Finding John Paul II’s Tomb Inside St Peter’s Basilica
John Paul II’s tomb is on St Peter’s Basilica main floor, Chapel of St Sebastian, not the underground Grottoes. How to find it, and book a guided visit.
The Baptistery Chapel Most Visitors Walk Past in Thirty Seconds
St Peter’s Basilica’s Baptistery Chapel holds a porphyry font recut from an ancient Roman tomb lid — here’s what to look for before you reach the doors.
Getting Into St Peter’s Sacristy: The Basilica’s Working Entrance
Behind the basilica’s public doors sits a working sacristy built in 1776. Here’s where the entrance is, what it leads to, and how to plan your Vatican visit.
Spotting the Swiss Guard: Where They Actually Stand Around St Peter’s Square
Where Swiss Guards actually post around St Peter’s Square, how their uniforms signal rank, and how they differ from the plainclothes Vatican Gendarmerie.
Why St Peter’s Basilica Has No Paintings — Only Mosaics That Look Like Paint
St Peter’s altarpieces look like oil paintings but are mosaics of tiny glass tiles. Here’s why, and how to spot the tesserae up close.
The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament: The One Part of St Peter’s You Can’t Just Walk Through
See what’s behind the gate at St Peter’s Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament: Borromini’s grille, Bernini’s tabernacle, and why tour guides always walk past it.
When St Peter’s Holy Door Actually Opens (And Why It’s Bricked Shut Otherwise)
St Peter’s Holy Door is sealed with mortar right now. Here’s how the opening ritual works, when it last closed, and when it’s next expected to open.
Bernini’s Colonnade Trick: Find the Spot Where Four Columns Become One
Two stone discs in St Peter’s Square mark the focal points of Bernini’s oval colonnade, where four rows of columns line up as one. Here is where to stand.
How a 350-Ton Obelisk Ended Up in the Middle of St Peter’s Square
St Peter’s Square obelisk history: from Heliopolis to Caligula’s circus to Sixtus V’s 1586 move — older than Christianity, still standing at its centre.
The Confessio: Why Everyone Stops at the Empty Staircase Below the Altar
What is the Confessio at St Peter’s Basilica? Meet the sunken, roped-off niche below the high altar, its 95 gold lamps, and what actually lies beneath.