Tag Archives: St Peter Basilica

Saint Peter’s Basilica, Vatican, Rome

We toured the “Papal Basilica of St. Peter” which is commonly referred to as simply  St. Peter’s Basilica.

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The St. Peter Basilica with Michelangelo’s done n the Vatican Rome

The history of the church and why it is called St Peter is interesting.  Peter was one of the 12 apostles of Christ and was crucified upside down at the top of the hill called “Vaticanus” and the site of the Clementine Chapel. His remains are said to be those contained in the underground Confessio in St. Peter’s Basilica.

We entered the Basilica through the massive main doors and we were immediately exposed to the vast size of the church.

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Entrance of the St. Peter Basilica in Rome

The high ceiling and ornate designs were very impressive. The high ceilings accented the vast size of the church. The ceilings were decorated with ornate gold designs and other art motifs with marble pillars throughout.

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Ceiling in St Peter Basilica
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Ceiling section in St Peter Basilica

There were numerous statues throughout the church some of which were from the 1st century. These statues were created by many famous artists including Michelangelo. The first chapel on the right when we entered the Basilica contained the famous sculpture by Michelangelo “Pieta” which he completed before he was 25 years old.

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Michelangelo’s “Pieta” sculpture

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There were mosaic decorations that were very impressive including the mosaic decoration of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian. It  adorns the chapel of St. Sebastian and at the base of the chapel is the tomb of Saint John Paul II.

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Chapel of Saint Sebastian in St. Peter Basilica
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The tomb of Saint John Paul II

The basilica floors were marble and had different designs. One area of the floor had engraved markings identifying different churches throughout the world and their  size in comparison to St. Peter Basilica.

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St. Peter Basilica floor with engravings of different Churches throughout the world

We went to the center of the Basilica and looked up to see the interior of the Michelangelo’s dome decorated by Calvalier d’Arpino. It is breathtaking with the rays of the sun shining through.

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Interior of Michelangelo’s Dome in the St Peter Basilica

We saw so many different monuments, altars and works of art that were very impressive. One monument that was amazing was situated under the Michelangelo dome .

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Monument under the Michelangelo dome in St Peter’s Basilica

There is an alabaster window which is quite impressive and large. It is located above the “Chair of St Peter” the window displays a dove signifying the holy spirit.

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The window is very large and the dove wing span is 6 feet wide. The beauty of this window is unbelievable. The light shines through the alabaster window highlighting the dove in a stunning and brilliant manner. It is one of the most stunning pieces of art we have ever seen.

We exited the Basilica and stepped out to see and admired the St Peter Square. The size and scope of the square were amazing.

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View from the front steps of the St Peter Basilica looking towards St Peter Square

We walked through the square and stopped to see two of the swiss guards who are the official guards of the Vatican since the 15th century. They are wearing their tradition dress uniform whose design is traditionally attributed to Michelangelo.

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Two swiss guards protecting an entrance to the Vatican

St Peter Square is a very large area with several iconic features. The square is bordered by two colonnades. They are composed of pillars and on, top there are 140 statues of Saints.

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End of the Colonnade in St Peter Square
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One of the colonnades at St Peter Square

From the far end of the square, you overlook the square with St. Peter’s Basilica and the Michelangelo dome in the distance.

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View of Saint Peter Square

The square has an Egyptian obelisk from the 1st century which was erect in the centre of the square in the fifteenth century.

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Egyptian obelisk of red granite, 25.5 metres tall,  in the centre of the St Peter Square

We had a very long day walking through the Vatican museums, The Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Saint Peter Square. It was an amazing experience for us. Below are some pictures from St Peter’s Basilica and the St Peter Square.

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Ray and Shelley in the St Peter Square with the St Peter’s Basilica in the background

“bene vale , et postea videbo vos”