St. Peter's Basilica
Vaticano, Prati
- Location: St. Peter's Basilica
- Address: Piazza San Pietro
- Phone#: +39 06 698 83731
- Opening: From April to September h 7am - 7pm
From October to March h 7am - 06.30pm - Price: Free entrance
- Transportation: Metro: line A (station Ottaviano). Bus: 62, 64.
- Visit lasts: 1 hour (about)
- Services:
It is the biggest of the four patriarchal basilicas of the city and the center of Catholicism. Constantine had it built after the Edict of Milan (313), which liberalized Christianity. It is built on the same place where the Circus of Nero once stood and atop the necropolis where the apostle Peter is buried. The present day church, begun in 1506 under Julius II, was completed in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII: in that century the project involved architects such as Bramante, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane, Peruzzi, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta and Maderno. It holds an unthinkable number of priceless masterpieces.
THINGS TO KNOW: The 25 December of 800, Charlemagne was crowned Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire by Pope Leo III. Even today we ignore whether the celebration was desired by the King of France or if he would have gladly avoided it to not enter into conflict with the Roman Emperor of the East.
