The Vatican City is a papal enclave set inside the confines of Rome. Here, visitors can witness a rich and lengthy religious history that still perseveres today. At the center of the Vatican you’ll find St Peter’s Square, an impressive plaza that is one of the most iconic views of the Vatican itself.
The square sits directly in front of St Peter’s Basilica, one of the biggest churches in the world and the home of the remains of St Peter. Today, it marks the entrance to Vatican City and is the starting point for any tours to the Vatican Museums, St Peter’s Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel.
The construction of the square began back in 1656 when Gian Lorenzo Bernini began to design and build what would become one of Rome’s most famous landmarks. This was during the pontificate of Alexander VII, with the square’s completion dated 1667.
Made up of two different areas, the square has become an iconic part of Roman history. The first section takes on a sort of trapezoid shape that’s marked by two arms on either side. In the second area, which is elliptical in shape, there are two hemicycles of colonnades.
Right at the heart of the square, you’ll find an ancient Egyptian obelisk which was erected at the site it sits on now back in 1586 – almost 100 years before Bernini began designing the square and the eye-catching Doric colonnades that are said to embrace visitors in the “maternal arms of Mother Church”.
In 1675, Bernini designed a granite fountain that now takes pride of place in the center of St Peter’s Square. It is a direct replica of another fountain that was the brainchild of Carlo Maderno in 1613.
In front of the Basilica, the square unfolds in a show of ancient narratives. It forms a forecourt to St Peter’s Basilica, which is one of the most important religious buildings in the world. The square was originally built so that a large number of people could see the Pope’s blessing at any given time.
Today, visitors can still witness the Pope give an audience from a window in the Basilica. The event takes place every Wednesday, drawing crowds of thousands to the sprawl of St Peter’s Square and creating a memorable experience that can’t be replicated anywhere else in the world.
If you’re visiting Vatican City, you can’t miss St Peter’s Square. The three-century-old space is the gateway to the Vatican, providing an impressive frame for the even more impressive St Peter’s Basilica.
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