The Interior


Once inside the basilica the visitor immediately becomes aware that this is not only the shrine containing St. Peter's tomb, it is also a holy place of the religion for which Peter so generously gave his life. Here Catholics come to profess their faith in God, in Jesus Christ and in their Church, which is "one, holy, catholic and apostolic," and to reaffirm their promise to remain faithful to Peter in the person of his successors. "Here we are in St. Peter's, in the Vatican Basilica, the most beautiful church of the most beautiful religion in the world...How can one but adore a religion that is capable of producing such beauty?"
(Stendhal)

A brief stop at the beginning of the central nave offers a magnificent view: grandeur, splendor, spiritual peace and serene joy come together here. The immensity of the place, the harmonious ceiling, the colored marble floors, the statues of the saints who founded religious orders and congregations in the niches of the pillars, in fact, they are
the jewels and true pillars of the Church. In the middle, as if to mark the holiest place, the tomb of St. Peter, stands the magnificent baldachin designed by Bernini beneath Michelangelo's majestic dome.

Along the perimeter of the central nave, of the transept, and above the arches, portrayed as female figures are the twenty-eight Christian and human virtues that help us as we travel on our journey towards God, source of all that is good.

The basilica extends over an area of 25,616 square meters; the outside perimeter is 1, 778 meters long. It has 44 altars, 11 domes, 778 columns, 395 statues and 135 mosaic pictures. The central nave is 187 meters long, 140 meters wide at the transept, 46 meters high. The dome rises 137 meters into the Roman sky.

This building, the creation of some of the world's greatest artists, is a lasting testimony of faith in the Church. It embodies the majesty, power, glory, strength and beauty of God who welcomes all to His
church.

Before taking a look at the most important artworks inside the basilica, let us stop a moment. Two pairs of chubby little angels support the holy water stoups, and they remind us to respect the silence of this place of worship because, "My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer" (Mark 11:17).