Michelangelo himself designed this dome, which measures 450 ft. above the ground at its top and stretches 139 ft. in diameter. The climb to the top of the dome proceeds through progressively narrower and sloping stairs. The narrow passageway can be uncomfortable if you are claustrophobic. The day we took the climb, it was very warm and humid. It felt a lot better once we reached the top and some fresh air!
The views of Rome from the top are magnificent. In particular, St. Peter's Square, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, and the views of the city of Rome. The following photos are from around St. Peter's Dome on our way into the Scavi this particular morning.
The Sacvi, also known as the Vatican Necropolis, The Tomb of the Dead or St. Peter’s Tomb, the area was discovered beneath St. Peter’s Basilica in the 1940s (around the time of World War II) when the Vatican commissioned excavations to be carried out there before Pope Pius IX was set to be buried in the space. Long presumed to be the final resting place of St. Peter, it was presumed that there wasn’t much down there.
What archaeologists found however, was a burial ground (aka a necropolis) dating all the way back to the 4th century. They found a spot of ancient graffiti that translated as Peter is here. You should never take a graffiti artist's word for it but archaeologists today are quite sure that bone fragments retrieved here belonged to Saint Peter himself, one of Jesus’s twelve apostles.
Because only 200 people are allowed into the Vatican Necropolis per day in groups with a maximum size of 12 due to space and preservation concerns, demand is high. We were very fortunate to be able to go on this tour! It was quite fascinating to see! Unfortunately, no cameras allowed.
Here are some photos from our climb up to the top of the Dome.
A very tight squeeze on the climb to the top!
The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel as viewed from the top of the Dome.
St. Peter's Square and surrounding landscapes of Rome.
We made it!!
Some more photos of St. Peter's after our climb up the Dome.
After our climb, we headed over to a restaurant east of the Vatican. Tre Pupazzi is located on Via Borgo Pio. It was a nice quaint restaurant and served an excellent veal dish with ham and cheese inside. Highly recommended! Here is a shot of the restaurant. It was a beautiful day so we ate outside!
