St Peter’s

 C4 ⌂ Piazza San Pietro § 06-6988 3712 (Sacristy); 06-988 1662 (tourist info) @ 23, 49, 70, 180, 492 q Ottaviano San Pietro # Basilica: 7am–7pm daily Apr–Sep (to 6:30pm mid-Oct–Mar); Treasury: 8am–7:30pm daily Apr–Sep (to 6:15pm Oct–Mar); Grottoes: 8am–6pm daily Apr–Sep (to 5:30pm Oct–Mar); Dome: 8am–6pm daily Apr–Sep (to 5pm Oct–Mar)

The centre of the Roman Catholic faith, St Peter’s draws pilgrims from all over the world. The magnificent basilica holds many precious works of art.

t Piazza San Pietro with the basilica and Bernini’s colonnade

A shrine was erected in the 2nd century on the site where, according to Catholic tradition, St Peter was martyred and buried in AD 61. The first great basilica, ordered by Emperor Constantine, was constructed here in AD 349. By the 15th century it was falling down, so in 1506 Pope Julius II commissioned Bramante to replace the old church with a brand-new basilica. It took more than a hundred years to build and all the great architects and artists of the Roman Renaissance and Baroque had a hand in its design – not only Bramante, but Raphael, Bernini and Michelangelo. The basilica was finally completed in 1626 and is the world’s second-largest church after Yamoussoukro in Côte d’Ivoire. Few are disappointed when they first enter the sumptuously decorated basilica beneath the vast dome designed by Michelangelo, the tallest dome in the world. For a fee you can go up into the dome. A broad ramp followed by a spiral staircase around the inside of the dome leads from the roof to the cupola, from where there are stunning views over the city and of Bernini’s colonnade. Designed by Carlo Maderno, the travertine façade features Corinthian columns and a balustrade with 13 statues.

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Inside St Peter’s

The vast basilica’s 187 m- (615 ft-) long, marble-encrusted interior contains 11 chapels, 45 altars, and a wealth of works of art. Some were salvaged from the original basilica and others commissioned from late Renaissance and Baroque artists, but much of the elaborate decoration is owed to Bernini’s mid-17th-century work. The building’s central focus is the Papal Altar beneath Bernini’s great baldacchino, filling the space between the four piers which support the dome. From the basilica you can visit the Grottoes – where the late Pope John Paul II is buried, the Treasury and St Peter’s Sacristy, or the terrace for panoramic views.

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MASS AND AUDIENCE WITH THE POPE

The pope presides over Mass and addresses the crowds in St Peter’s Square on Easter Day, Christmas Day and other major Christian festivals. General Audiences are usually held on Wednesdays (10–10.30am) in St Peter’s Square (or in the Paul VI Audience Hall in bad weather). Get there very early if you want a chance of meeting or being blessed by the pope. Tickets to Papal Masses and General Audiences are free. To apply for a ticket visit www.vatican.va/various/prefettura/index_en.html, and download the form. There is no email address and all applications must be faxed. See www.papalaudience.org/information for further details.

hidden gem

Parco Adriano

Escape for some quiet to the green space nearest St Peter’s in the small Parco Adriano, behind Castel Sant’ Angelo. There is also an ice rink here in winter.

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