St Peter’s Basilica

One of the most significant Christian sites in the world is St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, which is a church with a distinguished history as opposed to a cathedral. St. Peter's Basilica, also known as the "Papal Basilica of Saint Peter" and known in Italian as "Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano," is located over the location of its namesake's grave. In the year 324 AD, Constantine, the Roman emperor, erected the first basilica above the Circus of Nero. The saint's shrine is still present in St. Peter's Basilica, and it is believed that he is interred under the papal altar.

Visitors can examine a variety of historical artwork, primarily from the Renaissance, as well as the tombs of former popes such Pope Pius XI (1939), Pope John XXIII (1963), and Pope John Paul II inside St. Peter's Basilica (d. 2005). The Basilica's Grottoes are home to many of their tombs.

The Pieta by Michelangelo, the foot of which pilgrims typically touch, the Statue of St. Peter Enthroned by Arnolfo di Cambio, and the gilded Monument to Pope Alexander VII by Bernini are just a few of St. Peter's Basilica's most notable works of art. The Historic Center of Rome is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and St. Peter's Basilica is a component of that.

Location: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican