliana's key to enter the room next to the Borgia Tower. This room often contains a cat and a dog and appears to be a surveillance operation.
Collect the Clues
Locate and grab two essential notes: the Polybius Square Diagram and the Italian Poem. The Italian Poem will have several circled letters.
Decipher the Safe Code
Combine the circled letters from the Italian Poem with the Polybius Square Diagram to form the safe code. The correct code is 5873.
Open the Safe
Input the code 5873 into the safe. Collect all items inside to complete the "Father and Son" mystery.
Remember, access to this mystery is gated by completing the "A Nun in Trouble" fieldwork, which provides Juliana's key. Don't waste time trying to access it without this key.
Signs of Trouble: Gina's Message
This mystery intertwines with Gina's storyline and requires you to retrieve information she has hidden. It begins in the Sistine Chapel and leads to an excavation site.
| Location | Action Required | Key Item/Code | Reward/Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sistine Chapel | Find Gina's note | N/A | Starts "Signs of Trouble" mystery |
| Excavation Site | Locate a safe inside a tent | Safe Code: 1891 | Contact Message, Cash |
| Sistine Chapel | Return to the original note location, deposit message | N/A | Mystery Complete, Adventure Points |
Before heading to the Excavation Site, it's advisable to acquire the Blackshirt disguise to blend in, as it's a restricted area. The Blackshirt uniform can be found after meeting Gina on a balcony near the Sistine Chapel, zipping down, and going under a chain-link fence.
The Excavation Site is a restricted area. Wearing the Blackshirt uniform will significantly ease your infiltration and avoid unnecessary combat.
Secret of Secrets: Sistine Chapel's Enigma
Located in the southwest of the Vatican, within the Sistine Chapel, this mystery involves a safe and a cryptic letter.
| Clue Source | Information | Safe Code Segment |
|---|---|---|
| Nicoletti's Letter | Found on a desk near the safe, hints at the code. | N/A |
| Saint Peter Statue | Bottom of statue reveals symbols. | 44 |
| Saint Paul Statue | Underneath statue reveals symbols. | 71 |
| Planetary Chart | Deciphers symbols into numbers. | N/A |
The full safe code, derived from combining the numbers from the Saint Peter and Saint Paul statues and deciphering them with the Planetary Chart, is 4471. Input this code into the safe to complete the "Secret of Secrets" mystery and retrieve a Hidden Note.
The Planetary Chart is essential for translating the symbols found on the statues into their numerical equivalents. Without it, cracking the safe code will be impossible.
A Snake in the Garden: Catholic Palace Bookshelf
This mystery takes you into the restricted Catholic Palace. After dealing with guards, you'll need to solve a bookshelf puzzle in Ventura's office, where a Dragon statue resides.
Infiltrate the Catholic Palace
Access the Catholic Palace. If you have the Blackshirt uniform, you can walk through the front door. Otherwise, prepare for stealth or combat.
Locate Ventura's Office
Find Ventura's office, identifiable by a Dragon statue. The mystery note is on his desk, describing four books in a bookshelf.
Decipher the Book Order
The note indicates books must be removed alphabetically, but their names are on the back of the note: F (Crown), L (Triangle), Q (Star), P (Wheel). The correct order is 2, 4, 1, 3 (referring to their physical positions from left to right on the shelf).
Pull the Books
Pull the books in the sequence: second from left, fourth from left, first from left, third from left. This will reveal a hidden compartment and complete "A Snake in the Garden" mystery.
| Book Description | Starting Letter | Position (Left to Right) | Pull Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crown | F | 2nd | 1st |
| Triangle | L | 4th | 2nd |
| Star | Q | 1st | 3rd |
| Wheel | P | 3rd | 4th |
Successfully pulling the books in the correct order (2-4-1-3) completes the mystery, revealing hidden items and lore.
A Date to Remember: Museum Wing Garden Safe
The final Vatican mystery, "A Date to Remember," leads you to a restricted area on the north side of the Vatican, specifically within the Museum Wing Garden. This mystery involves finding a locked container inside a Blackshirt tent.
| Objective | Location | Key Item/Code |
|---|---|---|
| Infiltrate | Restricted area, north Vatican | Blackshirt Uniform (recommended) |
| Locate Tent | Museum Wing Garden | N/A |
| Find Safe | Inside a Blackshirt tent | Safe Code: 6380 |
| Collect Notes | Inside the safe | Medicine Collectible Book |
You'll need the Blackshirt uniform for easier access to this highly guarded area. Once inside the tent, locate the safe and input the code 6380. This will complete the mystery and grant you a valuable Medicine Collectible Book.
While the Blackshirt uniform simplifies infiltration, skilled players can attempt to sneak through or engage guards in combat to reach the tent and solve this mystery.
Vatican Mysteries Rewards Summary
Completing each Vatican Mystery offers a range of rewards, from Adventure Points to crucial collectible guides and lore. These rewards are vital for character progression and achieving the "When In Rome" achievement.
| Mystery Title | Area | Mystery Notes | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bulls of Blood | Castel Sant'Angelo | 4 | 100 Adventure Points |
| House of God | Belvedere Courtyard | 1 | Vatican Relics Guide, 100 Adventure Points |
| A Free Spirit | Tower of Nicholas V | 5 | 100 Adventure Points |
| Father and Son | Borgia Tower | 2 | Adventure Book, 100 Adventure Points |
| Signs of Trouble | Sistine Chapel/Excavation Site | 2 | 100 Adventure Points |
| Secret of Secrets | Sistine Chapel | 2 | Hidden Note, 100 Adventure Points |
| A Snake in the Garden | Catholic Palace | 2 | 100 Adventure Points, Medicine Bottle |
| A Date to Remember | Museum Wing Garden | 2 | Medicine Collectible Book, 100 Adventure Points |
Solving all the Vatican Mysteries will unlock the prestigious "When In Rome" achievement, a testament to your investigative skills and dedication in Indiana Jones and The Great Circle.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vatican Mysteries
Q: How many Vatican Mysteries are there in Indiana Jones and The Great Circle?
There are a total of eight Vatican Mysteries to solve in Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, each offering unique puzzles and rewards.
Q: Do I need to complete Fieldwork side quests before attempting Vatican Mysteries?
Yes, some Vatican Mysteries, like 'Father and Son,' require specific keys or access gained only after completing certain Fieldwork side quests, such as 'A Nun in Trouble.' It's advisable to complete fieldwork first.
Q: Can I buy hints for the Indiana Jones and The Great Circle Vatican Mysteries?
You can purchase pamphlets from Ernesto at the Vatican Post Office that will reveal the locations of the mysteries, but he won't provide the solutions themselves.
Q: What is the primary reward for solving all Vatican Mysteries?
Besides Adventure Points and various in-game items, completing all the Vatican Mysteries in Indiana Jones and The Great Circle unlocks the 'When In Rome' achievement, a significant milestone for completionists.