ST. PETR’S BASILICA, VATICAN CITY, ITALY

St Peter’s Basilica is Italy’s largest and richest church located in the Vatican City, Rome. Like the Sistine Chapel, it can draw up to 20,000 visitors a day. Building the church started in 324 AD and it was consecrated in 329 AD. After years of dilapidation, it was restored in the 15th century.  The building style adopted ancient Greek and Roman elements with regards to its Gothic look; this is called ‘Renaissance architecture’.

The Basilica’s Facade

Inside the church, you will find mesmerizing artwork including Michelangelo’s ‘Pieta’ and Bernini’s baldachin (canopy) over the papal altar. The Basilica’s architecture and art covering the walls, floors, and ceiling will blow your mind away, literally. When entering the Basilica, you will see the first door to your right; this is called Porta Santa (holy door), which is opened only in jubilee years. Beneath the basilica, you will find Vatican Grottoes created for the burial of the popes. The tomb of St Peter is also believed to have been discovered here.

The Pietà

The Pieta was sculptured by Michelangelo Buonarroti and was housed in St Peter’s Basilica. The statue was commissioned for the French Cardinal Jean de Bilhères, who was a representative in Rome. It’s stated that this is the only piece Michelangelo ever signed. The sculpture depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion.

Baldachin is a large sculpted bronze canopy placed over the high altar of St Peter’s Basilica. In Italian, it’s called ‘Baldacchino di San Pietro’. The baldachin is directly under the dome of the basilica. It was designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and was intended to mark the place of Saint Peter’s tomb underneath.

You can enter the church for free but in order to go to the dome, you will have to pay a small fee. You either go to the dome by lift or stairwell with 320 steps. Be warned of long queues when you visit the church. In my entire life, I have never seen so many people queuing to visit a place; the Colosseum has long queues too but not as bad as St Peter’s Basilica. Useful Information

 If you want to skip the line and take a fast track entrance into the church you will have to take a guided tour which starts from the Vatican museums, including the Sistine Chapel, and finishes at St Peter’s Basilica. Here you will be able to get into the church from the inside grounds, therefore, you will not need to queue up.

Similarly, if you buy tickets for the museums and start from there, you will only queue up for a short period to buy tickets. Once you get in, you can find your way to the Basilica from the inside without queuing up again. But if you only want to see the basilica and do not want to spend money on a museums’ ticket, then, unfortunately, you cannot avoid the long queue at the front of the basilica.

For more information on Vatican museums and how to get tickets please visit their Website. In my opinion, using their website to buy tickets and check for events/ updates is the smartest thing to do before traveling to Vatican City. There are so many fake websites claiming to sell tickets to enter the museums but in actual sense, you get scammed.

Guided Tours

If you want to enter the Vatican museums and St Peter’s Basilica with a tour guide you have two safe options.

• You can buy online tickets for Guided Tours sold on the Vatican Official website. They charge €37 per person for a guided tour for Vatican Museums (including Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter’s Basilica. You can also get tours for families as well as tours for the Deaf / Blind.
• You could go to Vatican City and buy from tour guide operators that are in St Peter’s Square. When I went there with my sister we bought tickets from one of those operators just outside St Peter’s Square. The lady selling the tickets did not take our money right away but gave the whole group a trial tour first while we walked to their office near the entrance to the museums. We paid the charged fee (€42, January 2015) when we arrived at their office; that way you are assured it’s a real tour and can change your mind if you are not impressed with your guide.

Opening Hours

April to September – Open every day from 7.00 to 19.00

October to March – Open every day from 7.00 to 18.00

The Grottoes and the Dome have opening times different from the basilica’s, therefore, ensure you read their Practical Information page in order to be well informed as you plan your visit.

Getting there

Metro station: Ottaviano – San Pietro; Cipro – Musei Vaticani (10 minutes’ walk from both stations)

Buses: Bus 62 stops just outside St Peters Square (Piazza San Pietro) in Via della Conciliazione road which is a direct road going into the square; you can walk to the basilica for about 5 minutes.

Buses 34, 46, 46B, 64, 98, 881, 982 and 981 also stop just outside St Peters Square (Piazza San Pietro) in Galleria Principe road (about 5 minutes’ walk).

Tram 19, Piazza del Risorgimento (about 7 minutes’ walk) Map of Vatican City with marked points where you will get public transport will help you understand how you will get there.

Sightseeing tour buses will also stop just outside St Peter’s Square in Via della Conciliazione road. I used the Rome Open Tour Hop-on-Hop-off bus when I went there, and as soon as I finished touring the Vatican City I went to the bus stop and hopped on the bus going back to Rome City center. It comes every 20 minutes and the average ticket price for 24 hours costs 20 Euros. There are many sightseeing tour buses from different companies and you will find them in Rome City center or near main tourist attractions such as Piazza Venezia; Piazza Barberini; and Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps).

Services and Facilities

St Peters Basilica has Services and Facilities to ensure you enjoy your visit. You will find a Bookshop, Toilets, Restaurant & Coffee bars, Cloakroom, First Aid area, Vatican Post Office and information desk to answer your questions and direct you to various places in Vatican City.

Dress Code

There is a strict dress code for the church’s visitors; shorts, short skirts and shirts or T-shirts without sleeves showing bare shoulders are not allowed. Also, baseball caps inside the church are banned.

Mass

For general audiences you are required to get a ticket; tickets for all Papal ceremonies are issued free of charge. For further information on mass times and dates please visit the Audiences & Tickets page of the Vatican’s website.

You will need to reserve tickets in good time for popular Masses such as Christmas Eve and Easter Mass. Also, take note that having a ticket does not guarantee entrance; if you get there late and the church or square is full, you will not be allowed to enter.

Christmas at St Peter’s Basilica

During Christmas period the basilica tells the nativity story through a display put at the back of the church near the entrance. As explained above, Christmas Mass is very popular.

For More Information: Visit their  Official Website or the General Vatican City Website.