Vatican Pictures
Piazza San Pietro

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The Vatican state's Basilica di San Pietro and the Bernini designed Piazza San Pietro. The curved lines of huge columns encircling the square symbolically welcome visitors to the Catholic church with open arms.
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The Vatican, a sovereign [self-controlled] state within Italy since 1929 has around 1,000 inhabitants living in spacious, attractive and well-protected surroundings. Security indoors is famously provided by Swiss guards in colourful stripey uniforms designed by - no prizes for guessing - Michelangelo.
St. Peter's [as its known in English] and the Vatican Museums are one of Rome's must-dos, even if you're not a Christian and don't like crowds, as the size, affluence and history of the place is fascinating while the amazing works of art are world-beating. St Peter is supposedly buried directly beneath the vivacious dome, Rome's largest at 41m diameter.

Michelangelo's wonderful Pieta statue [created at the age of 24] is unfortunately behind glass after attack by a headcase, but the Basilica also offers a bronze statue of St Peter whose feet pilgrims line up to rub smooth, a bizarre marble-cloaked Death by Bernini and various other colourful creations though the majority of hand-waving white marble popes are extremely dull.
Dull also are the Grottoes, but those with strong legs, resistance to claustrophobia and a few euros to spare may be prepared to pay to climb the narrow stairs up to the platform circling the outside of the dome for spectacular views over to the Castel Sant' Angelo and the Tiber River.

The Vatican Museums and their massive 1,400 room collection of some of the world's best art are around the corner where a wait will be necessary to get in and you will be far from alone inside. A full viewing of the museums will take at least two days and a 7km [4m] walk, but a short highlight walk is colour coded for simplicity. The Museum must-see pictures are Big Mike's Last Judgement painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's frescos in the four rooms known as Stanze di Rafaello.
What really distinguishes these works from, say, the Louvre in Paris, is that the pictures are painted on the walls and ceilings, not hung on them. The difference is dramatic.