Vatican City full view

Vatican City full view
Originally uploaded by Venkata.

Arriving at St. Peter's Square, we are immediately impressed by the size of the memorable square facing St.Peter's, surrounded by the magnificent four-row colonnade
masterpiece of Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Only when one gets inside the basilica, slowly climbing up the sweeping three flights of steps designed by Bernini, one will be truly amazed by the size and splendour of the largest church in the world, the symbol of
Christianity, extending over a total of about 22,000 sqm.
The building is 136 m. high, the diameter of the Cupola, designed by Michelangelo, measures 42 m. It is possible to reach the top of the Cupola climbing 330 steps: once up there the view of the square below and of Rome is unforgettable. The church contains the masterpieces of important artists: the 29 m. high bronze baldachin by Bernini, the Pietà by Michelangelo, the tomb of Clement XIII by Canova and the mosaic of the Navicella by Giotto, located above the middle entrance to the Portico.
Numerous and timeless are the works of art, mainly paintings, kept in the Vatican Museums, which preserve the art of the most illustrious artists of all times. A visit to the Sistine Chapel, a milestone in the history of Italian painting, should not be missed.

Brief historical outline
The first basilica of St. Peter, belonging to the Vatican City, independent State since 1929 (Lateran Pacts), was built by emperor Costantin about 320 A.D. near the necropolis which included the tomb of the martyrized Saint, that can still be visited today. Around 1450, reconstruction works were first entrusted to Bernardo Rossellino, later on to Bramante who designed a Greek-cross plan basilica, and then to Raphael who designed it, instead, following a Latin-cross plan. The design by Bramante was resumed and enlarged by Michelangelo in 1547. Before its official conservation in 1626, the church was modified by Carlo Maderno who reverted definitively to the Latin-cross plan.