Getting into the Basilica Sancti Petri costs nothing but time waiting in line. I recommend it to anyone who has a free day in Rome, you will never forget it.
All you have to do is head to the piazza in front of the cathedral and find the end of the line. It was a really sunny day for us, so I am really happy that I put sunscreen on before getting into line. There is no cover as you trudge towards the security checkpoint, but you do get to see where the Pope lives...
The other thing that you must be sure to remember when planning your trip to the Vatican is the dress code. Men and women must have pants that cover their knees and no sleeveless tops or shirts our allowed. They will turn you back if you are not conforming to these rules. It is a separate dress code police that does this, these fellows aren't going to come after you with their halberds for that.
St. Peter's was just as impressive and awe-inspiring as the Apostolic Palace, and just like in my previous post, words and pictures cannot possibly do justice to the feelings one has when approaching the largest church in Christendom...
To say nothing of what it feels like to actually step inside...
Or to pray before the altar beneath the heavenly dome...
The artwork was just as beautiful as anything in the Vatican Museums. However, the feeling of smallness and humility that one has is more pervasive...more humbling and more spiritual than anything I experienced before...
When I looked at the clock after leaving it turns out that we did not spend a long time within the walls of St. Peter's. The experience has a timeless quality to it. One could spend days wandering back and forth through the cathedral, seeing new things every time. Being among so many people who have come to acknowledge the basilica in all its glory, or to simply pray with others, is a very strange and moving experience.
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