St Peter's Basilica (Vatican)

Saint Peter's squareis the greatest piazza in Rome. In Roman time it was the place where the Circus of Nero stood, and where in 65was crucified St. Peter. After 250 years he was buried in the point where Costantine built the first Basilicain 326.Notice that up to that epoch Rome was of pagan faith and the bodieswere buried in the catacombs outside the walls of the city, and only after the edict of Milan in 313 Costantine and Licinioallowed the Christians to freely observe their religion and to bury the bodies inside the city boundaries, that's why St. Peter was buried in the homonymous area.

Touring the vatican with a private tour of Rome is an unbelievable experience which makes us proud to lead our customers coming from any part of the world to admire the treasures of Rome. Sightseeing across the frescoes and the architectural landmarks like the Colonnade of Bernini makes breathtaking the experience of studying the history of the smallest country in the world.

St.Peter's Basilica belongs to the Vatican City, the smallest State of the world, and it is independent from February 11 th 1929, date in which was resolved the Roman Question,with the ratification of the Lateran Treaty, between Church and Italian State.
The Vatican (included St. Pietro) was the papal residence only since 1377 (from 1309 to 1377 it was Avignon) and until thenhad been S. Giovanni in Laterano. A succession of 266 men (the last was John Paul II°), many of which beatified.

Visiting today the vatican means to spend at least one hour standing in line bacause the tourism in Rome increases every year of 10% and more and more people would like to visit important buildings like the sistine chapel

The construction of the cathedral went on through obstacles of every kind. During the 77 years of the papacy in Avignon the basilica was abandoned to itselfand its restorationwas impossible. In 1447 Pope Nicolas V° decided to rebuild it submitting the project to Rossellino, but the jobs stopped with the death of the Pope. The jobs of the new Basilica started under Julius II° with Bramante, and they took 176 years to complete .
Michelangelo was already old when the project started in 1546 and at his death, February 18 th 1564, the design of the Basilica had been conceived to Greek cross and it assumed the form of Latin cross (design of the actual Basilica) with Carlo Maderno.
At the death of Michelangelo, only the drum of the dome had been made and the rest of the job was ended by Giacomo Della Porta and Domenico Fontana (1588-1589). The Colonnade is the most beautiful masterpiece of Gianlorenzo Bernini with its 140 statues of saints. The obelisk of St.Peter's square comes from the Circus of Nero andwas set in the square by Sisto V° (1585-1590). Its two fountains are of Maderno (1613) to the right side looking at the façade and of Carlo Fontana (1675) to the left side.
Maderno had built the façade since 1607 to 1614 and his nameis enrolled in the structure. In the portico it is the famous one "mosaic of the Navicella" by Giotto (1300). On the facade there are 5 doors: the Door of the Death of Manzù (1952-1964), the Bronze Door (Filarete), the Holy Door (wherethe Pope kneels every Holy Year in the Christmas day and hits three times the door to enter), the Door of the Good and the Evil and the Door of the Sacraments. To the entry there is a porphiry red disk where Charlemagnewas crowned king in the Christmas day of the year 800 from Pope Leone III°.
The dimensions of the Basilica, engraved in the floor,are impressive: 211,50 meters (including portico), 186,30 meters (without portico),44 meters high and the domeis136 meters high. The Canopy that covers the Major Altar, made by Gianlorenzo Bernini in 1633, is 29 meters high andhas been done with the bronze of the ceiling of the Pantheon under commission of Pope Urbano VIII° Barberini.
Under the Major Altar we can see the grave of St. Peter , but the glorification of that humble fisherman is the stately dome that raises in the sky.

Spending one day of your tours to Rome inside the vatican will enrich your roman experience and understanding of the catholicism: the history of Rome must count 1.300 years of Popes' kingdom at the end of the roman empire and we do not have to forget that today the pope role is the end of an important historical and religious process which started 2000 years ago.

Please note:

  • dress respectfully for visiting religious monuments; local custom requires covering knees and shoulders
  • keep an eye on your wallet and purses at all time. Do not wear jewerly or carry large amount of cash: you need cahs only to buy the admission fees once inside
  • The Vatican Museums (and the Sistine Chapel) are always closed on Sundays (except the last of each month),and also on; January 1st and 6th, February 11th, March 19th, April 1st, May 1st, 9th and 30th, June 29th, August 14th and 15th, November 1st, December 8th, 25th and 26th.