St. Peter's Square

Overview

St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro) is the massive, awe-inspiring masterpiece of Baroque urban design. It is created to physically and spiritually overwhelm every single person who steps into its massive ellipse.

Highlights

• The Colonnades: Bernini's absolute masterpiece—two staggering, colossal sweeping semicircular massive colonnades (four massive Doric columns deep) topped by 140 massive towering statues of saints, embracing the massive square like "the maternal arms of Mother Church."
• The Obelisk: The massive, solid towering 4,000-year-old un-inscribed Egyptian obelisk standing in the absolute geometric center, formerly used as a massive turning post in Nero's brutal circus.
• The Optical Illusion: Locate the marked round marble discs embedded in the massive cobblestones strictly between the obelisk and the massive fountains. Stand on one; look at the massive colonnade—the four rows of massive columns visually snap into a single flawlessly perfect row.

History

commissioned in 1656 by Pope Alexander VII, the brilliant architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini was tasked with a impossible massive architectural nightmare: elegantly design a massive, proportionate square hiding the awkward papal palace, holding 300,000 pilgrims, and framing the massive basilica. The resulting sweeping elliptical masterpiece defined Baroque architecture.

Visitor Tips

• The Light: Do not arrive at massive high noon; the massive blazing white travertine stone reflects the punishing sun notably. Early morning or late afternoon provides sweeping, brilliant shadows.
• Duration: 30–45 minutes.