Honestly, playing through the Vatican section of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is like being dropped into a 1930s spy thriller where you aren't quite sure who’s actually on your side. You’ve got fascists on every corner, secret keys hidden in literal toilets, and then there’s Gina. Or should I say, Sister Gina. If you’ve been chasing the "A Nun in Trouble" fieldwork mission, you already know it’s one of those quests that feels like a side story but actually holds some of the best character moments—and some of the most annoying missable collectibles—in the whole game.
The Mystery of the Missing Contact
Basically, this isn't just a "rescue the damsel" trope. It’s a messy, high-stakes investigation into what happened to Giuliana, Gina’s contact who was digging into the mystery of the stolen cat mummy. You start this by tracking down Gina in the Sistine Chapel after you’ve already survived the Tower of Nicholas V. She’s sitting there, looking every bit the pious nun, but her mind is strictly on the Blackshirts who took her friend hostage.
You’ve gotta be careful here. If you jump the gun and finish the Fountain of Confession puzzle before talking to her in the chapel, some players have reported the quest just... vanishes. It’s a weird quirk of the game’s logic. The game assumes that once Gina sheds the habit and becomes your full-time partner, she doesn’t need your help "investigating" as a nun anymore. Kinda frustrating if you’re a completionist.
Tracking the Blood and the Bad Guys
The mission really kicks off with a hilarious, slightly awkward confession scene. Indy has to play the part of a priest—not exactly his strongest suit—before he can slip away to find Gina. Once you’re inside the museum proper, the vibe shifts. You’re no longer just wandering; you’re hunting for clues.
You’re looking for five specific items in the stockroom to piece together where they took Giuliana.
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- The Handprint: Look for the bloody smear on the wall near a moved painting. Take a photo.
- The Identification Card: It’s just sitting on the ground, easy to miss if you aren't looking at your feet.
- The Piece of Cloth: Found between the painting and a crate.
- Gina's Note: Tucked away in a box.
- The Gold Ring: This is the big one. It’s sitting in a pool of blood. Picking it up triggers a cutscene where the Blackshirts crash the party.
One thing I noticed? If you have the Blackshirt Disguise from the boxing ring quest, this whole section is a breeze. You can basically walk right past the guards like you own the place. Without it, you’re doing a lot of crouching behind hedges in the Belvedere Courtyard, which is cool for the "stealth" vibe but way more stressful.
Climbing the Borgia Tower
After the museum scuffle, Gina disappears for a second—classic—and you have to find her at the Borgia Tower. This area is under construction, which is basically video game code for "lots of scaffolding to climb and beams to swing from."
The level design here is actually pretty clever. You’ll hit a door that’s blocked from the other side. Don't waste time trying to kick it down. You have to look up, find a beam, and use your whip to swing across to a higher ledge. There’s a hole in the floor further up that lets you drop down behind the barricade.
Inside the interrogation room at the top, things get heavy. You finally find Giuliana. She’s tough, though. Even under pressure, she hasn't talked. Once you clear the room and free her, she hands over a key and some Intel.
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Don't Leave Too Early!
There’s a massive "pro-tip" most people miss. Before you follow Gina out, look for a pickaxe in the corner of that final interrogation room. There’s a brick wall that looks just a little bit too clean. Smash it. Behind it is a secret room that counts toward your Field Notes. If you leave without taking a photo of it, you’re going to be kicking yourself later when you're at 98% completion for the Vatican.
What Most People Get Wrong
There’s a common bug—or maybe it's a design choice—where even after you finish everything, a waypoint icon might stay stuck on the Sistine Chapel. It drives people crazy. If your journal shows 12/12 notes for "A Nun in Trouble," you’re done. Don't waste an hour running around the pews looking for a ghost note.
Also, Giuliana’s key is actually used for a completely different mission called "A Remedy for All." It’s easy to think it opens something in the tower, but its real purpose is back in the main Vatican areas.
How to Make the Most of This Mission
If you want to actually get the most out of this mission, stop treating it like a checklist.
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- Listen to the NPCs: If you hang around the museum or the chapel, you’ll overhear guards talking about the "stubborn woman" they’ve got locked up. It adds so much flavor.
- Check your camera: This mission is a goldmine for Adventure Points (AP). Every clue you photograph adds up, and you’ll need that AP for the better combat skills later in the game.
- The Medicine Bottle: There’s a medicine bottle (#9 for those counting) that only becomes accessible once you get the key at the end of this quest.
Ultimately, "A Nun in Trouble" is the perfect example of why The Great Circle works. It blends that classic Indy humor with a genuine sense of urgency. You isn't just saving a random NPC; you're helping Gina, and in the process, uncovering the web of "Vatican spies" that makes this chapter of the game so memorable.
To wrap this up, make sure you've grabbed the Castello Photograph and the Tower Card notes specifically. Those are the two most common ones people skip because they're tucked in corners while you're focused on the combat. Once Giuliana is free and you've smashed that secret wall, you're officially done with this headache. Next up, you should head back to Father Antonio's office—you'll finally have the pieces needed to tackle the "Secret of the Giants" properly.
Actionable Next Steps:
Check your Adventure Book right now. If you have fewer than 12 notes under "A Nun in Trouble," head back to the Borgia Tower interrogation room. If you're missing the secret room photo, grab the pickaxe and start swinging. Once confirmed, take Giuliana's key to the restricted infirmary area to progress the "A Remedy for All" Discovery quest.