St Peter's Basilica

La Pietà — Michelangelo, 1499

First chapel on the right (Cappella della Pietà) as you enter the main doors

Carved when Michelangelo was just 24 years old, this is arguably the most perfect marble sculpture in existence. Mary cradles the body of the crucified Christ with a serenity that transcends grief. It is the only work Michelangelo ever signed — his name is carved across the sash on Mary's chest, reportedly after he overheard the sculpture being credited to another artist.

The Baldachin — Bernini, 1623–33

At the crossing, directly above the Papal Altar and the Tomb of St Peter

A colossal 29-metre bronze canopy — taller than the Palazzo Farnese — marking the site of St Peter's tomb. Bernini cast it using bronze stripped from the Pantheon portico, prompting the quip "what the barbarians did not do, Barberini did" (Urban VIII's family name). The twisted columns echo the original Constantinian columns said to have come from Jerusalem.

The Dome — Michelangelo & Giacomo della Porta, 1590

The central dome, 136 metres above the floor; ascend for panoramic views of Rome

Michelangelo designed the dome before his death in 1564; della Porta completed it. Standing beneath it, look up to read the great inscription in letters more than two metres tall: "Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram aedificabo ecclesiam meam et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum" — the words Christ spoke to Peter in Matthew 16:18.

The Confessio — Tomb of St Peter

Beneath the high altar; descend via the Vatican Grottoes (free, separate entrance)

A gilded niche marks the spot where Constantine built his first memorial over St Peter's grave. Excavations in the 1940s–60s (the Scavi) revealed ancient tombs and bones beneath, widely accepted as those of the Apostle. Pilgrims traditionally kneel at the bronze grille and gaze down toward the tomb — one of the holiest spots in Christendom.

Cathedra Petri — Bernini, 1666

The apse at the far end of the Basilica, directly opposite the entrance

Bernini's gilded bronze throne dramatically encases the ancient wooden Chair of St Peter — believed to be the actual seat used by the Apostle. Above it, a window of golden alabaster depicts the Holy Spirit as a dove, surrounded by a blaze of bronze rays and clouds. It is one of the greatest theatrical compositions in Baroque art.

Bronze Statue of St Peter

Right aisle near the crossing, on an elevated throne

A 13th-century bronze attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio, though some scholars date it earlier. The right foot has been worn smooth by centuries of pilgrim kisses and touches — a tradition older than the current Basilica. On feast days the statue is dressed in full papal vestments and a tiara.

Monument to Alexander VII — Bernini, 1678

South transept (Porta della Morte end)

Completed when Bernini was in his eighties, many consider this his greatest sculpture. A skeleton in marble holds up an hourglass from beneath a billowing jasper drape, flanked by allegorical figures. The door into which the skeleton leans was not there when Bernini designed the tomb — it was added later, yet it only seems to enhance the composition.

The Colonnade — Bernini, 1656–67

St Peter's Square (outside the Basilica)

284 columns and 88 pilasters arranged in a sweeping ellipse, topped by 140 statues of saints. Stand on either of the two circular stones set into the piazza floor — marked "Centro del Colonnato" — and the four rows of columns appear perfectly as one. Bernini described the colonnade as the arms of the Church reaching out to embrace the world.