St Peter's Basilica, Rome

Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City 

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and remains one of the largest churches in the world.   While it is neither the mother church of the Roman Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world".   Construction of the present basilica, replacing the Old St. Peter's Basilica of the 4th century, began on 18 April 1506 and took more than 120 years to complete.

How to get to the venue

The nearest subway stop is Ottaviano-S.Pietro on Linea A. Walk south on Via Ottaviano toward St. Peter's Square. If walking from the city centre, the most direct route is to cross the Tiber and walk straight up Via Conciliazioni. A more interesting route is to go under the Passetto arch near Castel S. Angelo and walk up Pio Borgo, providing a more dramatic entrance from the right (north) side of the Piazza.