St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican

St. Peter’s Basilica is often considered the spiritual heart of Roman Christianity, playing a role in the heritage of Catholicism comparable to that of the Colosseum in the city’s ancient legacy.
It is the most grandiose and extensive church, an essential site both for the splendor of its architecture and St. Peter’s Square, and for its significance as the center of the Catholic faith.
Its exterior, as impressive as its interior, is enhanced by numerous remarkable sculptures and works of art.

The central monument of Catholicism

With its 218 meters in length and a dome reaching 133 meters high, the basilica ranks among the most imposing and most visited monuments in the world. It hosts the Holy See, where the Pope celebrates the main liturgies, thereby affirming its central role in the Catholic Church, as the living heart of religion.
It is located within the territory of the Vatican and, contrary to popular belief, it is not the cathedral of Rome—a title held by the Basilica of St. John Lateran. The latter is in fact the seat of the Bishop of Rome, who is also the Pope himself.

An Artwork of Faith

The Basilica of Saint Peter is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, built on one of Christianity’s most sacred sites. It rises on the site of Caligula and Nero’s circus where Saint Peter, the first bishop of Rome, was martyred. According to Catholic tradition, he lies in his tomb beneath the high altar and monumental baldachin. It has been a pilgrimage site since the time of the first basilica built by Constantine I.

It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, but from its very construction it was regarded as the most magnificent architectural work. The current building was constructed between 1506 and 1626, designed by master architects such as Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno and Bernini, who artfully integrated the structure with Saint Peter’s Square. This square was enlarged and redesigned by Bernini, conceived to embrace visitors like “maternal arms” — symbolized by the colonnades — reflecting the Catholic Church’s welcoming role.

The interior, both sanctuary and artistic treasure, comprises 45 altars and 11 chapels housing remarkable works such as the bronze statue of Saint Peter attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, the Bernini baldachin, and Michelangelo’s Pietà. Artistic relics from the earlier basilica also enrich this heritage. Connected to the Vatican Palaces by an elevated corridor and the Scala Regia staircase, Saint Peter’s remains a major expression of the alliance between art, faith, and history.

Information: hours, access & visits

Tickets to visit St. Peter's Basilica

Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City

Saint Peter’s Basilica opening times & visits April 1 to September 30: daily from 7:00 AM to 7:10 PM October 1 to March 31: daily from 7:00 AM to 7:10 PM Closures: check the official website Sacred grotto, Popes’ tombs No reservation needed Dome access hours and rates April 1 to September 30: daily from 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM October 1 to March 31: daily from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM Elevator access to the terrace, then 320 steps on foot: €10 Walk up 551 steps: €8 Reduced fare: €5 Closures: check the official website Saint Peter’s Tomb, Necropolis and Constantine Basilica Former schedule: Monday to Friday: 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM /Closures: check the official website Price: ? Check the official site for information and booking requests: www.necropolivaticana.org/en Tickets to visit St. Peter's Basilica

Sources and links for further reading Learn more about the basilica: Saint Peter official site | Saint Peter on the Rome city site 060608 | Wikipedia page About the dome on the Rome city site 060608 Saint Peter’s Tomb, Necropolis and Constantine Basilica on the Rome city site 060608 Virtual visit of Saint Peter: www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/vr_tour

The Basilica and Its Masterpieces

Central nave

Exterior, Dome and Structure

With a length of 218 meters, the basilica covers nearly 23,000 square meters. The dome soars to 133 meters, a height no other Roman building is legally allowed to surpass.
It is connected to the Vatican palaces by an elevated corridor along the right aisle and the Scala Regia staircase on the right of the façade.

The impressive façade, 115 meters wide, was designed by Maderno. Its three-level staircase was drawn by Bernini. It’s adorned with Corinthian pillars and columns and topped by an attic above which stand thirteen colossal statues: Christ, John the Baptist, and the eleven apostles.
Above the central portal is the Loggia of Blessings, from which the Pope blesses the faithful on certain solemn occasions and announces the election of new pontiffs.
At the end of the grand portico designed by Maderno, on the right, is the Scala Regia with Bernini’s equestrian statue of Constantine.
Among the five entrance doors, the central one called Filarete comes from the old basilica. The holy door, which is opened during the Holy Year, is the farthest to the right.

The Interior, Its Works and Chapels

The interior is vast, with a central nave flanked by two side aisles.
Along the aisles, the 45 altars and 11 chapels host many historically and artistically significant masterpieces, including several works by Bernini (Gian Lorenzo Bernini) and others from the previous basilica, such as the bronze Statue of Saint Peter attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio.
On the floor a few meters from the entrance is the Rota Porphyretica, a dark porphyry disc that once lay near the altar of the ancient basilica, on which Charlemagne knelt to receive the imperial crown from Leo III on Christmas night in the year 800.
Toward the altar, bronze letters embedded in the floor indicate the lengths of the world’s largest churches.

