St. Peter’s Square – Natalie the Explorer

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world (source) with a compact 49 hectares of total area. In 1929, it became independent from Italy by the signing of the Lateran Treaty. This city state is ruled by the Pope.

My first visit to Vatican City years ago was on my own. On my second visit in March 2024, I decided to join a morning Vatican City guided tour to skip the line-up and to learn more about the history and artwork with a knowledgeable guide.

Vatican City Guided Tour

It was a beautiful and sunny morning when I met up with my tour guide and group. The tour guide was friendly and had a sense of humour. After brief introductions and head count, she quickly led us (a group of 16 visitors) pass the ticket checkpoint and started the tour.

The guided tour covers three big sites in Vatican City: The Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s Basilica. We started from the Pinecone (Pigna) Courtyard before entering the Vatican Museums.

Pinecone Courtyard

In the Pinecone Courtyard, we saw the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican gardens, the sculpture of the “Sphere within Sphere” by Arnaldo Pomodoro, and the bronze pinecone that gives this courtyard its name.

There are three boards with illustrations of the Sistine Chapel. These are purposely set up for tour guides to explain the Chapel before visitors go inside due to the “no talking and no photography” rule inside the Sistine Chapel.

The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican gardens

The bronze pinecone that gives the courtyard its name

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel

The Vatican Museums display the massive collection of art that was amassed by the Catholic Church. It would take years to see 70,000 works of art on display in roughly 2,000 rooms. Some of the most amazing rooms include Gallery of the Maps and Gallery of the Tapestries date back to the 1500’s.

*The Resurrection of Christ* tapestry created by Raphael in 1516

We entered the Sistine Chapel to see incredible artworks, particularly the ceiling painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512 and The Last Judgment that he painted between 1535 and 1541 on the wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel.

St. Peter’s Basilica and Square

From the Sistine Chapel, we walked through a passageway to enter St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest church in the world.

St. Peter’s Basilica and seating area for Papal Audience

St. Peter’s Square with its 284 Doric columns, 88 pilasters and the Vatican obelisk

The inside of St. Peter’s Basilica is awe inspiring. Words are not enough to describe its grandeur and beauty, from the stunning mosaics on the floor, the massive marble columns, to the artworks everywhere. There are many statues, graves of the Popes, and Papal tombs that sit underneath of St. Peter’s Basilica. This is the final resting place for over 90 popes and dignitaries.

St. Peter’s Basilica dome designed by Michelangelo

*La Pietà* carved by Michelangelo when he was only 23 years old

As we left St. Peter’s Basilica, we saw two members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard in their dress uniform of blue, red, orange and yellow with a mantle to protect the uniform from the elements.

I enjoyed the tour and greatly appreciated my tour guide’s knowledge and experience. The morning tour was an excellent choice as we had low crowds throughout the tour.