Vatican Dome a View from the Top

After a climb up inside the Vatican Dome I found this view waiting for me at the top. If you look closely there is a long line of people to the left of the Obel...
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After a climb up inside the Vatican Dome I found this view waiting for me at the top. If you look closely there is a long line of people to the left of the Obelisk in the plaza waiting to enter the Cathedral. The climb up the stairs to this spot was well worth the effort! The Dome itself is 448 feet tall. The Vatican’s history as the seat of the Catholic Church began with the construction of a basilica over St. Peter’s grave in Rome in the 4th century A.D. The area developed into a popular pilgrimage site and commercial district, although it was abandoned following the move of the papal court to France in 1309. After the Church returned in 1377, famous landmarks such the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel and the new St. Peter’s Basilica were erected within the city limits. Vatican City was established in its current form as a sovereign nation with the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929. I gathered this image while visiting Rome in 2011. The Architects: Michelangelo, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Donato Bramante.
Visit if you can!!
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