Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy

It’s not surprising that when the Vatican is mentioned, only one thing comes to mind, and that is St. Peter’s Basilica. The largest church in Christendom in terms of size, its 15,000 sqm. of interior space can accommodate 60,000 visitors (no kidding!), and its huge soaring dome at 136 meters high towers over the skyline. Just for the sake of comparison, the whole Statue of Liberty, including its base and 2 or three jumbo jets, can easily fit inside.

You can appreciate the scale of the Basilica to the size of the crowd standing in front of it.

Home.fit The-middle-corridor-is-fenced-off-and-you-move-around-the-church-in-a-counterclockwise-direction.-700x512 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The middle corridor is fenced off, and you move around the church in a counterclockwise direction.

Home.fit The-view-of-Piazza-San-Pietro-with-the-famous-Bernini-columns-on-the-right-and-chairs-being-laid-out-for-a-special-Mass.-700x477 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Piazza San Pietro’s view with the famous Bernini columns on the right and chairs being laid out for a special Mass.

Home.fit These-cherubs-sculpted-in-solid-marble-sure-are-large-700x465 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — These cherubs sculpted in solid marble sure are large!

Construction of this massive church with a plan based on a Greek Cross started in 1506 and was completed over a hundred years later in 1615. The architects and designers in this undertaking represented the creme de la creme of talent during the Renaissance period: Bramante, Raphael, Giocondo, da Sangallo, Maderno, Bernini, Michelangelo, who designed the massive dome that is the crowning glory of the edifice.

Home.fit The-empty-square-at-midnight.-700x470 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The empty square at midnight.

Home.fit Detail-of-the-golden-arches.-700x465 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Detail of the golden arches.

Home.fit You-get-quite-a-big-crowd-inside-any-time-of-the-day.-700x461 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — You get quite a big crowd inside any time of the day.

Home.fit One-of-the-chapels-cordoned-off-from-visitors.-700x466 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — One of the chapels cordoned off from visitors.

As you enter the tall portals, your head will automatically tilt upwards. It will remain that way all throughout since you can’t help but focus your eyes on the arches and ceiling that contain jaw-dropping artwork, either they be paintings or sculptures! And when you look down, you will likewise be amazed by the intricate marble patterns on the floor. There isn’t a single space inside where your eyes can take a rest from too much beauty to marvel at.

Home.fit Ceiling-detail-above-the-main-altar.-700x1010 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Ceiling detail above the main altar.

Home.fit A-Swiss-Guard-standing-by-one-of-the-entrances.-Michelangelo-designed-their-uniforms.-700x1072 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — A Swiss Guard standing by one of the entrances. Michelangelo designed their uniforms.

Home.fit The-apse-in-all-its-Baroque-glory.-700x465 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The apse in all its Baroque glory.

Home.fit The-funeral-monument-of-Pope-Alexander-VII-by-Bernini.-Note-the-skeleton-underneath-the-fabrics-holding-an-hourglass-telling-you-that-your-time-has-come.-700x465 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The funeral monument of Pope Alexander VII by Bernini. Note the skeleton underneath the fabrics holding an hourglass telling you that your time has come.

The piece de resistance is Michelangelo’s masterpiece – the Pieta is on the right side just after you enter and is always crowded that you have to jostle your way through to get to the front. For a minute, as you gawk intently at it, you don’t feel that it’s all made of marble because the folds of the fabrics, the Virgin’s sorrowful expression, and Christ’s splayed limbs all look too real that you expect them to move at any second.

Home.fit The-inside-of-the-dome-with-gold-tiles-and-riveting-artwork.-700x485 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The inside of the dome with gold tiles and riveting artwork. A Latin is saying that means, “You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church.” Each letter is almost 3 meters tall!

Home.fit The-Pieta-masterpiece.-700x493 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The Pieta masterpiece.

Home.fit Pope-John-Paul-IIs-tomb.-700x474 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Pope John Paul II’s tomb.

