Vatican City State St. Peter's Square - Piazza San Pietro
Saint Peter's Square (Italian: Piazza San Pietro [ˈpjattsa sam ˈpjɛːtro], Latin: Forum Sancti Petri) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus considered by Catholics to be the first Pope.
At the center of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected at the current site in 1586. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square almost 100 years later, including the massive Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors in "the maternal arms of Mother Church". A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo.
At the center of the square is an ancient Egyptian obelisk, erected at the current site in 1586. Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square almost 100 years later, including the massive Doric colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors in "the maternal arms of Mother Church". A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo.
Photography Tips
Bring all your equipment and all your lenses. Use of a tripod is recommended. Use HDR for best results. Visit the square at different times of the day.
Travel Information
By walk or public transport.
Spot Type
Outdoor
Crowd Factor
Lots of people
Best Timing
Blue hour/at night
Sunrise & Sunset
07:07 - 16:45
| current local time: 09:43
Photo Themes
Architecture
christian
Church
City
City landscape
Cityscapes
Dom
dome
Kirche
night cityscape
pabst
pope
Sacred Place
square
Tourist Attraction
Spot Comments (0)