St. Peter's Square

The elliptical baroque square is located right in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. There is a gigantic Egyptian obelisk (which got to Rome around the year 40 BC) in the middle of the square which was installed to its present-day location in 1586. Today, the obelisk also works as a sundial.

The square itself was designed a hundred years later by Gian Lorenzo Bernini (famous Italian baroque sculptor, painter and architect). His idea was that the square should embody the “maternal arms of Holy Mother Church”. He also hoped to create a sense of awe in the visitors of the square through the usage of a large open space.

There are 140 statues of various saints located on the top of the Colonnades that line the square. The capacity of the square is nearly half a million people. If you visit the Vatican during Christian ceremonies or festivities, be prepared for immense crowds of tourists.