A visit to St. Peter’s – June 19, 2014
BOB AT THE BIGLIETTERIA
Bob buys tickets for the Metro to Vatican City at the biglietteria (ticket machine)
ST. PETER’S SQUARE
By 9am we found ourselves standing in St. Peter’s square which just so happens to be round and capable of holding more than 80,000 people. While here we decided to climb to the cupola atop the dome and get a bird’s eye view of the city.
SECURITY
Stone lions and Swiss guards.
COLONNADES
140 saints stand atop the colonnades, supported by 240 huge columns, four deep.
ST. PETER’S
The world’s largest church and the world’s tallest dome at 448 feet tall. A statue of Jesus Christ stands front and center.
551 STEPS
Feeling frisky, we waived our right to take the elevator up the first 230 steps. On our way up, we noticed that steel bars had been installed in the narrow windows, presumably to deter littering or worse. The walls began to bend with the shape of the dome and we felt our chests tighten. Behind us a couple coaxed and dragged their panicked children upwards towards their goal.
THE DOME
And then we were at the atrium, walls adorned with mosaics and the dome overhead. Camille pulled her scarf over her head, momentarily connecting with her Catholic roots.
THE CHURCH
We looked down at the main altar, festooned in vibrant imagery. Later we went and found Michelangelos’ beautiful Pietà in one of the side chapels.
ROME FROM THE CUPOLA
The view from approximately 400 feet.
Full of endorphins and very pleased with themselves, Camille and Bob squint into the camera from the cupola with St. Peter’s Square down below.
IT’S EASIER COMING DOWN
Camille looks pretty happy about leaving those claustrophobic walls behind.
GARDEN VIEWS
On our way down we got a nice look at the gardens behind the church. It was not quite 10am and already throngs of visitors were arriving to see what we had seen.
___________________________________________________________________________________