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Number 3 of 20 in Rome

St Peter's Basilica: the Pietà, the canopy and the dome

St Peter's is the largest church in the world by its interior, built over the place where the apostle Peter is believed to be buried. It costs nothing to walk in.

The front of St Peter's Basilica and its dome, seen across St Peter's Square.
Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 4.0
What it is
Church
Time to allow
1.5 to 2.5 hours
Cost
Free, ticket for the dome
Best time
Before nine in the morning

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    Why St Peter's Basilica is worth it

    The first St Peter's was built by the emperor Constantine in the fourth century. The one you see was begun on 18 April 1506 and consecrated on 18 November 1626, and in those 120 years Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Maderno and Bernini all worked on it. No other building has a list of architects like it.

    Its scale is hard to take in, because everything is in proportion. The letters of the inscription round the base of the dome are taller than a person. The bronze canopy over the altar is as high as a palace. The dome above it, designed by Michelangelo when he was past seventy, rises to 136 metres and is the tallest in the world.

    And it is free. You queue for the security check in the square, not for a ticket. Only the dome and the treasury are charged for.

    What to see

    1. Michelangelo's Pietà

      In the first chapel on the right as you enter: Mary with the dead Christ across her knees, carved when Michelangelo was in his early twenties. It is the only work he ever signed, on the band across her chest.

    2. Bernini's baldachin

      The bronze canopy on four twisted columns over the high altar, made between 1623 and 1634. It stands directly above the tomb of St Peter and directly below the dome.

    3. The dome

      A lift or a staircase takes you to the roof, level with the statues on the façade. From there a narrow stair between the two shells of the dome climbs to the lantern, and to the whole of Rome.

    4. St Peter's Square

      Bernini's two colonnades, four columns deep, close the square like a pair of arms. Stand on one of the two marble discs set in the paving and each colonnade lines up into a single row.

    How to do it well

    • The queue in the square is for the metal detectors and is shortest in the first hour of the morning and late in the afternoon.
    • Shoulders and knees must be covered. Guards turn people away at the steps.
    • Climb the dome first, before the heat and the crowd. The last part is a tight spiral with sloping walls: not for anyone who dislikes closed spaces.
    • On Wednesday mornings, when the pope holds his audience in the square, the basilica opens late.
    • The Vatican Museums have a different entrance, fifteen minutes' walk round the walls. Allow for it if you plan both in one day.

    Where it is

    Address

    St Peter's Square, Vatican City

    Nearest station

    Ottaviano, on line A

    Museums and sights nearby

    Distances are in a straight line.

    Tickets and tours: St Peter's Basilica

    St Peter's Basilica: common questions

    Is St Peter's Basilica free?
    Yes. Entry to the basilica is free and needs no ticket. There is a charge for climbing the dome and for the treasury, and the tours and reserved entries sold online are optional.
    Can you climb the dome of St Peter's?
    Yes. You can take a lift or stairs to the roof, and from there it is a few hundred narrow steps inside the dome to the lantern at the top. The entrance is to the right of the basilica's portico.
    Is St Peter's Basilica part of the Vatican Museums?
    No. They are separate visits with separate entrances, about fifteen minutes' walk apart. The basilica is free. The museums, which include the Sistine Chapel, need a ticket.
    How much time do you need for St Peter's Basilica?
    Allow 1.5 to 2.5 hours. That is this site's estimate for an unhurried visit.

    What visitors say about St Peter's Basilica

    Rating from Google

    4.8

    184,832 ratings on Google

    Google's figures as read on 6 October 2026.

    Read every review on Google

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