St. Peter's Basilica

The interiors of St. Peter’s Basilica includes the extended nave in the form of a Latin cross. The interior of the place has been home to many chapels, including Chapel of the Presentation of the Virgin, the Clementine Chapel, and numerous other altars. Additionally, you can also find the Chapel of the Confession beneath the high altar.

The interior of the church is home to some of the greatest Renaissance and Baroque sculptures and other works of art, including Pieta by Michelangelo, the baldachin or ceremonial canopy and the traditional chair of St. Peter by Bernini. You can also find several neoclassical marble statues and the papal tombs here.

St. Peter’s Basilica is approachable via the St. Peter’s Square, which also has a façade of St. Peter, complete with giant Corinthian columns and statues of Jesus Christ, 11 of the Apostles and John the Baptist. The steps leading to the church are guarded by two 18-feet high statues of St. Peter and St. Paul.

The basilica of this church is one of the four major basilicas of Rome, including that of St. Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Paul and St. John Lateran, and has the tallest dome in the whole world. The dome was mostly designed by Michelangelo between 1585 to 1590 and rests on four majestic piers.

One of the major highlights of St. Peter's Basilica Rome is its cupola, or the dome. Accessible by a flight of 551 stairs, you can head to the top of the cupola and enjoy some of the best views of the Roman cityscape from here. You can also visit the secret rooftop coffee shop of St. peters basilica and indulge in an espresso or gelato, one of the famous basilicas in Italy

The statue of Pieta is one of the main highlights of St peter's Basilica, and is a religious sculpture which was carved by Michelangelo when he was only 24 years old. It was carved from a single slab of Carrara marble, and showcases the tragic moment when Virgin Mary took Jesus down from the cross.

Also Checkout: St Peter's Basilica Entrances

The Basilica is centred around the Papal Altar, which was declared sacred in 1594, and is the place where only the Pope celebrates Mass. On top of the Papal Altar, you can see Bernini’s canopy, while the ancient tomb of St. Peter lies directly below the Papal Altar.

Suggested Read: Statues Of St Peter's Basilica

Made by Gian Lorenzo Bernini is the 4-metre-tall statue of St. Longinus, another highlight of St Peter's basilica. Longinus was a blind Roman soldier who speared Jesus in the side when he was being crucified. The statue depicts him with extended arms, almost as if receiving divine guidance.

Also Read: Skip The Line St Peter's Basilica

At St. Peter's Basilica Rome, you can also find a bronze statue of St. Peter, depicted in a way such that he seems to be giving blessings, while also holding the keys to heaven. Visitors coming to the basilica tend to touch and kiss the statue’s foot, almost as if seeking its blessings and praying to be let into heaven.

Do Checkout: Saint Peter the Apostle

The Confession is one of the most popular places in St. Peter’s Basilica. Located towards the right of the bronze canopy over the main altar, it is a blocked off and private section, where you must take permission before entering to make your confession.

St. Peter’s Basilica is also home to St. Peter’s Tomb, which is a site that has many graves as well as a structure which memorialises the location of St. Peter’s grave. Located near the western end of a section of mausoleums and tombs, it is here where parts of the original church and the necropolis have been found.

The Vatican Grottoes inside St. Peter's Basilica are home to chapels which have been dedicated to many saints as well as tombs of popes, kings and queens from the 10th century. Located between the Renaissance Saint Peter's basilica and the 4th century Basilica of Constantine, these grottoes also consist of Peter’s Tomb.

Also Read: St Peter's Basilica Architecture