Religious Building · Vatican City, Vatican City
St Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St. Built 1506. It drew 11,000,000 visitors in 2018.
Photo: Alvesgaspar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Vatican City, Vatican City |
|---|---|
| Type | Religious Building |
| Built | 1506 |
| Architect | Michelangelo, Giuliano da Sangallo |
| Height | Height: 136.6 m |
| Annual visitors (2018) | 11,000,000 |
| Coordinates | 41.9022° N, 12.4533° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What St Peter's Basilica is known for
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St.
About St Peter's Basilica
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St. Peter's Basilica, is a church of the Italian Renaissance located in Vatican City, an independent microstate enclaved within the city of Rome, Italy. It was initially planned in the 15th century by Pope Nicholas V and then Pope Julius II to replace the ageing Old St.
History
After the crucifixion of Jesus, it is recorded in the Biblical book of the Acts of the Apostles that one of his twelve disciples, Simon known as Saint Peter, a fisherman from Galilee, took a leadership position among Jesus' followers and was of great importance in the founding of the Christian Church. The name Peter is "Petrus" in Latin and "Petros" in Greek, deriving from petra which means "stone" or "rock" in Greek, and is the literal translation of the Aramaic "Kepa", the name given to Simon by Jesus. (John 1:42, and see Matthew 16:18) Catholic tradition holds that Peter, after a ministry of thirty-four years, travelled to Rome and met his martyrdom there along with Paul on 13 October 64 AD during the reign of the Roman Emperor Nero.
Planning a visit? Visit the official St Peter's Basilica website — the official site has the current visiting information.
Best time to visit
Year-round; April to June and September to October are mildest with shorter lines.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Vatican City |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Ciampino Airport (CIA) |
| Distance from the airport | 10.0 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) · Rome, Italy · 10.2 miles away
- Rome–Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO) · Rome, Italy · 12.4 miles away
- Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi – Umbria International Airport (PEG) · Perugia (PG), Italy · 82.5 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
Where to stay nearby
Places to stay near St Peter's Basilica, with a link to each place's own site.
- Hotel Bramante · Vatican area, Rome
Boutique hotel near St Peter’s Square
- Palazzo Cardinal Cesi · Vatican area, Rome
Historic residence by the Vatican
Where to eat nearby
Places to eat near St Peter's Basilica, with a link to each place's own site.
- Ristorante Arlù · Borgo Pio, Rome
Family restaurant by the Vatican
- La Veranda · Via della Conciliazione, Rome
Restaurant inside the Columbus hotel
More landmarks in Vatican City
More religious buildings
Frequently asked questions
What is St Peter's Basilica?
The Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican (Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), or simply St.
Where is St Peter's Basilica located?
St Peter's Basilica is in Vatican City, Vatican City. Its coordinates are 41.9022° N, 12.4533° E.
How do I get to St Peter's Basilica?
The nearest town is Vatican City, and the nearest airport is Ciampino Airport (CIA), about 10.0 miles away (straight line).
When is the best time to visit St Peter's Basilica?
Year-round; April to June and September to October are mildest with shorter lines.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter's_Basilica — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12512 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://www.basilicasanpietro.va/ — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
- https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html — Official tourism / managing-body page — best time to visit.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.