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Take Amazing 360° Tour of St. Peter’s in Vatican City From Your Chair

Use your computer to see the inside of the basilica and its splendid artwork; zoom in for a closer look.

This 360-degree view allows you to see the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica on your computer, tablet, or mobile device. Use the toolbar to shift your view or zoom in. On a tablet or mobile device, just hold it up or turn it around to pan.

St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most spectacular churches in the world. Although some may confuse it for the “mother church” of Roman Catholics, it isn't even a cathedral because it's not the seat of the pope, who is also the bishop of Rome. That distinction belongs to the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran. But because of its size, grandeur, and location within Vatican City, papal authorities use the church for numerous ceremonies. Its capacity is enormous—it can hold 20,000 seated worshippers or 60,000 standing.

Start your tour with the baldachin , the great canopy over the papal altar and St. Peter’s tomb, crafted by master artist and architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The canopy took nine years to build and was completed in 1633. It is made of 90 tons of bronze, most of it from the portico of Rome’s Pantheon. It is over 95 feet tall, almost as tall as a ten-story building.

St. Peter’s tomb is directly below it. You can see two wings of the ornate balustrade separated by a gate that opens to the sunken, semicircular area in front of the papal altar, known as the Confessio, or Chapel of the Confession. This refers to the confession of faith by St. Peter, which led to his martyrdom. The tomb itself is not visible, as it is down a set of stairs and tucked into a niche at the back of the Confessio. You can only view it on a special tour of the Scavi, or excavations, in the ancient necropolis.

Directly above is Michelangelo’s dome, rising 448 feet to the top of the cross on the lantern tower outside. You can see the inner hemispherical layer of its double shell; a slightly more pointed one is visible outdoors. It is 140 feet in diameter—one of the largest domes in the world. The colorful mosaics around the dome depict Jesus, Mary, Joseph, St. John the Baptist, and the Twelve Apostles. You can just make out the image of God bestowing his blessing upon mankind through the oculus, the round opening at the crown of the dome.

Around the drum of the dome in blue letters standing almost seven feet tall is the inscription TV ES PETRVS ET SVPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM. ET TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORVM. The biblical citation, from Matthew 16:18-19, translates as: “You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church, and to you I will give the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven.”  

If you look through the baldachin toward the apse at the end of the central nave , you will see the glowing light of the alabaster window depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove (the dove is six feet tall). Below that is the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter, a monumental sculpture by Bernini. It contains the relics of an ancient chair, reputedly from which St. Peter preached. The altar symbolizes the teaching authority of the pope.

Immediately behind you, you will find the statue of St. Peter Enthroned, set in front of a maroon-and-gold mosaic curtain. This 13th-century bronze sculpture is attributed to Arnolfo di Campio. St. Peter’s hands are raised in the act of blessing, and over the course of seven centuries of devotion, the custom of kissing or touching the right foot has almost completely worn away the toes.

Gaze at the boldly patterned marble floor of the nave. If you're facing the barricade and row of chairs in the direction of the atrium, you'll see a glare on a maroon rectangle. That tile shows the keys of heaven, a symbol found throughout Vatican City. There are also plaques commemorating popes, as well as markers that indicate the comparative length of several of the largest churches in the world. You can also see a glimpse of what look like lavishly decorated manhole covers (for example, in front of the rows of chairs). These are portals to the tombs of popes below the floor, including that of John Paul II, who was pope from 1978 to 2005.

All around you are spectacular works of art that look like paintings but aren’t. They are mosaics made of tiny tiles, or tesserae, each about the size of a fingernail. Mosaics were chosen over paintings to decorate the basilica so that they wouldn’t be vulnerable to the ravages of time, smoke, and humidity—eternal art for the eternal church. Four marvelous examples are the mosaic medallions that decorate the area between the main cupola of the basilica and the enormous piers underneath. These medallions represent the four evangelists who composed the Gospels. We can see St. Matthew on the left above the baldachin, and St. John on the right.

