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5 things you might not know about

St Peter Basilica in Rome

Most travelers in Italy have seen St Peter Basilica in Rome. Even from a distance you cannot very well miss the characteristic pillars and domes. And the interior of the church is grand, stupefying and free for all.


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As long as you are decently dressed. No shorts and tank tops for men or sleeveless miniskirts for women are allowed past the Swiss Guards. This can be quite hard in summer. I think we had to try three times, before the entire family could pass the dress code at once. Still, the visit was absolutely worth the uncomfortable attire, because there are so many interesting details and stories hidden all around the building. Here are 5 things you might not know about St. Peters Basilica in Rome.

1. Daunted by Size

The inside of the Basilica can hold up to 60 000 people, and Michelangelo’s dome soars 119 metres above the altar, which means it could accommodate London’s ArcelorMittal Orbit. The vast dimensions explain why people seem to shrink when they enter the church.

2. Famous interments

There are more than one hundred tombs in St. Peter’s including the Tomb of St. Peter whose remains have been officially identified and located.  Among the other celebrities laid to rest in the Basilica you’ll find 91 popes, St. Ignatius who holds the patronage against throat diseases and for churches in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II and a former Queen of Sweden. The most recent interment was Pope John Paul II.

St Peter Basilica in Rome

The sheer size of the basilica is daunting.

3. Michelangelo Behind Glass

Michelangelo’s Pietà is regarded one of the most important works of art in the Basilica. The sculpture has been covered by a layer of bulletproof glass, since some vandal attacked it with a hammer in 1972.

4. The Outside Colonnade

Bernini, who also sculpted the four rivers fountain on Piazza Navona, designed a total 140 statues depicting saints for St. Peter’s Basilica. They top the outside colonnade. Each statue is 3.10 metre tall and it took a lot of workers more than 40 years to complete them.  St Peter’s Basilica Org. has a list of which saints can be found where.

5. The Swiss Guard

The Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica is guarded by 120 single, Swiss Catholic, beardless males with feathered hats and blue, yellow, orange and red striped uniforms. In spite of the slightly comic outfit the Swiss Guard is a regular army with soldiers trained to protect the Pope. The Swiss Guard was founded in 1506 and new recruits are sworn in on May 6 every year.

More on Rome

Tracking Bernini in Rome

5 Foods You Must Try in Rome

Five romantic bridges in Rome

An unsuccessful daytrip from FCO Airport

5 steps to Rome

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28 replies
  1. AdriBarr
    AdriBarr says:
    February 6, 2013 at 4:29 pm

    Hi Mette,

    Can you believe that although I have been to Rome I have never been to St. Peter’s!! Thank you for the mini-tour!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 6, 2013 at 4:36 pm

      Gives you something to look forward to and a reason to go back:)

      Reply
  2. Karen Smith
    Karen Smith says:
    February 6, 2013 at 4:52 pm

    Thanks for a beautiful post! I’m pinning it to a Pinterest board I maintain for guests at our villa so that they don’t overlook St. Peters on their way to the Vatican museums. So much to see.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:29 am

      There is indeed.

      Reply
  3. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    February 6, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    Very interesting facts and all are new to me. I can’t get over the size of the place.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:30 am

      No, it is literally overwhelming.

      Reply
  4. InsideJourneys
    InsideJourneys says:
    February 7, 2013 at 2:47 am

    Sixty thousand? I had no idea it was so huge!

    I don’t understand people who damage art. What’s that all about anyway?

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:31 am

      A cry for help, I suppose.

      Reply
  5. Mary {The World Is A Book}
    Mary {The World Is A Book} says:
    February 7, 2013 at 8:09 am

    These are some interesting things about St. Peter’s! We loved our visit there. We went in Nov. so we didn’t have to worry about the dress code. We actually did a Scavi tour which went under the basilica and we were very close to St. Peter’s remains and it ended in Pope John Paul II’s tomb. One of the best tours we’ve ever had. those Swiss Guards uniforms were awesome!

