Tours
Rome Tourist Card
Rome Tourist Card
Snap up the Rome Tourist Card and you'll get everything you need to explore Rome's top highlights including Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum and Hop on/off bus. You can even choose the order you see things in.
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill: Priority Entrance
Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill: Priority Entrance
Skip the long lines at the Colosseum with this priority-entrance ticket. This ticket will let you bypass the crowds. And after exploring the Colosseum you can head to the area of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel: Skip The Line
Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel: Skip The Line
This ticket will make you save stress and time by allowing you to get priority entrance and skip the line. Visit the the countless masterpieces by Michelangelo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Tiziano and the Sistine chapel.
Borghese Gallery: Fast Track
Borghese Gallery: Fast Track
Galleria Borghese is located in the villa of the park Villa Borghese. Admire the architecture and furnishings of this beautiful villa. It is a museum full of art from the Renaissance. The collection includes several sculptures and paintings. Because of limited capacity get tickets for this museum weeks in advance.
St. Peter’s Basilica: Dome Climb with Guide
St. Peter’s Basilica: Dome Climb with Guide
Get the most out of your visit to St. Peters with a guided tour to climb the basilica’s dome designed by Michelangelo and admire one of the stunning view. After the tour, you can explore the the basilica at your own pace.
St Peter’s Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, officially known in Italian as Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as Saint Peter’s Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within Vatican City. The basilica is not only the main church, but also the first of the seven pilgrimage churches, in Rome.
Circus of Nero
In the first century AD, the site of St. Peter’s Basilica hosted the Circus of Nero and a cemetery. According to earliest history, St. Peter was put to death in the Circus and his remains were buried just outside. Many people remembered and visited his grave considering that he is one of the most important figures in the Roman Catholic Church. In the year 324, this prompted Emperor Constantine to begin the construction on a great basilica over the tomb. The shrine of St. Peter is still the central focus of the church today.
The original St. Peters Basilica
After 1100 years, the original St. Peter’s church was neglected and already in poor condition. There were several attempts to restore it but to no avail. In 1506, it was decided that the old basilica could no longer be saved. It was demolished to make way for a new St. Peter’s Basilica.The construction of the new St. Peter’s Basilica began on that same year with the chosen design of Donato Bramante. Bramante did not go yet beyond the four central pillars and arches of the cathedral and he died. Raphael took over his place. He had other ideas of the church and decided to work on his plans.
After Raphael, Antonio del Sangallo took care of the construction of the church. Even though he followed Raphael’s design, he wanted to take part on its edifice and he decided to break the church down and rebuild it.
Michaelangelo
Then came Michaelangelo who brought the church back to its original design made by Bramante. Finally, Carlo Maderno built the St. peter’s Basilica further. He spread it out, so the basilica was bigger than its original design. Rich decorations covered the basilica and Gian Lorenzo Bernini made most of them. In 1626, the structure was completed.
Inside St Peter’s Basilica
Opposite the bronze gateway is a remnant of the 13th century mosaic la Navi Celli of Giotto. In the pre frontal are five bronze doors. The left door, also called the door of death, displays the image of Christ, St. Peter and Pope John XXIII. Giacomo Manzù made the door. Its name derives from its traditional use as the exit for funeral processions as well as its subject matter. The right door, also called the holy door, which is by tradition only opened for great celebrations such as Jubilee years. The door is completely bricked on the inside. The last time it was opened was when Pope John Paul II died in 2005.
At the entrance, you will find on each side two bins with cherubs. These containers are filled with holy water. At the right side, you come to see the statue of La Pietà that represents Mary with her arms around the dying Jesus Christ. Michaelangelo created La Pietà .
If you are in the middle vessel, you will see on the floor a bronze medal. These symbolize the size of other Catholic churches. In this way, only you can see how great St. Peter’s Basilica is.
St Peter's Basilica + Necropolis
St Peter's Basilica + Necropolis
The ticket includes a guided tour - with priority entrance - to the St. Peter’s Basilica and the Necropolis, where the remains of the saint can be found. An official Vatican guide will tell you many interesting commentaries and stories about the church and the art masterpieces by Michelangelo, Bernini and Raphael, kept between these majestic walls. Then, you will descend 10 meters under the ground to see the Necropolis, discovering many relics of early Christianity.
St. Peter's Basilica: Self-Guided Tour + Dedicated Entrance
St. Peter's Basilica: Self-Guided Tour + Dedicated Entrance
This ticket gives you the opportunity to visit the St. Peter’s Basilica skipping the long lines at the entrance. Plus, you’ll get access to the dome and a dedicated audio guide including earphones. You can visit the church at your own pace and enjoy the beautiful works of art. Then, you can take the elevator that will take you to the first level of the basilica, avoiding to climb the first 171 steps to get to the top of the dome and enjoy the stunning views of the city.
St. Peter's Basilica: Guided Tour
St. Peter's Basilica: Guided Tour
Join a guide to learn everything about the majestic St. Peter’s Basilica. A visit to this sacred landmark is also a fully immersive experience to discover the secrets and wonders of Renaissance art. Here you’ll not also find outstanding architecture, but unique art masterpieces. You can witness the art and inspiration of Michelangelo, Donato Bramante, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and many more. Your guide will be wearing a blue jacket with the Vox Mundi logo. The tour lasts about 1 hour.
At the crossing of the transepts is the fundamental focus of the interior, the baldacchino. It is assumed as the resting place of St. Peter. This colossal canopy shelters the papal altar and the sacred relics of St. Peter. Artistically, it also serves to fill the vertical space under Michelangelo’s great dome. At the right portion of the Bernini’s canopy is a staircase. This leads to the crypt under the church which is the cemetery for many popes.
Four huge columns hold up the dome, which has pictures of saints that stand on the pedestal of each column. These images are also on the bronze statue of St. Peter. Those who take pilgrimage in the St. Peter’s Basilica should follow the custom of kissing the apostle’s feet.
Bernini
Bernini designed the splendid gilt-bronze Cattedra di San Pietro (throne of St. Peter) in the apse above the main altar. The legs of the throne are decorated with finely pierced ivory bands made in the School at Tours.
At the left side of the transept, the tomb of Alexander VII can be found at the horizontal part of the church that crosses the nave at the canopy. Above its door was Bernini’s last work, a skeleton holding an hourglass. With this painting, Bernini wanted to express how death will come to all of us.
In St. Peter’s Basilica, there are 148 tombs of deceased popes. These are located under the nave to the crypt. The St. Peter’s Basilica has room for about 60,000 people.
Dimensions
- 395 images
- 44 altars
- 135 mosaics
- Surface 15 x 160 square meters
FAQ
Where is St. Peter's Basilica?
St. Peter's Basilica is located in Vatican City
Is St. Peter's Basilica free?
St. Peter's Basilica is free. However, there is often a long line, because of security checks. For this reason, visiting the basilica with a guide is recommended. You then enter the basilica through a separate entrance and can skip the long queue.
Can you visit the dome of st Peters Basilica?
You can visit the dome. This does cost entrance. Keep in mind that it is quite a climb and the stairs are narrow and steep
Is there a dress code for St. Peter's Basilica?
yes, there is a dress codes. No bare shoulders, no skirts / trousers above the knee and no caps. You can possibly cover your shoulders with a shawl.
Who designed the St. Peter's Basilica?
Seven different architects have worked on the basilica, namely Donato Bramante, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo Buonarroti, Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini
How do I get to St. Peter's Basilica?
You take metro line A and get off at the Ottaviano stop. From here it is about a ten minute walk
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