 aking the elevator to the roof,
you'll find an excellent view of
the city. That's the Pantheon at far left, the Vittoriano in the upper right hand corner.
As lovely a sight as may be the
city's spires and domes, do take a good look at the statuary at the front of the church,
overlooking the piazza. It's a rare look at what most of the world only sees from the
front, and from the pavement far below.
As well, as you walk about the roof
you will note a number of protruding, small "domes", the sides of which are
almost entirely glass. You will have noticed as you visited the church proper that it is
far better lighted than the average church. This is one of the reasons. There is some
artificial light in use on normal days, but even without it the interior is much brighter
than one expects. (If one looks about the interior one will find an extensive array of
high intensity lights at the ready ... necessary, of course, during televised rites.)
 oving toward the
center of the church use at least enough energy to walk up to the entrance of the drum of
the dome. You'll find a surrounding catwalk for a memorable view of the dome's and
church's interior. You'll find this a rare bird's eye view of the interior a major church.
(The circular part just before the dome-proper begins to curve in is called the
"drum", by the way.)
It's somewhat easier standing here to
see that each of the golden letters surrounding the drum is six feet high. You'll be
equally surprised to see that the mosaic tiles, which looked so tiny from the basilica
floor, are actually the size of a man's hand.
 bit more investment of energy will take
you to the TOP of the dome of St. Peter's, and then to the lantern.
Some will question the endurance
required to get to the top. The stairs, for the most part, are gentle, and there's no need
to feel rushed. Take your time.
Will it be a scary climb? Not
especially. The stairs on which you'll make the trek lie in between the outer and inner
domes, so you're never suspended over open space.
he reward of making
the climb is an unforgettably wonderful panorama of the city and an unparalleled view of
the beautifully sculpted and manicured Vatican gardens and grounds. If you're able to make
the climb, do it at least once in your lifetime.
prospective traveler recently
wrote to ask, "If I take the lift up to the drum, is that a derring-do situation, or
ok for scaredy-cats? I'm ok with heights as long as I have something to hold on to, or a
barrier between me and the abyss."
As we wrote back, one can walk inside
the drum entirely (or almost so) around. You're protected from falling by a secure heavy
duty wire fence. Nonetheless, if you're given to acrophobia you may be a bit uneasy here.
One can climb the dome from this point ... without actually walking out into the drum.
As we've said, you can expect to make
the climb within the dome with a feeling of security. However, having climbed, it would be
a shame not to go on the terrace circling the lantern. This terrace is small enough that
some may feel uncomfortable, although it's really quite sizable (several dozen will fit
around it, and the wall is comfortably high).
 ou may reasonably
decide you don't want to make the climb and don't want to mess with the drum. You should,
though, take the elevator up to the roof. You'll feel quite secure up there, and it
provides a unique experience and a great view of the city. For the price (about USD3),
it's quite a bargain.
Be sure and
see our information on
Visiting the
Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums,
St. Peter's Basilica
and Castel San Angelo (Hadrian's Tomb)
as well as our
Introduction
to Touring Rome's Sights
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