This past Tuesday, our group had the exciting opportunity to visit St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

We began our day by taking a very informational tour of the inside. We saw breathtaking works of art like Michelangelo’s Pietà and the Papal Alter by Bernini. Our tour guide was phenomenal and pointed out small details that without her, I surely would have missed. For example, the mosaic techniques on the walls are reproductions of frescos that originally covered the inside. I heard stories of early Christian leaders, Papal miracles, and even the location of St. Peter’s bones.

After our tour had ended, I decided to climb the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica with a few other girls. We were encouraged to do so because of the smaller crowd and great weather. I was excited to see the spectacular views of the city and massive dome up close. We first took the elevator up to the roof level, saving quite a few steps.

Honestly, the height from inside the dome terrified me, so I quickly ran to the next steps. We then shimmied our way up the tiniest sets of spiral stairs I had ever seen. At times, I had to bend my body along with the sides of the dome just to make forward progress. But, the view at the top made it all worth it. I had a great view of St. Peter’s Square, and I felt like I could see all of Rome.

This experience and our Vatican tour was such a special event, and my favorite highlight of my journey so far.

Ciao!

Elizabeth Clardy