St Peter's Square

Seeing the square in person after watching it in videos for so long was breathtaking, and it lived up to the anticipation. The monuments and statues around it are all steeped in history. I was there in December, when the life-sized nativity scene and huge Christmas tree looked lovely lit up at night.

At sunset, the light on the travertine gives the place an incredible feel, with 140 statues of saints looking down from above the colonnade. From the center, Bernini’s design really comes together: 284 huge columns curve around you like two welcoming arms. There are white marble discs on the ground near the fountains, too. Stand on one and the four rows of columns line up to look like a single row.

Wednesday and Sunday tend to be crowded because of the Papal Audience and Angelus, so avoid those busiest days if you want a quieter visit or photos. Papal events can fill the square quickly. Keep your bag secure and be respectful around the basilica and crowds; there are airport-like security checks at the nearby basilica entrance. Saint Peter’s Square is public, with free entry, and makes sense as part of a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica. The open piazza sits in front of the basilica façade. Its oval shape, sweeping colonnades and Vatican obelisk make it iconic. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed it for Pope Alexander VII, and it was completed in 1667. The Vatican says the obelisk came from the circus of Caligula and Nero. The nearest metro is Ottaviano–San Pietro on Line A, and several buses stop nearby.

We were fortunate to see this marvelous structure in 2024. Piazza San Pietro is in Vatican City, and the piazza is big enough for over 300,000 people at major religious events. Pope Alexander VII commissioned the square so large numbers of people could see the Pope giving blessings from St. Peter’s Basilica. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the elliptical colonnade in the 17th century. Its four rows contain 284 columns, said to represent the maternal arms of Mother Church embracing visitors. Above them are 140 statues of saints, each about nine feet tall.