Home.fit You-get-an-awesome-view-of-the-piazza-as-well-as-that-of-Rome-from-the-top-of-the-dome-which-you-can-climb-via-a-winding-narrow-staircase.-700x484 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — You get an awesome view of the piazza and that of Rome from the top of the dome, which you can climb via a winding, narrow staircase.

There are several chapels on the sides of the long aisle, one of them for Pope John Paul II, who’s now a saint. His tomb is also there, and many people pray in front of it, attesting to his most recent popularity. There is also a long queue of people in front of a black statue, and you wonder who it is until you recognize him holding the keys with one hand and giving a blessing with the other – he’s St. Peter. It is customary for pilgrims visiting the church to touch or kiss Saint Peter’s feet, particularly the right one, and ask for a blessing so much that it looks flat now after millions upon millions of kisses by the faithful!

Home.fit This-is-the-interior-vestibule-once-you-enter-the-large-doors.-700x486 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — This is the interior vestibule once you enter the large doors.

Home.fit Bronze-statue-of-St.-Peter-holding-the-keys-with-one-hand-and-blessing-the-visitors-with-the-other-hand.-700x991 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Bronze statue of St. Peter holding the keys with one hand and blessing the visitors with the other hand.

Home.fit The-dome-above-the-canopy-and-the-barrel-vaults-radiating-left-and-right.-700x489 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The dome above the canopy and the barrel vaults radiating left and right.

Home.fit This-is-the-28-meter-high-Baldacchino-where-the-pope-says-mass-at-the-main-altar.-700x511 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — This is the 28-meter high Baldacchino where the pope says mass at the main altar.

Once you reach the end of the nave, there before you is a huge canopy in swirling Baroque style held up by huge spiraling columns directly beneath the dome. This is the Baldacchino (pavilion), which is the church’s focal point where only the pope can say Mass and is meant to highlight the main altar. St. Peter’s tomb is located beneath it, and there’s a staircase leading down.

Home.fit Some-Masses-are-held-at-the-chapels-at-intervals.-700x452 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Some Masses are held at the chapels at intervals.

Home.fit Horse-carriages-await-tourists-on-St.-Peters-Square.-700x474 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Horse carriages await tourists on St. Peter’s Square.

Home.fit You-have-to-crane-your-neck-up-very-often-to-see-and-appreciate-the-beauty-of-the-ceiling.-700x1144 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — You have to crane your neck up very often to see and appreciate the beauty of the ceiling.

The apse at the rear of the church is another Baroque creation with gilded cherubs and angels and sculpted clouds and rays of light emanating from a pane of the stained glass window. There is a huge bronze chair in front symbolizing St. Peter’s throne, and the entire setting is meant to radiate a heavenly aura and enrapture the viewer. You can kneel in front of it and pray but try as I might in the three times I’ve been there; I couldn’t concentrate because my mind was terribly busy digesting the whole panoply of design right in front of me.

Home.fit One-of-the-chapels.-700x976 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — One of the chapels.

Home.fit The-dome-up-close-to-the-Basilicas-roof.-700x460 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — The dome up close to the Basilica’s roof.

Home.fit Been-there-done-that-shot.-700x459 Europe Visita Iglesia #7: St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, Italy — Been there, done that shot.

With its exceptional height and beautiful design, the Basilica dome unmistakably marks the skyline of Rome. But even from the inside, it’s a great beauty due to its shiny golden mosaics and illustrations of many holy figures. I decided to climb the 551 steps to the top of the dome, where you end up on an open terrace with 360-degree views. It’s quite tiring, and I was out of breath when I got to the top, but the reward was well worth it because you get an unparalleled view of St. Peter’s Square below as well as a spectacular panorama of the Eternal City.

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About the Author

Al P. Manlangit is a Filipino architect based in Kuwait who loves to travel and take photos everytime he gets the chance to do so. The genres that he explores are landscape, architecture, and street photography which come in handy wherever he goes. He blogs at designerq8.com, focusing on interesting places he visited with short stories to tell behind each frame.

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