Inside Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome

The centre of the Roman Catholic church revealed!

Greetings Gold and Silver Level Templar knights! What a pleasure to be back in the Vatican looking around Saint Peter’s Basilica. Let me give you a quick tour!

When you enter Saint Peter’s basilica, the first thing that strikes you is the sheer size. It’s enormous. Not surprisingly when it was being built, some people in Europe were furious and created the Protestant variation of Christianity - breaking from Rome. Before the first stone could be laid, the old Saint Peters - dating back to the late Roman Empire - had to be demolished. Inconceivable now - but a church built by the emperor Constantine was flattened to make way for this. Altars and tombs were simply discarded and bricks plus marble recycled. The new basilica also used pillars and ‘spoila’ from ancient Roman monuments including the Colosseum.

When you enter, the first thing you see is the Pietà - an astonishing composition by Michaelangelo. It shows the Virgin Mary holding the dead Christ. The figure is - strictly speaking - out of proportion - and Mary is way younger than she should be for the mother of a man in his thirties. Details, details. The composition works. Sadly in 1972, a deranged man - Laszlo Toth - attacked the statue removing one of Mary’s arms, chipping an eyelid, and damaging her nose. This was all repaired but the statue is now behind glass.

Various popes are depicted in very grand style around the basilica…

This is Pope Pius VII who tried to crown Napoleon until the French emperor grabbed the laurels and placed them on his own head.

Below the basilica you can find the crypt with the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI…

And here is the tomb of Pope John Paul the first whose reign in 1978 was a mere thirty-three days giving rise to unproven rumours that he was murdered…