Photo Galleries - Rome & Vatican

Inside the Vatican Museum.

The Holy Door into St. Peter's Basilica. It is the northernmost entrance into the basilica, and only opened for great celebrations.

The exterior of St. Peter's Basilica.  This side faces out into St. Peter's Square, and that balcony is where newly elected Popes are presented.

Saint Peter's Square as seen from the narthex of St. Peter's Basilica.

Michelangelo's original Pietà inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

The nave of Saint Peter's Basilica.  Bernini's baldaccino can be seen in the distance.

Inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

A closeup of Michelangelo's original Pietà.  He carved this masterpiece in 1499, when he was just 24 years old, and it is his only signed work.  The picture is somewhat distorted due to the glass shielding in front of the sculpture.

A portion of the ceiling near the entrance to the nave of Saint Peter's Basilica.

Inside Saint Peter's Basilica.  The grandeur and scale of it was amazing.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica.

The top of Bernini's baldacchino inside Saint Peter's Basilica.  Note the letters above on the walls.  Those are 2 meters - that's 6.6 feet - high!!!  That should lend some sense of scale ot the photo.

The north transept arm of Saint Peter's Basilica.

A look at a portion of the south transept arm inside Saint Peter's Basilica.

The chancel of Saint Peter's Basilica.  Bernini's Cathedra Petri and Gloria can be seen, as well as a portion of his baldacchino.

Swiss Guard outside Saint Peter's Basilica.

The east façade of Saint Peter's Basilica from Saint Peter's Square.