The Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

Saturday, March 19, 2011 (Part 4)

Following our thorough tour through the basilica, we decided (well, Katherine really pushed for it) that we should climb St. Peter's dome. This was to be a 554 step hike, and we had to wait in a 30 minute line to get started. But it was worth the wait . . . and the climb.

I've done a lot of climbing in Europe, and this climb was a bit unique. There was no

consistency to the staircase segments that we

climbed. Some of them were in tight circles. Others were long straight staircases. Still others were in large square patterns and occasional small square patterns. It was strange, but it kind of took your mind off how many stairs we were actually climbing. Katherine started out counting the steps, but I made her stop. I didn't want to think about how many more steps lay ahead.

We had several stops along the way. Our first stop was at the base of the dome where we ended up on the roof of a portion of the church. This was a neat place because it allowed the best exterior view possible of the Sistine Chapel -- which really isn't much to look at from the outside. But we were able to spot the famous pipe from which the black and white smoke emerges as the

cardinals cast their ballots to elect a new pope. Also from the vantage point of the rooftop, we were able to get a closeup view of some of the statues that stand atop the front of the church and around St. Peter's Square. Their size, of course, is so much more impressive from this closeup perspective.

Our second stop (before the very top) was a catwalk along the inside of the dome itself. Along the walls were beautiful (huge) mosaics of angels and cherubs, and of course we were getting a very up-close-and-personal view of the ceiling of the dome. And for those who have a fear of heights, it is best not to look down. The people on the floor of the basilica look like ants -- literally.

Finally, we made the last portion of our climb and enjoyed some beautiful views of the City of Rome, including the Vatican Museum complex and the Vatican Gardens. On my next trip to Rome (because of course there will be a next trip to Rome), I want to take a tour of the Vatican Gardens. They

are not open to the general public and can only be seen on a guided tour. It was pretty crowded at the top of the dome so we did not stay for too long. We took our fill of pictures and then started the equally long walk down. Sometimes, the trip down is more stressful than the trip up!