We did an audio tour of St. Peter’s Basilica and paid extra to go up into the dome, since it was highly recommended on Trip Advisor reviews. The Basilica was humongous! Since 2025 is a Year of Jubilee, they had the Holy Doors open. I would’ve thought that would have been a special thing for people to choose to do, but they had ropes in place that herded everyone through them. There were groups doing the pilgrimage who were chanting/praying together, which created a somber atmosphere.
I agree that the St. Peter’s Basilica Dome is worth doing. I actually thought the “views” they were talking about were just of the inside of the Basilica from high up, which were indeed nice; not realizing we’d be outside of the dome, looking over the city, which was even cooler. We took the lift up the first section, then walked a few hundred steps to get to the upper section. It felt a little like a Fun House with the skinny, leaning, circular staircase. Afterward spending some time gazing over the city, we skipped the lift and walked the entire 500’ish steps down.
We did a guided tour of the Vatican Museums, in order for someone to point out the highlights to us. There was a lot to take in!
We weren’t supposed to take photos in the Sistine Chapel, but Randy snuck one in after he learned it had something to do with copyrights the Chinese imposed, instead of being out of respect. (Don’t tell!) I had not realized (or I had forgotten) that this was the first painting that Michelangelo ever painted. When first asked to do it, he refused, saying he was a sculptor, not a fresco artist, ha.
Here are a few random pics of Vatican City while walking to/from the Basilica and Museums.
Day 22: Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square, Dancing House, Charles Bridge
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