St. Peter's Basilica

What makes it special

Michelangelo's Pietà sits behind nine panes of bulletproof glass, put there after a man attacked it with a hammer. He carved it in his early twenties. Look for his name on the sash across the Virgin's chest: it is the only work he ever signed.

Over the papal altar, a bronze canopy rises 29 metres on four spiral columns, twisted to recall the columns of Solomon's Temple. Beneath it, oil lamps burn in the sunken Confessio, and St Peter's tomb lies directly below the altar.

Michelangelo designed the dome, 136 metres high. Stand under it and look up: the Biblical scenes covering the inside are mosaics, not paintings. At the far end of the apse, Bernini's Cathedra Petri, the Chair of St Peter, closes the view down the nave.

From the top of the dome the view runs all the way round Rome. You pick out the Tiber, Castel Sant'Angelo and the Pantheon's dome, with the city fading into the Alban Hills.

Visiting

St Peter's admits no large bags, backpacks or suitcases, so leave them at your hotel. Every visitor then passes the Italian State Police security stations in the curve of the colonnade. Guides put that line at 15 to 30 minutes at peak hours and over an hour in high season, so arrive early.

Staff at the doors turn away bare shoulders and knees, for men and women alike. Inside, turn right for the Pietà in the first chapel, then walk up the nave toward the papal altar. On the way, pilgrims queue to touch the bronze statue of St Peter.

The dome has its own entrance and its own booking on the official site. Book it ahead rather than counting on a ticket at the dome entrance on the day; a dome booking also lets you into the basilica from an hour before your slot to an hour after it. Take the lift to the terrace level and climb the rest, or climb the whole way.

Guided or on your own

You do not need a guide: the basilica is free to walk on your own. The Tour Desk in the Welcome Area sells visits with a certified guide to the chapels and the monuments to saints and popes, and any group of more than four must register there.

Book a guided tour from outside only if you are also seeing the Sistine Chapel, since some tours take a shortcut from the chapel straight into the basilica.

Tips

Carry a shawl if your top leaves your shoulders bare: it is the simplest fix at the door. Men should take their hats off inside, and keep your voice down throughout.

For the dome, wear comfortable shoes and bring water. The stairs narrow to single file at the tightest points, with the walls curving in close, so skip the climb if tight spaces bother you.