Photos of St. Peter’s Square and Basilica

At the spiritual center of the world's smallest state

La basilique Saint-Pierre et l'obélisquePlace Pie XII et la Via della ConciliazioneL'obélisque Place Saint-Pierre de RomeLa fontaine du BerninUn garde suisse au service du publicLes colonnes de la place Saint-PierreVisite de la place Saint-PierreLes appartements du papeFontaine du Bernin devant la basilique St-PierreDes touristes place Saint-PierreUn matin tranquille sur la place Saint-PierreObélisque devant la basilique Saint-PierreFontaine place Saint-PierreVue sur Saint-Pierre depuis la Piazza PiaFontaine place Saint-PierreLa garde suisse et ses célèbres uniformesPréparation d'une messe place Saint-PierrePeinture sur une porte de la basiliqueStatue de Sainte-Thérèse d'AvilaNef de la basilique Saint-PierreMonument funéraire de Grégoire XIIIRiches décorations dans la basilique St PierreMonument Alexandre VII, le BerninPeinture de la basilique St-PierreStatue de Saint-Pierre d'Arnolfo di CambiaoLa coupole de la basilique Saint-PierreVisite de la basilique Saint-PierreAutel latéral dans la basilique Saint-PierreVitrail du Saint-Esprit de Gian Lorenzo BerniniVisite de l'intérieur de la basilique St-PierreTombeau du pape Innocent XIAutel de la basilique Saint-Pierre de Rome

The St. Peter’s Basilica, located in the Vatican, is the main church of Catholicism, not only from a spiritual point of view but also because of its size. It was Emperor Constantine who initiated the construction of this majestic building, in 319 A.D. Apart from Masses and services, visiting the Basilica is free, but expect to wait one to two hours to enter, due to security checks.

St. Peter’s square was built after the basilica. It was commissioned to Bernini by Pope Alexander VII. Bernini imagined the square as a space made up of two arms that welcomed the crowd of pilgrims. These two arms are in fact composed of 284 columns topped by the statues of 140 saints. Two large fountains frame an Egyptian obelisk from Caligula’s former circus.

The visit of the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome was made on April 26, 2010.

Click on the picture to enlarge it and discover its caption.

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