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Watch the Pope's Midday Address at St Peter's Basilica, Vatican City
Published by Amanda Wenek, Writer
Country: Italy 
The Experience
Walking through the Vatican City, I anticipated my first up-close-and-personal view of St Peter's Basilica. Would it be just another church among the many churches in the world? As I approached St. Peter's Basilica, with my eyes drawn upwards, I was left absolutely breathless. It was love at first sight.
Rome is known as the "monumental city," and after spending a few days there I can say with certainty that this is true. However, many of these monuments were commissioned solely for posterity; for an Emperor or Pope to outdo the one before him. This takes away from the history and the intrigue of these monuments, but St Peter's Basilica manages to step outside of this shadow and stand apart from them.
St Peter's Basilica is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites, and has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world; holding 60,000 people. With impressively high ceilings that stretch out in front of you for as far as the eye can see, the interior of St Peter's Basilica will immediately envelope you. Everywhere you look there is shiny white and pink marble, and subtle details carved into every nook and cranny. Time is abandoned wandering around St Peter's Basilica as you trace the path of luxurious gold and intricately designed ceilings throughout, trying to get a closer look at the luminous marble, eating up every bit of the facade.
St. Peter's Basilica is the burial site of its namesake, Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. With over a hundred tombs within St Peter's Basilica it can be fairly intense knowing that so many powerful religious heads lay within the walls and underneath the floors. Even in such a large space, it is impossible to ignore the masses of tourists. The shutter happy travelers seemed to flock endlessly to tombs holding the beatified remains of two former Popes.
You could spend countless hours walking around St Peter's Basilica imagining all those who had roamed here before, the depths of religion or the mysterious secrets the walls must hold. One thing for certain, its beauty will leave you aghast. It's a very obvious beauty, as most Roman monuments are. Graced by the masterful hands of artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo and Bramante, St Peter's Basilica is the portrait of dizzying historical triumph.
Rome is known as the "monumental city," and after spending a few days there I can say with certainty that this is true. However, many of these monuments were commissioned solely for posterity; for an Emperor or Pope to outdo the one before him. This takes away from the history and the intrigue of these monuments, but St Peter's Basilica manages to step outside of this shadow and stand apart from them.
St Peter's Basilica is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites, and has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world; holding 60,000 people. With impressively high ceilings that stretch out in front of you for as far as the eye can see, the interior of St Peter's Basilica will immediately envelope you. Everywhere you look there is shiny white and pink marble, and subtle details carved into every nook and cranny. Time is abandoned wandering around St Peter's Basilica as you trace the path of luxurious gold and intricately designed ceilings throughout, trying to get a closer look at the luminous marble, eating up every bit of the facade.
St. Peter's Basilica is the burial site of its namesake, Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. With over a hundred tombs within St Peter's Basilica it can be fairly intense knowing that so many powerful religious heads lay within the walls and underneath the floors. Even in such a large space, it is impossible to ignore the masses of tourists. The shutter happy travelers seemed to flock endlessly to tombs holding the beatified remains of two former Popes.
You could spend countless hours walking around St Peter's Basilica imagining all those who had roamed here before, the depths of religion or the mysterious secrets the walls must hold. One thing for certain, its beauty will leave you aghast. It's a very obvious beauty, as most Roman monuments are. Graced by the masterful hands of artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo and Bramante, St Peter's Basilica is the portrait of dizzying historical triumph.
When to Go to St Peters Basilica
Rome has a Mediterranean climate, so they don't really experience a very cold winter, which means that the tourist season is without end. A good time to see St Peter's Basilica in all it's glory is in the spring or fall. By avoiding the summer months you miss the peak tourist season and ensure some face time with the Pope, not a TV screen.
There are many people that approach you while you are waiting in line and offer you ridiculously high-priced guided tours for the Vatican Museum and St Peter's Basilica. They tell you that you can skip the line if you take the tour, which seems like a good deal when you take a look at how long the line is, but the line up moves really quickly. I was about as far back as you could possibly be, and I was inside in about 20 minutes. So make your decision about the guided tour based on whether you really it and not how quickly you want to get inside.
Odds n' Ends
Since St Peter's Basilica is a Catholic Church, there are clothing requirements that must be met. Most of the churches in Italy also have the same regulations. Women must have their knees and shoulders covered, and must not show any cleavage. Men must wear pants, and also have their shoulders covered.
St Peter's Basilica also offers a Scavi Tour (St Peter's Tomb), which takes you down through the excavations of the Necropolis. Approximately 200 people are permitted each day, so be sure to contact the Excavations office to book well in advance.
For an elevated view of St Peter's Basilica you can climb the Cupola to the top of the dome. Some 320 steps make this quite a hike, so for those who aren't into tight squeezes and stairs, you can also opt for the elevator.
St Peter's Basilica also offers a Scavi Tour (St Peter's Tomb), which takes you down through the excavations of the Necropolis. Approximately 200 people are permitted each day, so be sure to contact the Excavations office to book well in advance.
For an elevated view of St Peter's Basilica you can climb the Cupola to the top of the dome. Some 320 steps make this quite a hike, so for those who aren't into tight squeezes and stairs, you can also opt for the elevator.
Places to Stay Nearby
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The L'Angolo di San Pietro is located in the centre of Vatican City and Church of Saint Gregory VII and St. Peter's Basilica are within ... 0 miles away
The bed and breakfast "Al Ponte del Papa" is situated in thecentre of Rome just a short stroll away from St. Peter’s square in the ... 0 miles away
$38 EUR+
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Skip the Line: Vatican Museums Walking Tour including Sistine Chapel, Raphael's Rooms and St Peter's
Your knowledgeable guide will escort you into the Vatican Museums to explore the world's most extensive collection of art. Brilliantly decorated and lined with masterpieces, ...
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Media References
- Basilica di San Pietro - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
- 36 Hours in Rome - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
- Vatican Takes Steps to Control Overcrowding - NYTimes.com (newspaper)
- St Peter's Basilica, Italy - NationalGeographic.com (magazine)
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