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| Sightseeing in Vatican City
(Recommended Tour:
Vatican and Sistine Chapel Tour) |
St Peter's, Rome
(Basilica di San Pietro),
Italy
Saint Peter's is where people go to receive the Pope’s blessing
on Sundays.
The best artists of the Renaissance worked for their whole lives to decorate this version of St. Peter's: Bramante(1444-1514. Bramante was the original architect of this version of St. Peter's), Michael Angelo (1475-1564), Baldassare Peruzzi (1481-1536), Raphael (1483-1520) and, Antonio Sangallo
the Younger (1483-1546).
Take a good look at the top of the
dome, it's absolutely fantastic! Physical proportions of the sublime St. Peter's Basilica
are staggering: it covers about 18,100 square yards, extends 212 yards
in length, and carries a dome that rises 435 feet and measures 138 feet
across its base.
Address: Piazza San Pietro Rome, 00193 Italy 06 6988 3462 Website:
www.vatican.va
The view from the top of St. Peter's
Basilica is considered by many to be the best view of Rome. You can see
all the way to the Colosseum, Piazza Venezia, Villa Borghese...a
breathtakinng spectacular sight.
St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro)
St. Peter's Square serves as the
place from which the masses receive the Pope's blessings on Sundays. This
grand and magnificent square has retained its classical beauty to this day.
Sistine Chapel (Cappella
Sistina)
It is the most famous chapel in the world because of its incredible artwork,
notably "The Last Judgment," Michelangelo's stunning fresco covering 10,000
square feet of the ceiling and wall.Try
to be at the Vatican Museums entrance promptly at 8:45am when it opens, and
opt for one of the shorter marked routes, preferably A. Bring binoculars and
a hand held mirror, because you will be staring at the ceiling for quite a
while, we promise! |
Roman Necropolis
When Pius XII ordered a thorough excavation of the area under the High Altar
in St. Peter's Basilica, twisting stone passages were found leading to an
ancient Roman necropolis, which contained chambers 10- to 15-feet wide with
preserved frescoes and mosaics.
Porta Santa
The Porta Santa, or Holy Door, was only opened by the Pope for Holy Year
celebrations and closed at the end of 2000, and will remain sealed until
2025.
Vatican Gardens
This Garden is so green, quiet and beautiful, for a moment you will forget
that you are in the middle of Rome. Right in the middle of the Gardens is
the bronze sphere sculptured by Arnaldo Pamadoro (see picture below).
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Vatican Gardens, with Pamadoro's Sphere |
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Accommodation & Travel Guide Rome, Italy
