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St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

4.8

#1 of 51 in Things to do in Vatican City

Historic Site Church Must See

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St. Peter's Basilica is not only among the most renowned works of Renaissance architecture, but it is also one of the largest churches in the world. Built over a period of about 120 years, this imposing structure was designed by several prominent Renaissance architects, including Michelangelo and Bernini. Tradition and strong historical evince hold that the tomb of Saint Peter, one of Jesus’s twelve apostles, is located directly below the altar of the church. Because of its location in the Vatican, the Pope presides at a number of services held here throughout the year, frequently drawing audiences of up to 80,000 people. Take the elevator up to the roof and then climb the 323 steps to the top of the dome, which offers sweeping views of the surrounding area. A strict dress code forbids shorts, bare shoulders, or miniskirts inside the site. Arrange your visit to St. Peter's Basilica and discover more family-friendly attractions in Vatican City using our Vatican City road trip app .

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St. Peter's Basilica Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

37,025 reviews

Google

4.8

• By 593gabrielw

  Tornare in questa chiesa è sempre un emozione unica e indescrivibile, non sai dove puntare gli occhi, ogni sua parte è da guardare come se fosse la prima volta che lo vedi  more »

  Return to this church is always a unique and indescribable emotion, you don't know where to point your eyes, every part is to look as if it were the first time you see it
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• By Ricardo C

  Visitar la basílica de San Pedro en el Vaticano ha sido sin duda una de mis mejores experiencias a lo largo de mi vida. Desde que haces la fila para entrar, hasta pasar por la nave principal de la Bas...  more »

  Visit the basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican has been without doubt one of my best experiences throughout my life. Since you do rank to enter, until you pass by the main nave of the Basilica you can feel your inside vibrates in a special way.
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Google

• By GC Vaghasia

  Wow! What an amazing place. The energy, vibe and atmosphere is really something! You can feel the history as you stroll through the square, basilica and museum. Highly recommend the City Wonder guided tour. The lines are very long as they have 25,000 visitors per day. Take this guided your and skip the lines and have your own personal guide. Well worth it!

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• By Jeffrey Hunt

  The name and location pretty much says it all. What an unbelievable structure and quality craftsmanship there. So much history and attention to detail. If and when you go here take a moment to look at the quality of the materials and think about how hard and time-consuming it was to create such a beautiful place. Absolutely unbelievable.

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