St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican, Rome, Italy

I felt honored everytime I remember our visit to Rome especially at the St. Peter's Basilica. It was truly an overwhelming feeling. Here are some information and images of this famous religious architecture.

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri), officially known in Italian as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano and commonly known as St. Peter's Basilica, is a Late Renaissance church located within the Vatican City. St. Peter's Basilica has the largest interior of any Christian church in the world, holding 60,000 people. It is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

view of St. Peter's Square and you can see St. Peter's Basilica at the backgound.

In Catholic tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.

the Dome of the Basilica. It was brought to completion by Giacomo della Porta and Fontana.

In Catholic tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626.

there were a lot of people during our visit. It took us about two hours to go inside and climb the top of the dome. If you have fear in heights or close space and heart problems, be careful when climbing the 320 steps or you better not.

St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions and for its historical associations. It is associated with the papacy, with the Counter-reformation and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo. As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age. Contrary to popular misconception, Saint Peter's is not a cathedral, as it is not the seat of a bishop. It is properly termed a papal basilica. The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the cathedral church of Rome. continue here

St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, Rome, Italy

It was a dream come true visiting another beautiful city in Europe. Vatican City, a city within a city is where you can see the famous St. Peter's Basilica. I can't believed it myself when I see this historical place in person. I thought it was only in my dream but that dream came true. This is one of the cities in the world that I always wanted to visit. I am very grateful that I was finally there!

The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter, known in as the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, has a Late Renaissance architecture. It is a famous place for pilgrimage. You can also see in this cathedral the famous work of art of Michelangelo.

Here are some images I took during our visit last August 2010.

Saint Peter's Square and the St. Peter's Basilica in the background in Vatican City in Rome, Italy.

the Cupola or the Dome of Saint Peter's Cathedral. taken during our trip to Rome from August 11-14, 2010. We climbed the top of the cupola. It has 551 steps to reach it.

The interior of St. Peter's Basilica.
An amazing architecture!

In Catholic tradition, the basilica is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, first Bishop of Rome and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. Tradition and some historical evidence hold that Saint Peter's tomb is directly below the altar of the basilica. For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the 4th century. Construction of the present basilica, over the old Constantinian basilica, began on April 18, 1506 and was completed on November 18, 1626. more here

Vatican City in Rome, Italy

Vatican City is a city within a city. It is very simple because it is located in Rome, the capital city of Italy. It is called as Stato della Città del Vaticano in Italian language or simply "State of the City of the Vatican". According to wikipedia, "Vatican City is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state, ruled by the bishop of Rome—the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergymen of various national origins. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace."

Sad to say, we don't have the chance to see Pope Benedict VI during our visit last August 11-14, 2010...wink! Here is an image I took as we where on top of the cupola in St. Peter's Cathedral. You can also see the Saint Peter's Square very clear in this image. I would love to visit Rome again next time.


Vatican City, one of the European microstates, is situated on the Vatican Hill in the west-central part of Rome, several hundred metres west of the Tiber river. Its borders (3.2 kilometres / 2.0 miles in total, all within Italy) closely follow the city wall constructed to protect the Pope from outside attack. The situation is more complex at the famous Saint Peter's Square in front of St. Peter's Basilica, where the correct border is just outside the ellipse formed by Bernini's colonnade, but where police jurisdiction has been entrusted to Italy.

The Vatican climate is the same as Rome's; a temperate, Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters from September to mid-May and hot, dry summers from May to August. There are some local features, principally mists and dews, caused by the anomalous bulk of St Peter's Basilica, the elevation, the fountains and the size of the large paved square. more here

Vatican City, A City within a City

Happy Easter to All! I'll let you travel now to Vatican City, a city within a city if you are familiar with it. This is the place where the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church lives. This is also one of the cities I am planning to visit this year. I believed Vatican City will have a big celebration of the Easter Sunday tomorrow. If I am not mistaken Pope Benedict XVI will preside the mass celebration of Christ's Resurrection! Have a blessed weekend to all!

photo taken by my friend during her visit to Vatican City

Vatican City , officially the State of the Vatican City (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy. At approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and with a population of around 900, it is the smallest country in the world by area.

The Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence in 1929 and is thus clearly distinct from the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church, known as the Holy See, which existed long before 1929. Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian. Official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin. The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, only issues diplomatic and service passports; the state of Vatican City issues normal passports. In both cases the passports issued are very few.