St. Peter’s Basilica - A Vatican City Must-See When In Rome

St. Peter’s Basilica, otherwise known as Basilica di San Pietro has always been a tremendously popular attraction of tourists to Rome. Visitors to the site can happily pass a day taking in all there is to see there. Of the many popular locations in Vatican City, St. Peter’s ranks high in popularity and number of visits by tourists.

While the lore of the basilica holds that St. Peter’s is the literal burial place for Saint Peter himself, there really is no scientific proof to back that claim up. Truthfully, the actual spot on which St. Peter’s sits is the same location of the original Circus of Nero in the first century.

About 1000 years before St. Peter’s was built, the site was dedicated for a basilica by none other than the Christian Roman Emperor Constantine.

But it was in the 16th century that Pope Leo X got the vision for what St. Peter’s could be. He also knew how to divert funding to the effort by calling on zealous Christians to fund the crusades against the Turks and then quietly moved those funds to the building of this beautiful structure.

But as was the way with any very large and ambitious construction effort of that time, it took many, many years, many architects and many Popes before the job was done in the late 16th century.

Compared to other Roman buildings of that time, St. Peter’s is very tall - standing an impressive 445 feet from the floor of the basilica to the beautiful cross at the top of that world famous dome. That dome is a beloved part of the skyline of Rome and it is a wonder of architecture in every respect. It was designed by probably the most well known Renaissance artist who served as chief architect on the project, Michelangelo. He developed and used a double shell design that he borrowed from a fellow architect of the time, San Gallo.

In 1546 Michelangelo took over as chief architect of St. Peter’s but he was not able to finish the job before his death. One of his students - Giacomo della Porta - was selected to take his master’s vision to completion. That design is so well known and admired that it has been used in many famous structures around the world, including the design of the Capital Building in the city of Washington DC.

That dome was so well designed that two centuries passed before stress cracks were found. To correct the problem, four very large chains of iron were attached inside the dome to the pair of shells. If you were to climb the spiral stairs that are still there between the dome shells, you would still see those chains in place.

That magnificent dome is not all there is to St. Peter’s Basilica. The interior space of the basilica covers six acres and it can accommodate 60,000 worshipers. And there have been several occasions where it was called upon to host that many people. The many Popes who have used St. Peter’s to minister to the church have drawn in such crowds.

The outer facade of St. Peter’s that welcome visitors to the hall is quite large, measuring 377 feet wide and over 148 feet tall.

It is said that over 100 tombs of legendary figures from history are buried inside the halls of St. Peter’s Basilica. One notable example is Sweden’s Queen Christina, who in 1654 gave up her royal post so she could have the freedom to become a Catholic.

There is no question that the most well known and stunning art work inside St. Peter’s is the Pieta by Michelangelo. But we will have to admire it through an insulated glass barrier that was put there after a lunatic tried to destroy the masterpiece with an axe.

From the exterior of the basilica, there are a number of worthwhile historical things to look for.

For example, be on the look out for a number of ancient clocks including one with a bell that dates back to the late 13th century. But an artwork that is hard to miss is a huge Egyptian obelisk on display outside St. Peter’s that dates back to Nero’s Circus where it stood not far away during the same time period.

Look for the two fountains in the square of the basilica. The southern fountain was designed by the famous artist Bernini in 1675. Bernini made several contributions including the phenomenal Triumph of the Chair of Saint Peter which stands in the apse section of the basilica.

Most people who make plans to visit Rome are sure to include several hours to leisurely tour this amazing example of the finest of Renaissance architecture.

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