St Peter’s Square

It’s finally here, the moment you’ve been waiting for – welcome to St Peter’s Square in Vatican City. This is where the Pope holds all major religious gatherings and celebrations. Designed by Bernini, this massive square feels like two wide-open arms embracing pilgrims. It’s nothing short of impressive, featuring two large four-row colonnades, with a total of 284 columns, adorned with 88 pilasters and 140 statues of saints. It’s arguably one of the most famous and beautiful squares in the world, and has welcomed over 300,000 people at its most important events! In the center, you’ll see a 25-meter obelisk brought all the way from Egypt by Emperor Caius Caligula in 37 AD, to be installed in the Circus of Nero. This was just south of the present-day basilica. It was later moved here in memory of the many Christians martyred in the arena. They say that this is the spot where the Apostle Peter was crucified. On either side of the obelisk, you have the Gregoriana and Clementina fountains. They’re like twins! And on the ground, between the fountains and the obelisk, you’ll find a white marble circle bearing the words “ centro del colonnato.” It’s an optical illusion! You’ll notice that from this exact spot, the two rows of columns line up perfectly and it’s as if there were only one!