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:34 am

      Interesting. And it must be nice to skip the lines when there’s little time and so much to see.

      Reply
  6. Sophie
    Sophie says:
    February 7, 2013 at 4:12 pm

    Cool facts! Another oddity: you’re allowed to snap photos inside St Peter’s Basilica, but only of the church, statues, artefacts – not of people, even the ones you’re with. Or maybe we just met an extra difficult guard…

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:42 am

      Amazing. But don’t get me started on the ridiculous rules surrounding photography and church architecture. Why don’t they like the publicity of a private snapshot or loved family member in an impressive setting when they sell postcards of the same image?

      Reply
  7. TheTuscan
    TheTuscan says:
    February 7, 2013 at 6:49 pm

    I asked once an attendant why they are enrolled in what is called “fabbrica di San Pietro”, where fabbrica in this case means ‘works’. His answer got me surprised: the Basilica is officially not yet completed.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:43 am

      Wonder why? It’s certainly a nice thing to know.

      Reply
  8. Natasha von Geldern
    Natasha von Geldern says:
    February 8, 2013 at 12:17 am

    60,000 people! OMG! The first time I went my male friend had to go buy a pair of trousers to get in. I didn’t know the Swiss Guards have to be beardless.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 8, 2013 at 9:46 am

      In Cairo they have green sheets you can borrow or rent by the entrance of a mosque. They cover you up completely. Maybe St. Peter’s should adopt this service?

      Reply
  9. Cathy
    Cathy says:
    February 10, 2013 at 11:15 am

    We weren’t allowed in with our son in his pushchair 11 years ago, so we missed out that time. But I’d seen it a couple of years before. Well worth a visit.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 13, 2013 at 9:07 am

      What an absurd rule, but great you’ve made it anyhow.

      Reply
  10. Zubi Travel
    Zubi Travel says:
    February 10, 2013 at 5:20 pm

    The basilica is huge and well worth the visit.
    You can visit it in a one-day tour along with the Vatican Museum and Sant’Angelo Castle; all are really interesting.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 13, 2013 at 9:11 am

      Good idea to combine a tour of the Vatican with a visit to Hadrian’s tomb.

      Reply
  11. Travelwriticus
    Travelwriticus says:
    February 10, 2013 at 7:02 pm

    An interesting place nearby is the Campo Santo Teutonico (cemetery) which is a bit tricky to enter. If you ask the Swiss Guards in German (!) language they generally let you it.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      February 13, 2013 at 9:14 am

      Thanks for a great tip. But I think I’d have to practice the German intensively beforehand to get the message across.

      Reply
  12. Jenn @The Rebel Chick
    Jenn @The Rebel Chick says:
    March 10, 2013 at 8:10 pm

    I am going to Italy next month and I am so glad I came across this! I am only there for 3 days, so I want to see as much as possible and have to really narrow down my sightseeing! :)

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      March 13, 2013 at 9:02 am

      Suonds like you are in for a heavy round of speed dating.

      Reply
  13. al
    al says:
    April 19, 2015 at 4:28 am

    St Blaise is the patron of throat diseases..
    St Ignatius of soldiers.
    Please go to the gift shop . Its on the roof and accessible by elevator. Also see the Vatican pharmacy as well as the shops nearby.

    Reply
    • Mette Vaabengaard
      Mette Vaabengaard says:
      April 22, 2015 at 6:08 pm

      Great info and tips. Thank you for sharing:)

      Reply
  14. thomas
    thomas says:
    December 14, 2015 at 4:10 pm

    The top of the dome is 138 meters tall, not 119, that is only the crowning of the dome without the lantern.
    The Pietà by Michelangelo, arguably the best sculpture ever created, was damaged by a hungarian tourist with mental problems, and has been restored to a leved that is impossible to human eye to see the parts that have benn restored.

    Reply
    • Mette Vaabengaard
      Mette Vaabengaard says:
      December 20, 2015 at 11:05 am

      Great points of clarification. Thank you for taking the time to put things straight:)

      Reply

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