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A tour of the scavi (excavations) of the ancient necropolis under St. Peter's is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have in Rome, whether or not you are Catholic.
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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Quite a nice painting, wouldn’t you say? And huge! Like many of the others you see in St. Peter’s?
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 was allegedly buried here in A.D. 64 near the site of his execution (at Circus of Nero, where he was, in theory, crucified). In 324 Constantine, after his battle field epiphany, commissioned a basilica to be built over St Peter's tomb. This was the starting point of what you visit today. The present basilica was mostly completed in the 1500s and 1600s and is predominantly High Renaissance and baroque. The inside of the church is massive with work by the great artists: Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Maderno. A piece of the original cross of Christ and the rag that Mary wiped the blood off Christ's brow are also apparently located here behind doors above you in the middle of the church.
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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Probably the most photographed and famous thing inside St. Peter's Basilic is the Pietà by Michelangelo.
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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If you want a hike, then climb the dome of St Peters Basilica!!!
To get to the top St Peters dome is 320 steps.....however, this count does not start from the ground as you might expect. It starts from the roof of the Basilica!! In total we counted 490 steps up and 490 back down!!
You can alternatively take the elevator instead of climbing the first and last 190 steps. We decided to walk, but you woudn't really miss much by taking the elevator. There are only a couple of windows on the first part of the climb.
The 320 step climb to the top of St Peters is interesting to say the least! The steps get smaller, the corridors get narrower, and at one point you even have to lean about 20 degrees to the side while walking.....you actually walk round the shape of the dome. A good laugh, unless like me you are 6ft +!!!!! ha ha ha!
Around half way up you enter a balcony inside the dome, allowing you to look down into St Peters Basilica itself. This is breathtaking! The Mosaques on the wall are so detailed it beggers belief how they were created.
Then there is the final climb to the top of the St Peters Dome. Even narrower stairs and corridors. However when you see the view, it is very much worth it. If you are lucky enough to see it on a clear day, as we had the pleasure of doing, you will be speechless! You can see for miles. You can see a lot of Romes most famous sites, as well as getting an excellent view of the Vatican Gardens.
I think it costs around 4 Euros per person, or 5 Euros if you want to take the lift. Leave a Comment Address: Vatican City
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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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San Pietro in Vaticano is amazing. I have never seen a place (church or otherwise) like this before. The architecture is astounding! I don't think my jaw has ever dropped so fast as when I stepped into San Pietro. The enormous hall, the columns, mosaics, the gilded bronze canopy (Baldacchino), the magnificent cupola (dome), the marble design and Michelangelo's The Pieta! It's incredible! With such beautiful architectural designs, sculptures and other art pieces I felt like I was walking in the most oppulent place on earth (and I probably was!).
And now for a bit of history...
Since the 2nd Century there has been a shrine of some kind on this site (for Saint Peter - who is believed to be buried beneath this structure). By 349 AD, after an order from the Roman emperor Constantine, the first basilica stood on this site. However by the 15th Century the basilica was in need of restoration. For almost the whole of the 16th Century (and into the 17th Century) the basilica was being rebuilt and restored by the most famous artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. The cupola of San Pietro was designed by Michelangelo (although he did not live to see it finished as he died in 1564). The Baldacchino was created by Bernini. Other artists work in the basilica are by: Giotto, Alessandro Algardi, Filippo Barigioni and Arfnolfo di Cambio.
Opening Hours
April - Septemper: 7am - 7pm
October - March: 7am - 6pm
Admission
Free. But there are charges for if you want to go up the Cupola or into the Treasury
For more pictures of San Pietro take a look at my travelogue: Inside San Pietro Leave a Comment
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Warning - only do this if you are in fairly good shape. It is a long way up to the very top of the cupola, and even though you can take an elevator up to the 'bottom' of the cupola, it is still a long and exhausting climb. However, it is well worth the trip. You get to see up close details of Michelangelo's design of the cupola, view the roof top and sculptures of the Twelve Apostles (and other statues of saints) and get the best views of the Vatican City and Rome!
I went midweek in August, it was very hot and there were hundreds of people. I think my friends and I waited in line for about 40 minutes (possibly longer) before we could buy our tickets and get to go up. For the first part you can take an elevator, or steps. After that, there is an area on the rooftop where there is a souvenir store and place for refreshments - I definitely recommend bringing a bottle of water with you before you start the climb. This is because after the elevator it is climbing all the way! And once you have climbed the 323 steps it is very crowded at the top where everyone is trying to see and take pictures of the city. It is totally worth it - although please don't do as others have - and write your names on the walls at the top, treat the place with some respect.
Opening Times
Daily: 8am - 5pm
For more pictures from the top of San Pietro, check out my travelogue Views from the top of San Pietro Leave a Comment
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