St Peter's Square Rome

If you are fond of history and looking for a place to go for your holidays, you should choose Roma. Often, tourists rent an Appartement Vacances a Rome and directly go in Vatican City, a unique place in the world.

St Peters Square is located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican city, the papal enclave within Rome.

Designed and built by Bernini between 1656 and 1667, in the pontificate of Alexander VII ( 1655-1667 ), the square is made from two different areas. The first has a trapezoid shape, marked off by two straight closed and convergent arms on each side of the church square.

The second area is elliptical and is encircled by the two hemicycles of a four-row colonnade, because, as Bernini related, considering that Saint Peters is just about the matrix of all of the churches, its portico had to give an open-armed, motherly welcome to all Catholics, confirming their religion ; to heretics, reconciling them with the Church ; and to the infidels, enlightening them about the true faith. Bernini had in reality drew up a three-armed portico, but after Alexander VIIs death, construction of the portico was halted, and the third arm was never built. It would have enclosed the whole building and separated the ellipse from the Borgo quarter, so creating a surprise effect for the pilgrim who all of a sudden found himself in the square. This effect was rather accomplished by the buildings surrounding the square, the so-called Spina di Borgo, which naturally closed in the square. In 1950, via della Conciliazione, a new, wide street leading to the Vatican Basilica, was opened. It magnifies the majestic view of Saint Peters dome, and also deeply altered Berninis original plan.

The measurements of the square are inspiring : it is 320 m deep, its diameter is 240 m and it's surrounded by 284 columns, set out in rows of 4, and 88 pilasters. Around the year 1670, Berninis pupils built 140 statues of saints, 3.20 m high along the balustrade above the columns. On both sides of the obelisk, which was moved to the middle of the square by Domenico Fontana in 1585, are two great fountains built by Bernini ( 1675 ) and Maderno ( 1614 ). Below, at the foot of the staircase in front of the basilica, the statues of Saint Peter and Saint Paul seem to welcome visitors.

Of great interest is the Royal Staircase, which links the square to the Vatican Palaces. It was built between 1662 and 1666, and although it actually measures 60 metres, perspective devices, for example the progressive narrowing of the width and a reduced distance between the columns towards the top, cause it to appear much longer.

On Sundays at 12 noon, the pope typically ( if he is's in town ) appears at the second window from the right of the Apostolic Palace, to hope the Angelus and bless the group in the Square. So if you want to see the Pope, don’t hesitate more and find an Appartement à Rome right now.