St. Peter's Basilica and Square, Rome, Italy

St. Peter's Basilica was definitely one of the highlights of our visit to Rome.  It is simply put, beautiful and impressive, and like no other church we have seen or visited before.  

Although admission to St. Peter's is free, the queue is always long and so we decided to pay a small fee to join a guided tour and get priority entrance.  It was well worth it as we didn't waste any time standing in line for hours.

St. Peter's has many features including Michelangelo's Pietá, which he carved in 1499 at the age of 25; the huge dome; the Baldacchino (Bernini's huge altar canopy) and the Statue of St. Peter.  Everything is so ornate and impressive.

During our tour around St. Peter's we spotted some Swiss guards.  The Swiss guards are often called "the world's smallest army" and they are responsible for the safety of the Pope.  They also serve as personal escorts to the pontiff and they watch over the Vatican City and St Peter's Basilica.  

Base of the Dome
Visitors are allowed access to the base and to the top of the St. Peter's Basilica dome for a fee.  We took the elevator to the base of the dome (inner and outer shell) and then we climbed to the very top.  At the base there was a viewing area along the inner shell where we could look down at the church.

 Top of the Dome
From the base of the dome we climbed the 330 steps to get to the 435 feet (132 metres) lantern, where we got sweeping vistas across the city.  Part of the staircase was pretty narrow and steep, and a little claustrophobic, but it was well worth it for the amazing view from the top.