St. Peter's Basilica
The world's largest church, built directly over the grave believed to hold St. Peter's bones.
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Four masters shaped it across 120 years (1506–1626): Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno, Bernini. Michelangelo's dome rises 136.57m, the tallest in the world, above Bernini's bronze canopy over the papal altar. Michelangelo's Pietà stands in the first chapel on the right.
What to look for
- Nave-floor markers showing the comparative lengths of other churches, measured from the entrance
- The bronze statue of St. Peter—sometimes attributed to the late-13th-century sculptor Arnolfo di Cambio—one foot largely worn away by centuries of pilgrims' kisses
- The Holy Door in the narthex, opened only during jubilee years
St. Peter's tomb lies directly below the high altar, also known as the Altar of the Confession.
St. Peter's Basilica is one of 40 sights worth the detour in Rome, all bundled offline in Voyage GO — download the Rome pack and it sits on your map with no signal, filling your travel passport the moment you walk past.
More to see in Rome
- Vatican CityThe world's smallest sovereign state fits in 44 hectares — you cross its border by stepping over a white line.
- ColosseumAround 50,000 Romans packed this stone oval to watch spectacles staged over a two-level warren of cages beneath the arena floor.
- Sistine ChapelMichelangelo painted the ceiling standing up, not on his back — and cardinals still elect the pope in this room.
- PantheonA 1,900-year-old concrete dome with a hole punched in the top — when it rains in Rome, it rains inside too.
- Stadio OlimpicoOne 70,634-seat bowl, two cross-town tenants: AS Roma and SS Lazio both play here.
- Roman ForumThe valley where Rome held elections, tried criminals, and paraded victorious generals down the Via Sacra.