Set into the great piers that support the dome are four colossal marble statues. These statues embody crucial moments of Christ’s Passion. Starting from the right of the altar you see the statue of St. Helena, mother of Constantine the Great, holding the True Cross (by Bolgi). Continuing clockwise, you'll note the statue of St. Longinus gripping the sacred lance used to pierce Christ’s side (by Bernini). Continuing toward the right, the next statue you see is that of St. Andrew, Peter’s brother, representing the moment of his crucifixion in Greece (by Duquesnoy). And turning back toward the baldachin, the last statue is of St. Veronica displaying the veil she used to wipe Jesus’s face on the road to Calvary (by Mochi).

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Virtual Reality Tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo's sistine chapel virtual reality tour, get it now, the greatest virtual reality masterpiece, meet michelangelo buonarroti, live a unique experience, meeting point, meet us here.

What to expect from the experience

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Villanova produces 3D virtual tours of Vatican locations

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Students and experts from Villanova’s faculty have spent the last decade on a project that re-creates some of the most astounding Vatican and Roman sites for 3D digital tours. The gallery of tours — which currently includes St. Peter’s Basilica, St. John Lateran, St. Paul-Outside-The-Walls, The Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Necropolis — is made available on the Vatican website , free to use by anyone with a computer or mobile device.

Virtual reality technology allows interested parties to explore areas that are often closed to tourists. The most recent addition to their gallery of tours was the Redemptoris Mater Chapel , which is sometimes called “the Sistine Chapel of the 21st Century.” The Redemptoris Mater Chapel is used exclusively by the Pope for prayer and to celebrate special Masses for small gatherings and it is very rare for tourists to get any time in the room at all.

Formerly known as the Matilde Chapel, the room was completely renovated by Pope St. John Paul II and is for its various mosaic artworks that covers all the walls. The work utilized millions of small fragments of different colored stones to create depictions of Christ. JPII wished for the room to include the presence of the Byzantine tradition and become a visible sign of communication between the Eastern and Western Churches. Since opening, the site has held many historic meetings between the Pope and special visitors.

Before bringing visitors to the virtual tour, the Vatican website provides the history of each scene. Of the new addition, they explain :

The Redemptoris Mater Chapel is a prime example of a powerful means for a new evangelization, a true “locus theologicus” where the mystery of God, manifested in Christ, is contemplated not only with all-encompassing theological truth but also in aesthetic theology. In this way we experience the category of beauty attributed to God with the goodness and beauty of all his deeds, especially the saving Incarnation of the Son of God, along with the blessed Mother of God who is the icon of the Church and of humanity redeemed.

While their efforts have been underway for a decade, the Redeptoris Mater Chapel has been the focus of project leader Dr. Frank Klassner for the last 3 years. Dr. Klassner worked with Villanova Computer Science students both on-site and in the computer lab to program the visitor interactivity. Of the project, he told Villanova University’s Media Room :

“Our project endeavored to help Internet visitors both examine the Chapel’s levels of mosaic detail and interactively read ‘on demand’ about the many theological details, while keeping the information display interface’s presence to a minimum on the screen.” “My students and I were privileged to visit the Chapel three times,” Dr. Klassner continued. “Each time we marveled at how its rich design was ultimately produced with many simple elements – and I do not refer just to the many stone pieces. Each scene on a wall is one facet of a complete theological reflection that becomes clear when all the scenes are considered together in spatial relation to each other.”

The team carefully took over 800 digital photographs of the chapel interior using a motorized camera rig. In order to make a cubic panorama, an image with a 360-degree view, the team digitally stitched the images together, color corrected, and post-processed them all together to make one image, capable of zooming.

Team member Zachary Rahn, who interned at the Vatican for the duration of the project, commented:

“Villanova’s internship program with the Vatican was a tremendous experience. I was honored to walk past St. Peter’s Basilica and receive a salute from the Swiss Guard every morning,” Rahn said. “The Vatican generously allowed us to capture and create a virtual experience of this elegant, private chapel and provide the public an opportunity to view it.”

