For centuries the Vatican has been the centre of the Roman Catholic church and the headquarters of the popes. In 1929 it was granted the status of a separate state and has its own post office and radio station which broadcasts in 20 different languages. Today it is most famous for the massive basilica of St Peter and for the 7 km of galleries in its museums, full of art treasures.
St Peter's
The original basilica was erected by Constantine in the 4th century but, not surprisingly after generations of sackings and attack on the city, by the early 16th century it was falling down and in 1502 Pope Julius II commissioned the architect Bramante to design a new church. The works took more than 100 years to complete and involved many of the greatest artists and architects of the time. The dome was designed by Michelangelo but finished by Giacomo della Porta and Domenico Fontana in 1593 (nearly 30 years after Michelangelo's death); Carlo Modena designed the façade (1614) while the oval colonnaded square is the work of Bernini; the 20 meter high baldacchino over the tomb of St Peter, the monuments to Urban VIII (at the end of the nave) and to Alexander VII (to the left of the transept) this was Bernini's last work (1678). Other major sights include Michelangelo's ŒPiet๠sculpted in 1499 when he was 25 years old; a 13th century statue of St Peter, its right foot worn away by the touch of pilgrims and a fragment of Giotto's mosaic saved from the original basilica. From the cupola there are magnificent views over St Peter's square and over the whole of Rome.
