{"id":9526,"date":"2022-01-27T10:03:09","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T10:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/st-peters-square-rome\/"},"modified":"2024-09-11T13:03:51","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T13:03:51","slug":"st-peters-square-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ulysses.travel\/en\/st-peters-square-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"St Peter’s Square in Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Nestled at the foot of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica, St. Peter\u2019s Square is the heart of Vatican City and the spiritual center of Catholicism.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahoy, travelers! Captain Ulysses is here to guide you through this true baroque gem, designed in the 17th<\/sup> century by the iconic architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u26a0\ufe0f Rome is a top tourist destination!<\/strong> If you’re planning to visit the dome of St. Peter\u2019s Basilica, be sure to book your tickets in advance: dome access + audio-guided tour (available in French).<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Insider<\/strong> Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Top tip:<\/strong> Free guided city tour<\/a> (in English)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accommodations:<\/strong> all our tips recommendations <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan your stay:<\/strong> the complete guide to Rome<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting Rome with children:<\/strong> all our tips<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A Brief History of St. Peter\u2019s Square in the Vatican<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s travel back to the 16th<\/sup> century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1506, Pope Julius II ordered the demolition of the old Paleochristian basilica, which had been built in honor of St. Peter by Emperor Constantine in the 4th<\/sup> century AD. The goal was to make room for a grand and opulent new basilica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As St. Peter\u2019s Basilica is the spiritual center of Catholicism, it needed to reflect its significance and inspire awe in the faithful and pilgrims who came to pray in the Eternal City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The construction of this new basilica was entrusted to the greatest architects of the time, including Bramante, Raphael, Baldassarre Peruzzi, Michelangelo, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, and of course, Bernini.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new St. Peter\u2019s Basilica was consecrated by Pope Urban VII in 1626. However, at that time, St. Peter\u2019s Square was still a relatively ordinary rectangular esplanade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"St.<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Thirty years later, in 1656, that Pope Alexander VII entrusted Bernini with the difficult task of completely restructuring St. Peter’s Square in order to highlight the new basilica as well as to be able to accommodate large gatherings. Work began in 1658 and was completed in 1667.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Between 2009 and 2014, St. Peter’s Square was subject to a vast restoration plan initiated by the Vatican Museum and financed by private patrons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visiting St. Peter’s Square<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Structure Architecture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dimensions<\/em><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

St. Peter\u2019s Square is truly awe-inspiring at first glance, largely due to its monumental dimensions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n