The genesis: a commission from Alexander VII
In 1656 Pope Alexander VII commissioned Gian Lorenzo Bernini to design a square worthy of the largest basilica in Christendom. The challenge was both symbolic and urban: how do you welcome the whole world into a single space?
Bernini devised a brilliant solution — not an enclosed precinct but a double elliptical embrace: two wings of colonnade opening towards the city like outstretched arms. He described the project himself as "the open arms of the Catholic Church, which welcomes Catholics to strengthen them in the faith, heretics to reunite them with it, and unbelievers to enlighten them with the true faith".
Construction ran from April 1656 to 1667. The two wings of the colonnade comprise 284 columns and 88 pillars in travertine, arranged in four rows, surmounted by 140 statues of saints, each 3.2 metres tall.
The two foci of the ellipse
The ellipse of the colonnade has two geometric foci, marked on the piazza's pavement by two circular stone slabs. From either of these points a remarkable optical effect occurs: the four rows of columns — roughly 17 metres deep — visually overlap and appear as a single row. It is one of the great optical illusions of Baroque architecture.
To find the right slab, walk towards the left-hand fountain (as you face the basilica) and look down at the pavement near the edge of the colonnade: the circle is marked in the stone.
The obelisk: 3,500 years of history
At the centre of the square stands an Egyptian obelisk 25.5 m tall (41 m with its base). It bears no hieroglyphs because it was not inscribed for a pharaoh but was made as a purely decorative monument at Heliopolis in the thirteenth century BC.
The emperor Caligula had it brought to Rome in 37 AD to adorn his private circus on the Vatican hill — the very circus where, according to tradition, Peter was martyred. The obelisk remained standing there for over 1,500 years, the only ancient Roman monument never to have been toppled during the Middle Ages.
In 1586 Pope Sixtus V commissioned his architect Domenico Fontana to move the obelisk to its present position. The operation took 13 months, 900 men, 75 horses and 40 winches. It was one of the most widely followed engineering feats of the Roman Renaissance.
The two fountains
Two symmetrical fountains flank the obelisk:
- The one on the right (facing the basilica), designed by Carlo Maderno in 1613, was already in place before Bernini's redesign of the square
- The one on the left was built by Carlo Fontana in 1677 to create symmetry with the first
Both are fed by the Acqua Paola aqueduct from the Janiculum hill.
The dimensions
St Peter's Square is one of the largest piazzas in the world:
| Maximum width | ~340 m |
|---|---|
| Depth | ~240 m |
| Estimated capacity | 300,000+ people (extraordinary events) |
| Statues on the colonnade | 140 |
| Obelisk height (with base) | ~41 m |
The Angelus and papal audiences
Every Sunday at noon the pope appears at the window of the Apostolic Palace (the building to the right as you face the basilica, on the upper floor) to recite the Angelus with the faithful gathered in the square. The moment lasts about 20 minutes.
General audiences are held on Wednesday mornings, alternately in the Paul VI Audience Hall (indoors, 6,500 seats) or in the square when numbers are large. Tickets for audiences are requested through the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
Access and security
St Peter's Square is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no ticket or security checks. Entry to the basilica itself involves metal detectors. Anti-terrorism barriers were installed around the square's perimeter in 2017.
Visit with a private driver
Reach St Peter's Square with a private driver. From your hotel, station or airport — direct, stress-free. Service from €49. → Book at myromedriver.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the square free to enter? Yes, access to the square is completely free at all times. A ticket is required only to enter the basilica and for the paid routes (dome etc.).
Where do you see the pope? Every Sunday at noon from the third-floor window of the Apostolic Palace (upper right as you face the colonnade). A ticket is needed for Wednesday audiences.
Does the obelisk have hieroglyphs? No. It was made without inscriptions as a purely decorative monument — one of the few uninscribed Egyptian obelisks in Rome.
Article no. 125 — TIER S — MON-07 San Pietro Type: HISTORICAL Words: ~800