Michelangelo’s Pietà

In the first chapel on the right near the entrance, behind glass is preserved the Pietà, the famous marble group sculpted by Michelangelo (1498–99), depicting Mary supporting Christ’s body after his descent from the cross.
The next chapels are also richly decorated. In the third, called the Sacrament chapel, accessible through an elegant portal by Borromini, it houses a tabernacle by Bernini.
In the right transept is the monument of Clement XIII, one of the most famous works by Antonio Canova (1784–1792).
In the left nave, note the tomb of Innocent VIII by Pollaiolo (1498), the oldest funerary monument in the basilica, and the funerary stele known as the Stuart monument by Antonio Canova.

On the last column on the right of the nave, a famous bronze statue of Saint Peter seated in blessing, dating from the 13th century, is possibly by Arnolfo di Cambio.
The dome’s interior was decorated with a luminous mosaic by the Cavalier d’Arpino in 1605.

The dome rests on four colossal pilasters designed by Bramante, whose bases are adorned with statues of saints (the first on the right, Saint Longinus, is by Bernini).
Beneath the dome stand the twisted columns of the grand bronze baldachin executed between 1624 and 1633 by Bernini, in collaboration with artists including Francesco Borromini.
In the choir is preserved the Chair of Saint Peter, dating from the early Christian era, housed in a monument by Bernini. It is flanked by the funerary monument to Urban VIII (also by Bernini) and the monument to Paul III, a remarkable work by Guglielmo della Porta.

→ Also read: the detailed article on the guided visit of Saint Peter’s Basilica

The History of Saint Peter’s Basilica

The First Basilica

The Basilica of Saint Peter is traditionally built on the site of the tomb of the Apostle Peter, martyred around the year 64 under Emperor Nero, at Nero’s circus, immediately adjacent to the current building site. This place, associated with one of Christianity’s earliest apostles, was quickly viewed as a central symbol of Christian faith. When Emperor Constantine I adopted Christianity as the official religion in 324, he ordered a basilica built to commemorate Saint Peter’s tomb.
The foundations were laid in 324, and the work was completed in 349 under Pope Sylvester I, who consecrated the edifice. The original basilica was large, featuring five naves and a grand portico at its entrance, but it suffered wear over time, notably from Saracen invasions in 846. As the building aged, its condition deteriorated, necessitating restorations.

In the early 15th century, after nearly a millennium of history, Pope Nicholas V ordered a radical renovation of the building, which had housed frescoes by Giotto. The project was entrusted to Leon Battista Alberti and Bernardo Rossellino. This effort marked the beginning of a renovation project that would span over 200 years. Due to the extensive decay of the building, the project gradually became a full reconstruction.

Panorama, Saint Peter’s Rome, David Roberts (1853)

The Great Masters of Reconstruction

After the death of Pope Nicholas V, the project underwent a major transformation under the pontificate of Pope Julius II. In 1506, Julius II entrusted the works to the architect Donato Bramante, who opted to demolish the old basilica to lay the foundations for an even more imposing structure. He envisioned a Greek-cross plan with a central dome. Although ambitious, the dome was not completed in his lifetime.

Throughout the 16th century, several renowned artists took charge of the works. Raffaello Sanzio, Peruzzi and Antonio da Sangallo were successively involved in the design. Around 1514, Sangallo modified Bramante’s design, adopting a Latin-cross plan. Only in 1547 did Michelangelo take over the project and revert to the Greek-cross concept. He designed the monumental dome, overseeing its construction until his death in 1564. The dome, completed in 1590 by Giacomo della Porta, became a symbol of Renaissance architecture.

Under the pontificate of Pope Paul V Borghese, the architect Carlo Maderno continued Michelangelo’s work, adding three lateral chapels and altering the basilica’s plan to return to a Latin cross. He completed the façade in 1614. The basilica was consecrated only in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII Barberini.

Finally, Gian Lorenzo Bernini was commissioned to design Saint Peter’s Square, an exceptionally grand project begun in 1629. Between 1656 and 1665, he erected the famous colonnade of the square, a set of 284 columns encircling the space with symbolic majesty. The colonnade represents a true “embrace” by the Church of its followers, a gesture of welcome and communion.

Thus, Saint Peter’s Basilica stands as an architectural and spiritual testament of over a thousand years of history, where art, faith and politics intertwined to create a central site of Christianity.

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