Meet your tour guide and learn about St. Peter’s Square. This square, surrounded by a majestic quadruple colonnade, displays the largest church of the Christian world: St. Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro). It is also the heart of Vatican City, the smallest state in the world, which was in antiquity occupied by Nero’s circus and gardens, where many Christians, including St. Peter, were martyred. In the centre of this 320 meter-wide piazza stands an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by Caligula in 37 AD. In 1656 Bernini began building the quadruple colonnade of 284 columns in 88 rows, which according to the artist symbolize the “gathering of Christendom.” From two points in the square which are marked on the ground by a stone, the four concentric rings of columns visually merge into one. The balustrade supported by the columns is decorated with 140 statues of saints. The huge door of the basilica is framed by statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

We will explore the remains of the vast Roman Necropolis that developed between the 1st and 4th centuries along the Via Cornelia, on Vatican Hill, near the Circus of Nero and Caligula, where Saint Peter was martyred in 67 AD. Nearby, early Christians buried the Apostle’s remains in the bare earth, later gathering them around 150 AD beneath a small marble shrine known as the Trophy of Gaius. When Emperor Constantine built the first Basilica over Peter’s tomb in 319, he preserved the existing Necropolis and honored the burial site with a monumental memorial. Sealed beneath successive basilicas for over 16 centuries, the Necropolis remained hidden until excavations ordered by Pope Pius XII in 1939 brought it back to light, revealing both the ancient burial ground and the Tomb of Saint Peter, whose relics can be venerated during the visit.

After the necropolis visit, enter St. Peter’s Basilica with priority access. Few places in the world can match St. Peter’s Basilica in both size and significance. Step inside the historic walls of Vatican City, the residence of the Pope, and discover one of the most important destinations of religious and historical pilgrimage. St. Peter, one of the apostles and the first Pope, was crucified in Rome in 64 AD. There is strong evidence suggesting that his body is buried beneath the basilica’s main altar. If you love architecture, St. Peter’s is a breathtaking masterpiece. And even if you are not particularly interested in the spiritual side, it is hard not to be moved by such a magnificent building. Although St. Peter’s is often thought of as a cathedral, it is not the official seat of the Bishop of Rome (that title belongs to St. John Lateran), making it technically a basilica rather than a cathedral.

At the end of the tour of the Basilica, if you have selected the Dome visit included OPTION, you will be personally escorted to the elevator to begin your ascent. From the top, you will enjoy a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view: St. Peter’s Square perfectly framed below, the Vatican Gardens, and the rooftops of Rome stretching all the way to the horizon. It is a breathtaking and unforgettable perspective of the Eternal City — the perfect grand finale to your experience.