St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's Basilica is a Renaissance church in Vatican City, built over the traditional burial site of the apostle Peter, the first pope. Construction of the present structure began in 1506 to replace the decaying fourth-century basilica of Constantine, and it was completed in 1626 after the labors of a succession of the era's greatest architects, including Donato Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.
The basilica is celebrated for its colossal scale and artistic riches. Michelangelo designed its soaring dome, which dominates the Rome skyline, while Bernini created the sweeping elliptical colonnade of St. Peter's Square and the bronze baldachin over the papal altar. Inside are treasures such as Michelangelo's Pieta and the ornate Chair of St. Peter.
As the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church by interior measure of any Christian building for centuries, St. Peter's is a principal pilgrimage site and the setting for the most solemn papal liturgies. Millions of visitors from around the world come each year to admire its art and worship at the symbolic center of the Roman Catholic Church.
- Annual visitors
- ≈ 11,000,000
- Location
- 41.9022, 12.4533
- Local time
- 00:35 (Europe/Vatican)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sun | 07:00–19:00 |
Open daily; extended to 20:00 in peak summer. Access may pause during papal liturgies.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
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Saint Peter Saint
Apostle and first pope; his tomb lies in the confessio directly beneath the high altar and baldachin
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Pope Saint John Paul II Saint
Entombed in the Chapel of St. Sebastian, a major pilgrim devotion
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Pope Saint Pius X Saint
His body is enshrined in the Chapel of the Presentation
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Pope Saint Leo the Great Saint
Buried in the basilica; commemorated by Algardi's marble altar relief
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Pope Saint Gregory the Great Saint
Doctor of the Church buried in the basilica, with a dedicated altar
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Pope Saint John XXIII Saint
Incorrupt body displayed under the Altar of St. Jerome
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Saint Longinus Saint
Bernini's colossal statue stands at a crossing pier; relic of the Holy Lance kept here
Care & donations
Fabbrica di San Pietro (Holy See)
Donations accepted via the Fabbrica di San Pietro and Peter's Pence (vatican.va)
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