Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica

Rome, Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica Rome, Italy

Saint Peter

St. Peter’s Basilica Rome, Italy

St. Peter’s Basilica

Vatican Museum Rome, Italy

One of the smaller domes of St. Peter's Basilica. Rome, Italy

Vatican Museum Details

Vatican Museum Ceiling

Rome, Italy

Saint Peter's Square

Rome, Italy

St. Peter's Baldachin by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

Side Chapel Dome from St. Peter's Basilica

The Pieta by Michelangelo

St. Peter's Basilica Rome, Italy

Side Dome from St. Peter's Basilica

Rome, Italy

St. Peter's Baldachin beneath the Central Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Entrance to the Nave of St. Peter's Basilica

Rome, Italy

Monument to Pope Gregory XIII by Camillo Rusconi

St. Peter's Basilica Rome, Italy

St. Peter's Baldachin

St. Peter's Baldachin is a large Baroque sculpted bronze canopy over the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica. The baldachin is at the center of the crossing and directly under the dome of the basilica. Designed by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini, it was intended to mark, in a monumental way, the place of Saint Peter's tomb underneath. Standing 96 feet tall, it is approximately the height of a ten-story building and is the largest known bronze artwork in the world.

The Central Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Designed by Michelangelo, the central dome stands 265 feet tall with a diameter of 190 feet. Including the height of the main building, the dome stands 452 feet above street level and is the tallest dome in the world.

St. Peter's Square

Rome, Italy

The Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. It was erected by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on October 28, 312.

The Arch of Titus

The Arch of Titus is a 1st-century honorific arch located on the Via Sacra, Rome, just to the south-east of the Roman Forum. It was constructed in c. 82 AD by the Roman Emperor Domitian shortly after the death of his older brother Titus to commemorate Titus' victories, including the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Arch of Titus has provided the general model for many of the triumphal arches erected since the 16th century—perhaps most famously it is the inspiration for the 1806 Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, completed in 1836.

The Roman Colosseum

Construction of the Colosseum began under the emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, and was completed in 80 AD under his successor and heir, Titus. Further modifications were made during the reign of Domitian (81–96). The period of rule for these three emperors is known as the Flavian dynasty, and the amphitheatre was named in Latin for its association with their family name (Flavius). The Colosseum could hold, it is estimated, between 50,000 and 80,000 spectators and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology.

Roman Colosseum