St. Peter Basilica Church Guide: Hours, Tickets, Attractions

Italy never fails to amaze its visitors with every city having something to amaze. One such is Vatican City. Besides its museums, Vatican City is also famous for the colossal St. Peter’s Basilica church. Situated in Piazza San Pietro, Città del Vaticano, it is the world’s largest Catholic church depicting the renaissance spirit of Rome. Its regal interior contains many breathtaking works of art and architecture. This church with its beautifully carved and polished walls, impressive structures, and notable altars is an artwork. Here in this St. Peter Basilica church Ultimate guide, we have everything thing you’ll need to know before visiting this amazing place.

Click here to book a tour and tickets to St. Peter Basilica.

A little history of St. Peter Basilica

Named after one of Jesus’s twelve apostles in the bible, St. peter Basilica church was built in the 4th century. Peter originally known as Simon, was a poor fisherman who met Jesus near the sea of Galilee. He was the first person to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and later was appointed as the first pope of Rome.

St. peter Basilica was built by Emperor Constantine in the 4th century and according to tradition contained the grave of St. peter. The history associated with this church is as interesting as its architecture. The building got deteriorated with time and by the Renaissance period, it was a crumbling landmark. Then in the mid-15th century, the work to repair and rebuild the church started, which continued for the next 120 years.

St. Peter Basilica tickets

The entry to St. Peter Basilica is free, but you can expect around 60 minutes to 1 ½ hour of wait time before you get to experience the marvel. But you can opt for the special skip-the-line tickets with an audio guide from here.

St. Peter Basilica hours

It is open round the week for the whole year, while only the timings change. Also, it is important to be in proper attire while visiting the church. Your shoulders and knees should be covered.

The opening hours of St. Peter Basilica church are:
  • April to September – 7 am – 7 pm
  • October to march – 7 am – 6:30 pm
  • Closed on 1st and 6th January, on Easter, and during special occasions
  • Because of the papal audience, the Basilica usually opens around 1 pm on Wednesdays.
 The opening hours of the dome
  • April to September – 7:30 am – 5 pm
  • October to march – 7:30 am – 5 pm

Main Attractions at St. Peter Basilica church

Not one, but many skilled hands and minds bought together the marvelous design and architecture of the church. Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno, and Gian Lorenzo Bernini were some minds that added life and charm to St. Peter Basilica when it got rebuilt in the 15th century. This church houses some of the amazing artworks of mentioned artists.

Some of the most celebrated art pieces are Michelangelo’s Pieta and his dome, Bernini’s baldachin, and the gold structure around the relic chair of St. peter by him. The walls here are beautifully carved and the altars here add to the beauty and legacy of the place.

Baldachin

Baldachin, built by Gian Lorenzo Bernini is the 95 ft tall bronze canopy standing beneath the central dome of the church. It took 10 Bernini 10 years to complete this masterpiece and make it stand on four twisted columns highlighting the tomb of St. Peter. The pope is the only person permitted to serve at the altar.

La Pieta

The famous Pieta by Michelangelo is a priceless heritage to Vatican City. It was carved from a single block of marble and depicts the body of Jesus in the lap of his mother Mary. It was made by Michelangelo when he was only 25 years and is the only work signed by him.

Dome

The other work by Michelangelo is the famous dome of St. Peter Basilica. It was only completed when he died. It soars above the altar and the Baldachin and is supported by four structural piers with a perimeter of 71 m and a height of 120 m from the ground. Impressively embellished with mosaic and stucco ornaments, the dome is divided into sixteen ribs above the windows and as many segments, decorated by majestic figures on six ascending concentric levels.

Final words:

For more information, you can visit here and you can get information about other monuments in Vatican City. Book your tour to Vatican City or just to Basilica or get a tour package for Italy with amazing offers from the get your guide site. Click here to check more on the offers.

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