In a word : awe-inspiring
St. Peter’s square is basically the home of the Vatican. Roughly.
This is the street leading into the Vatican city, with the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica directly ahead …
Also – lots of nuns !!
me! in St. Peter’s Square!
From Rick Steves:
St. Peter’s Square, with its ring of columns, symbolizes the arms of the church welcoming everyone – believers and non-believers – with its motherly embrace. Numbers first : 284 columns, 56 feet high, in stern Doric style. Topping them are Bernini’s 140 favorite saints, each 10 feet tall. The “square” itself is actually elliptical, 660 by 500 feet. Though large, it’s designed like a saucer, a little higher around the edges, so that even when full of crowds (as it often is), it allows those on the periphery to see above the throngs.
The obelisk in the center is 90 feet of solid granite weighing more than 300 tons. Think for a second about how much history this monument has seen. Originally erected in Egypt more than 2000 years ago, it witnessed the fall of the pharaohs to the Greeks and then to the Romans. It was then moved to imperial Rome by the emperor Caligula, where it stood impassively watching the slaughter of Christians at the racecourse and the torture of Protestants by the Inquisition. Today, it watches over the church, a reminder that each civilization builds on the previous ones. The puny cross on top reminds us that Christian culture has cast but a thin veneer over our pagan origins.
From Rick Steves:
This gray building is where the pope lives. The last window on the right of the top floor is his bedroom. To the left of that window is his study window, where he appears occasionally to greet the masses.
Note: That line is to get into the Basilica. Skipping the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel completely …. don’t make the same mistake these people are making.
We people watched for a little while in St. Peter’s Square, waiting for 1p when our Angel Tours tour would start.
So so so fun!
very interesting.