Saint Peter's Basilica
Rome's largest church
Saint Peter's Basilica is the massive Renaissance church in Vatican City, built over what tradition holds to be the burial site of the apostle Peter.
Completed in 1626, it serves as the ceremonial center of Roman Catholicism—site of papal masses, canonizations, and major liturgical events.
Its dome, designed by Michelangelo, dominates the Rome skyline: We climbed to the top of Saint Peter's Basilica for the view.
- domeRounded vault forming roof
- naveChurch's main interior
- crossPass from side to side
- papacyPope's office and authority
- MichelangeloFlorentine sculptor and painter
baldachin · high altar · vault · Constantine · transept · martyrdom · Vatican City · eternal city · sculpture · apostle · Bernini · pilgrimage · cupola · Renaissance · marble · canonization · Holy See · mosaic
- Medieval Romepapacy, popes, Vatican, Tiber River, cardinals
- sacred sitesBuddhist temples, Jerusalem, consecrated ground, Hindu temples, sacred rivers
- Italian ShrinesTurin Shroud, Shroud of Turin, Catacombs, Catacombs of Rome
Saint Peter's Basilicahouse church
Congregation meeting in residence
storefront church · catacombs · prayer closet · parish church · village church
Saint Peter's BasilicaKaaba
Sacred cube in Mecca
Masjid al-Haram · Al-Aqsa Mosque · Western Wall · Golden Temple · Kingdom Hall
saint, saints, saintly, sainthood, sainted, Peter, peters, petered, petering