.

Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano.

It sounds so much better in Italian 🙂

Or better yet, in Latin!  Basilica Sancti Petri.

.

.

The first thing that you’ll see when you enter the Basilica is the Chapel of the Pieta on your right.

Here you’ll find a crowd of tourists silently admiring the work of Michelangelo.

It’s such a moving site, seeing how Mary carried her son (Jesus) for the last time after the crucifixion.

.

Pieta.

Michelangelo was only 24 years old when he made this sculpture and it was the only one he signed.

They say that when Michelangelo watched as his sculpture was first unveiled,

 he overheard people attributing his work to another artist. This probably made him angry.

He decided to add one last thing to his work, and that was his name carved across Mary’s sash.

 “MICHAEL. ANGELUS. BONAROTUS. FLORENT. FACIEBAT”

(Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence Created This)

He later regretted his decision and vowed never to sign his works again.

.

.

.

.

Beautiful!  🙂

.

.

.

The Dome.

By: Michelangelo and Giacomo della Porta.

.

.

 

Around the inside of the dome on a gold background is written:

TV ES PETRVS ET SVPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM. TIBI DABO CLAVES REGNI CAELORVM

(“…you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven…”

Vulgate, Matthew 16:18–19.)

.

.

.

ad majorem Dei gloriam.

 “For the greater glory of God“

.

.

.

.

.

.

Look at the ceiling!

View of the Basilica’s entrance and exit.

.

Here is a video I took inside the Basilica.