Director of the Villanova Center of Excellence in Enterprise Technology, Dr. Klassner has been the leader of all the teams which have created virtual renderings of Vatican properties. He is currently working with Vatican Museum representatives to plan a new virtual tour of Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of the popes.

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Vatican Virtual Reality Experience

Adults 15+: 34.90€ Children 4-14: 24.90€ Infant 0-3: 0 €

English Italian

9:30 AM 11:00 AM 1:30 PM

Experience the magic of the Vatican by participating in a Vatican Virtual Reality Experience . Learn and have fun with us!

So, meet the staff at the agreed point and join the group. The staff will certainly be happy to welcome you and give you all the information you need to carry out your visit in the best possible way. The Vatican Virtual Reality Experience is, without a doubt, a new way of learning about history. Wear a latest generation VR viewer and witness first-hand the evolution of Rome and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Different phases will retrace the past centuries. From Nero’s Rome , with its Circus Neronis and Christian persecutions; to the first early Christian basilica built by Constantine in 313 AD. Observe the structure of the Circus Neronis ; bear witness to the events that led the emperor Constantine to the construction of the first early Christian basilica; then watch the city change around; enters the basilica; be enchanted by the long stained glass windows; from the majestic altar and the precious marbles.

At the end of the incipit, put on the VR viewer to enter the Sistine Chapel : the doors open wide and your guide appears: Michelangelo . Follow him and go on an extraordinary journey. Enter the heart of the Sistine Chapel painting: Genesis . Watch God as he creates the world; Separation the light from the darkness ; finally walk through the Garden of Eden as the plants and animals come to life around you; see how the Creation of Adam and Eve took place with their Expulsion from the Earthly Paradise ; and finally enters a new dimension.

Go through the door of the underworld. Meet Charon and Judge Minos ; you will see the Angels of the Apocalypse arrive to announce the divine Judgment; behold the bodies of the blessed rise from the earth and fly to heaven. Get in with them too. Hordes of saints surround Jesus, who with his hand raised announces the awaited Last Judgment .

Are you ready? What are you waiting for!

Sites Visited

• Vatican Museum
• Assistent VR in English and Italian
• VR headsets
• RC insurance
• Integrate Audio-guide (Italian, English)
• Eye cover mask
• Hand sanitizing gel

Not included

• Vatican Museum Ticket
• Saint Peter’s Dome
• Saint Peter’s Basilica Ticket
• Guided Tour
• Transport to/from the l’hotel
• Food & Drinks

Select participants and date

Important things to know.

• You must be at the meeting point at least 15 minutes before the tour start time. Customers who arrive late at the meeting point can NO longer participate in the tour, therefore they are not entitled to any kind of right or refund.
• Please show the voucher to the staff (also in electronic format)
• Tour not available on January 1st, May 1st, December 25th
• Online bookings must be made at least 24 hours in advance, last minute bookings are accepted by phone or e-mail.
• Under 18s must be accompanied by an adult and bring a valid ID card
• Comfortable shoes are recommended
• It is forbidden to carry bulky and heavy luggage.
• For assistance with meeting points or other urgent problems, call +39 3313586107
• In case of rain, all of our tours run regularly

Meeting Point

The meeting point established is VIALE VATICANO . Here you will find our staff with a black flag and gold “Ancient & Recent” logo.

Viale Vaticano, 100, 00192, Rome

Do you need to cancel your booking?

In case of cancellation of the reservation, a penalty of 30% will be charged. Cancellation between 6 and 4 calendar days before the scheduled departure time, a penalty of 50% will be charged. If you cancel within 3 calendar days (72 hours) of the scheduled departure time, you will be charged a 100% cancellation fee. Refunds will only be issued if the tour was booked and paid for directly with Ancient & Recent within one week of cancellation. The payment will not be refunded for any other reason (eg weather, change of travel plans, illness, missed train …).

Rome Museum Exhibition

Ancient and Recent 2022-02-04T10:19:16+01:00 15 November 2021 |

TTG Travel Experience

Ancient and Recent 2022-02-04T10:08:10+01:00 11 October 2021 |

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