St. Peter's Basilica- SCAVI tour/ Vatican Necropolis/ St. Peter's/ Papal Corridor

Entering into the Vatican you can see and feel the power it exhumes. The actual chapel of St. Peter is in the Grottoes under the Basilica. The decoration even down there is phenomenal with the rich marble decoration and gold. When entering you literally are welcomed by open arms in the Piazza San Piete which was laid out by Bernini, it is essentially an enormous ellipse flanked by colonnades.

The obelisk in the center was erected in 1586 with the help of 150 horses and 47 winches.

The dome apparent from the outside is St. Peter's and this is the ultimate center of the Roman Catholic faith. I was not disappointed when I first entered seeing Michelangelo's awesome dome.

Right below the center of the dome lies Bernini's Baldacchino which is a amazing canopy of gilded bronze supported by beautiful columns with golden vines running down them.

What really blew me away is I didn't realize how massive this place really is! The interior contains 11 chapels and 45 altars in addition to a wealth of many precious works of art. Bernini's beautiful monument to Pope Alexander VII, his last work, was a treasure.

The Pope seen above sits among the figures of Truth, Justice, Charity, and Prudence. By far though the piece that I have been waiting to see my whole life has been Michelangelo's Pieta.

What is astounding about this sculpture is he created it when he was only 25 years old! Unfortunately it is now covered by glass because it was damaged by a crazed man. I love the way he presents Mary as a young, beautiful woman almost overpowering Jesus as if her love and sorrow is so great. The detail is amazing, you can see the veins in Jesus's hands and the drapery is stunning. Michelangelo actually did sign this work on a strap over Mary's dress and it is the only known sculpture that he signed.
Extra images of the interior to get the sense of the scope: