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We stopped for a really good pizza and cappuccino outside the Vatican museum before walking to San Pietro’s Basilica (St. Peter’s Basilica). As you enter the Piazza San Pietro it’s easy to imagine how it must be when thousands and thousands of worshipper’s gather to hear one of the Pope’s sermons, which he delivers from a balcony above. After a(nother) security check, we entered the church. It is really amazing - the altars, the ceiling, the stained glass windows – and it is enormous!
We walked around for quite a while before getting on a very, very long line to make the climb to the top of the Basilica. It turned out that there was one very slow ticket man for hundreds and hundreds of people on line – in addition to one elevator that took about 10 people at a time up to the first level. After taking the elevator up the equivalent of 230 steps, we now had to climb 320 steps. The stairs were very narrow (claustrophobic!) and many portions wound around and around like in a lighthouse. Before the last part of the climb we reached a walkway around the top of the dome that was inside the church. It was pretty cool to look down on the people in the church who looked like ants! Fortunately we had a nice clear day and our reward for the long, hard climb was a spectacular view of Rome. The climb is a must do!
Seeing the Pope: The easiest way to get tickets just days before the Wednesday General Audience with the Holy Father is to go to St. Peter's Square, find the Bronze Doors to the Apostolic Palace, and request them from the Swiss Guards.
On Sundays at noon, the pope usually (if he's in town) appears at the second window from the right of the Apostolic Palace, to pray the Angelus and bless the crowd in the Square. Benedict XVI has continued this tradition, no ticket required.
Hours:
Basilica (including the sacristy and treasury): Oct-Mar daily 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; Apr-Sept daily 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m..
Grottoes: Oct-March daily 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Apr-Sep daily 7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Dome Oct-Mar daily 8am-4:45pm; Apr-Sept daily 8am-6pm
Cost:
Basilica (including grottoes) is free.
Stairs to the dome €4; elevator to the dome €5.
Treasury 4 €.
Dress code: No bare shoulders or knees (for both men and women).
Photography: Permitted throughout (except in special necropolis tour).
All visitor information is correct as of this writing. Leave a Comment
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 The Swiss Guards at the
entrance to the scavi. by Lacristina
Why is it important? For one thing, it shows that the reason the original church was built at that spot (by Constantine, first Christian Emperor, in the 4th C), was because the original tomb of St. Peter was (most likely) located there. The current altar (directly beneath Bernini's baldochino and Michelangelo's dome), is directly above the marble box Constantine built over the original 1st century altar.
Constantine must have thought it important to build the church there, because there probably couldn't have been a worse choice for a building site - on a hill, over an existing cemetery. Burying the necropolis was undoubtedly seen as sacrilegious. He must have paid a fortune to the relatives to destroy the tombs found on the upper part of the hill, and bury the tombs on the lower half. This was done to flatten the hill creating a plane on which to build the church.
The underground (primarily pagan) necropolis is absolutely fascinating in its own right . There is a touching inscription written by a man about his brother, who died in his 30s. ("He never quarreled and had a joke for everyone.") The sad, carved portraits of a man and his wife on a tiny sarcophagus holding their child. Even something wonderfully funny - you know how when you run out of room on a piece of paper, your writing get smaller and smaller, to make it all fit? Well, you'll see the same thing, only it's an inscription in stone! And you'll see the original foundations of the dome designed by Michelangelo.
I used to recommend that you email at least 3 weeks ahead of time. Now, it is more like 3 months!
You might be able to get a last minute reservation if someone has canceled. I once begged the director in person, and he relented and gave me a reservation a few days later.
Leave enough time to get through potentially long security lines at St. Peter's. Also, there are no bathroom facilities at the tour office or on the tour. Leave a Comment Address: Vatican - St. Peter'sPhone: +39/06/6988-5318Directions: As you face the church, approach the Swiss Guards on the left at the Holy Office Gate. They'll point out the way.Website: http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/institutions_connected/uffscavi/documents/rc_ic_uffscavi_doc_gen-information_20040112_en.html
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 The Altar of the Lie by Lacristina
Surprise! It’s not a painting at all. It’s a MOSAIC!
You’ll swear it can’t be. You’ve gotten up close. You think you would have noticed. You’ll go back and look at it after you’ve read this, and you’ll still swear it’s a painting.
But it’s true. If you catch the light at just the right angle, you’ll see the tiny tesserae.
In fact, every “painting” you see in St. Peter's, save one, is a mosaic.
(The only oil, by Pietro da Cortona, is in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, reserved for “only those who wish to pray may enter.” But perhaps you should pray, as you will see also the incredible gilded bronze tabernacle of Bernini, built after the famous Tempietto of Bramante. You can find the original life-sized Bramante Tempietto in Trastevere.)
This particular mosaic is on the left aisle, closest to the transcept. It is called the “Altar of the Lie” for the scene it depicts from Acts 5:1-11, a copy of a painting by Cristoforo Roncalli, known as Pomarancio (the original painting now hangs in Santa Maria degli Angeli, the Michelangelo-designed church made from part of the Diocletian Baths – found near the train station.)
The story involves Ananias and his wife Sapphira who sold a piece of property. It was traditional and expected among early Christians not to own any property but to give it to the church community. But Ananias lied to St. Peter about how much he received for the property, in order to keep some for himself, and was struck dead. You can see some men burying him in a vignette on the top right of the painting. Later, his wife (who was in on the scam) came and told the same story to St. Peter (not knowing what had happened to her husband) and she was struck dead, too. Leave a Comment Address: The VaticanDirections: Across the Tevere river from the historic center of Rome
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 St Peter's by fishandchips
If you go down to the Vatican grottoes you can see the tombs of the popes plus, behind a wall of glass, is what's assumed to be the tomb of St. Peter himself. To go even farther down, to the necropolis vaticana, the area around St. Peter's tomb, you must apply in advance at the Ufficio Scavi (tel. 06-69885318). For 10euros , you'll get a guided tour of the tombs that were excavated in the 1940s, about 7 metres beneath the church floor.
St Peter's is prided (one of the 7 deadly sins?) as being the biggest church in the world. The floor is marked with how big some of the other more notable churches around the world compare to St Peter's incl St Paul's (London) & Notre Dame (Paris) which both fall well short of the massiveness of St Peter's.
Be warned - you cannot enter here wearing shorts or a short skirt. The guards also usually require upper arms to be covered. No matter how hot it is outside this strict dress code is always enforced. Leave a Comment
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This is not a must but highly recommended. There are two ways to get there. One is to take the elevator for which you have to pay EUR7. If you want to do a bit of exercise and benefit not just your body but your wallet as well, take the stairs and you will only have to pay EUR4. But this climb only takes you there halfway – that means you will only get a good close up view of the copula and its interior with its magnificent mosaic. To get to the top of the copula, you will have to climb the stairs with 320 steps. This is actually not a hard thing to do but it’s good to know a few things before you do it.
Climbing the top may not be a good idea if you are claustrophobic. But if you really want to, try it first. The entrance leading to the stairs is located on your right after the exit door. Go inside a little further until you see the narrow stairway. That is pretty much how it will be on your way up (check out the pictures) and there will be some small windows along the way.
If you’re not fit or if you’re not feeling well, think twice. Actually there is a warning sign at the entrance.
And lastly, it’s a good idea if you had your breakfast or at least you’re not hungry before you think of climbing the top. Like me, I skipped breakfast so we could get to the Vatican early. Naturally I was hungry. It was only when I was midway inside the dome that I felt the difficulty. But there was no turning back and I just have to continue.
Just remember, the way up there is a one-way traffic. I don’t know if it’s possible at all but if you decide to turn back, it will be really difficult especially if there are other visitors behind you. But should you ever do it, you will never regret it. The reward is worth it. Leave a Comment Address: St. Peter's Basilica. Ottaviano, Line A (metro)
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 Vatican by night from Castel
Sant 'Angelo by icunme
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 The Pietà by tere1
The Pieta, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the body of her son Jesus Christ after his death, has been created in many different forms by various painters and sculptors. Of all the great paintings and sculptures on the Pieta, however, the one by Michelangelo stands out from all the rest.
Prior to sculpting the Pieta, Michelangelo was relatively unknown to the world as an artist. He was only in his early twenties when he was commissioned in 1498 to do a life-size sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding her son in her arms. It would be the first of four that he would create and the only one he completely finished. It was to be unveiled in St. Peter's Basilica for the Jubilee of 1500.
In less than two years Michelangelo carved from a single slab of marble, one of the most magnificent sculptures ever created. His interpretation of the Pieta was far different than ones previously created by other artists. Michelangelo decided to create a youthful, serene and celestial Virgin Mary instead of a broken hearted and somewhat older woman.
And he created the most beautiful and touching sculpture I have ever seen! Leave a Comment Address: St. Peter's Basilic, Piazza San Pietro
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Everybody want to see the St. Peters while in Rome. And you really MUST see this! But it is a big difference in seeing the St.Perets and "feeling" the St. Peters. Go there before 8 AM (it opens at 7 AM), enter the bassilica while the morning sun is lightening up the altar, and you will feel it. If you don`t get the feeling then, wait there until a morning mass starts (between 8AM and 9AM), and you will. At this time you are almost alone in the bassilica. You can move around as you want and there are no guards telling you to move on, or to go in a spesific direction. One hour later the whole Church seems transformed into a big over crowded museum. The mystic feeling of the place is blown away by huge crowds og ppl., guides with sticks in the air trying to get their groups attention, trucks moving about on the floor moving materials around for some preperations. If you feel you havent seen enough in the 1-2 hours you have in the bassilica almost alone, its better to come back early the next day for the rest.
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A visit to San Pietro is always a great moment of cultural, spiritual and artistical life (you may line up my words in a different way).
So much has been written about the head basilica of Christianity that I don't see what to add to the many comments. Therefore I just made a travelogue.
Oh yes, I liked the modern floor cleaning machine.
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Okey, there are so much to tell about the St Peter’s church and the St Peter’s piazza that it’s not possible in just one quick note here… You’ll have to go there, and discover it yourself.
The St Peter’s Church was begun to be built 1506. 120 years, and 8 architects, later it was finally done, and also changed many times.
The church is huge… So huge, and for those of you who have been reading other of my pages it can’t come as a surprise that I got lost in there, too…
Actually it’s 187 meters long inside, with a height of 132 meter from the floor up to the cupola. And there are so many things to see inside there, so it’s impossible to stay just for a short while.
Remember that security is quite hard, specially after the 11th September, and you can’t bring any bags at all inside. You’ll have to leave it outside at a place where it’s guarded. You’ll also get searched by guards, and don’t even think about going inside there with shorts or short skirts. Not a very good idea to go there on a very hot summer day in other words…
There are so many things to see inside, as the cupola painted by Michelangelo, the bronze-statue of St Peter, where the toes on one of his feet is gone, kissed too many times by pilgrims.
There is also a very famous sculpture by Michelangelo, directly to the right when you enter, of Maria and the body of Jesus.
There is also the possibility, if you’re more clever than I am, to get up on the cupola, and from there watch all the way over Rome and the Vatican City.
If you are as “stupid” as I am, you instead finds the museum inside the church, thinks it’s the official Vatican Museum, pays 8-10 euro to enter, and then get disappointed when it’s all over after just 30-40 minutes… Leave a Comment
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