Visiting St Peter’s Basilica | Everything You Need to Know — ALONG DUSTY ROADS

What to See Inside St Peter’s Basilica

Upon stepping through the doors of St Peter’s, the first thing you notice is the scale – columns stretch wide, the dome so high it almost escapes your first glance – and then the noise – constant, echoing, and unavoidably present. For all its grandeur, this isn’t the hushed and contemplative space people imagine. Groups move in waves, camera screens glow, and every time you try to pause for longer than a few seconds, someone needs to get past.

Still, there are places where you’ll want to hold your ground.

In the first chapel on the right is Michelangelo’s Pietà, a marble sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding Christ’s body after the Crucifixion. Completed when the artist was in his early twenties, and expertly sculpted from a single block of Carrara marble, it reminded us a little of the Veiled Christ we saw in Naples – that same surreal ability to make solid marble appear soft to the touch, thinner than physics should allow.

Beneath the Dome is the high altar, marked by Bernini’s large and ornately decorative bronze Baldachin, or canopy. This is the centre of the Basilica in every sense: directly above the site long believed to be the burial place of Saint Peter, and used only by the Pope or someone he authorises.

The nave stretches out from here, with chapels running along either side, each busy with their own stories – tombs of former popes, centuries old art works, marble figures created to honour and inspire. You’ll spot things that deserve their own moment, but you’ll also be jostled along before you’ve had a chance to fully take them in.

It’s better to accept that you won’t see everything than to try and fight the flow.

Despite this, there are quieter pockets too: spaces for confession and prayer that are only accessible to the faithful. Even if you’re not visiting for religious reasons, it’s worth remembering that many people are, and that this building remains an active place of worship rather than a static monument. Ensure that these spaces are left for those who need them – and don’t disturb or ‘create content’ with worshippers.

Continue on towards the back of the Basilica, and you’ll reach the Cathedra Petri – or Chair of Saint Peter – housed within Bernini’s large bronze monument (yes, the same Bernini). Although there is some scholarly debate, the Vatican believes it to be the episcopal throne of the Apostle Peter – which is quite an incredible thing if true – and its position here symbolises the continuity of papal authority from his time to today.

When you’ve finished taking in the main floor, consider heading below to a network of vaulted corridors known as the Vatican Grottoes. This level contains the tombs of numerous popes, as well as remnants of earlier churches built on this site. Access is included with a normal visit to St Peter’s, and there is no ticket or reservation needed.

Did You Know?  Below the Grottoes lies the Vatican Necropolis, an underground archaeological site formed from an ancient Roman cemetery that predates the current Basilica. It includes early Christian tombs and the area is long associated with the burial place of Saint Peter. Inaccessible and untouched for sixteen centuries, access here is not open to general visitors.

Instead, the Necropolis can only be seen on a one-hour, small-group guided tour organised directly through the official Excavations Office, with very limited places each day (just 250 people). Tickets cost €20 per person, and tours are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 4.30pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm.

Note that photography is not permitted, and the tight passageways make it unsuitable for those with mobility or claustrophobia concerns.

If you’re interested, you can fill in a form to arrange your visit on the official website.