St. Peter’s Basilica

We started our next day early to visit St. Peter’s Basilica at The Vatican.

Mom and dad.

The entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Looking back out over St. Peter’s Square.

The vestibule ceiling. 

The breathtaking view upon entering St. Peter’s Basilica. 

Mom, Jenny, and Liz (to the left) admiring Michelangelo’s Pietà. This remarkable and emotive piece was completed in 1500, when he was 23 years old.

Liz and dad.

St. Peter’s Alter, the incredible bronze canopy built by Bernini, marking the tomb of St. Peter. St. Peter was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He became one of the leaders of the early Christian church and traveled to Rome where he was eventually ordered to be executed. He felt that he was unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus and he requested to be crucified upside down. 

Over time the sight of his burial became a place of worship, eventually culminating in the building of St. Peter’s Basilica as we know it today. According to the Bible, Jesus said “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church”. Christians consider St. Peter to be the first pope and believe that he was given the keys to heaven. The symbol of keys can be found throughout The Vatican. 

Looking back towards the entrance.

Monumental sculptures dedicated to previous popes.

There were even works of art in the marble floor.

It was hard to capture just how vast the interior was, and how every inch was a work of art in and of itself.

Looking up at St. Peter’s Alter.

St. Peter’s keys alongside three bees; a symbol of the Barberini family of which Pope Urban VIII was a member.

Cathedral Petri by Bernini.

The Alter of The Sacred Heart of Jesus. Although it looks like a painting this is actually an enormous mosaic made of countless tiny pieces. Such incredible art and craftsmanship.

The Alter of St. Leo The Great. 

A detail of The Tomb of Pope Alexander VII. The female representation of Truth rests her foot on the globe. This piece was made by Bernini and his assistants and was one of his last major commissions before his death. It is made entirely of different stones but the skin, hair, and fabric all look soft and believable. It is astonishing to imagine the level of skill it took to create. 

A small service taking place in one of the chapels inside the basilica.

A worker on a scaffold restoring one of the mosaics.

A beautiful dome with a dove at its center.

Mom, myself, and Jenny.

St. Peter’s Basilica with a statue of St. Peter holding the keys to heaven. 

Jenny mailing a post card from The Vatican post office.

A niche on the exterior wall of a building celebrating The Virgin Mary.

Liz and mom stretching their legs before we head to our next destination.