# St Peter's Square, Vatican City, Rome > St Peter's Square is the vast ellipse in front of the basilica, embraced by Bernini's 1656–1667 colonnade: 284 columns four deep and 140 statues of saints. An Egyptian obelisk stands in the middle. It's free and almost always open; 20–30 minutes is enough. The papal general audience is held here on Wednesdays and the Angelus at noon on Sundays. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-square - City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy - YesGo score: 54/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 30 min - Opening hours: Open almost always; security screening during audiences and Masses - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free - Papal audience: Wednesday mornings; free tickets from the Prefecture of the Papal Household - Angelus: Sundays at 12:00, no tickets needed - Colonnade: 284 columns in four rows, 140 statues of saints - Time needed: 20–30 minutes - Location: In front of St Peter's Basilica; Metro A Ottaviano, 10 minutes - Coordinates: 41.90218, 12.45724 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1656–1667** — Bernini built the colonnade and laid out the square (source: English Wikipedia) - **284** — Tuscan Doric columns in four rows (source: English Wikipedia) - **140** — statues of saints along the top (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 25 m** — height of the Vatican obelisk without its cross (source: English Wikipedia) - **1586** — Domenico Fontana moved the obelisk to the centre (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 320 × 240 m** — size of the square including the colonnade (source: English Wikipedia) ## Bernini's design **Gian Lorenzo Bernini** laid out the square for Pope Alexander VII in **1656–1667**. He had to frame Maderno's wide, low façade, hold tens of thousands of pilgrims and keep the papal blessing window in view. His answer was a huge **ellipse** formed by two curved colonnades, plus a trapezoid forecourt in front of the church. Bernini described the colonnades as the **'motherly arms of the Church'** reaching out to the faithful. It's peak **Baroque**: plain Doric columns, but a sweeping movement of space that pulls your eye to the basilica. ## The colonnade trick Each colonnade is **four columns deep**, **284** in all, topped by **140 statues of saints** about 3 metres tall, carved by Bernini's workshop. Between the obelisk and each fountain, look for a round stone disc marked **'Centro del colonnato'**. Stand on it and the four rows line up so perfectly that the colonnade seems only one column thick. From above — the dome of St Peter's — the plan reads as a giant keyhole, with **Via della Conciliazione** running straight to the Tiber. That avenue was cut through the medieval Borgo district in the 1930s. ## The obelisk and fountains The red granite **Vatican obelisk**, about 25 metres tall, was brought from Egypt under Emperor Caligula for a circus that stood nearby. It's the only obelisk in Rome that never fell. In **1586** architect **Domenico Fontana** moved it to the centre of the square — an operation that took months and hundreds of men and horses. Two **fountains** flank it: Carlo Maderno's from 1613 on the right and a matching copy finished in 1677 on the left. The water is drinkable, as it is in the small fountains under the colonnade. ## Papal audience and Angelus On **Wednesday mornings**, when the pope is in Rome, the **general audience** fills the square. Tickets are **free**, issued by the Prefecture of the Papal Household on written request or handed out the day before at the bronze doors under the right-hand colonnade. Arrive 1.5–2 hours early for security. In winter the audience sometimes moves indoors to the Paul VI Hall. On **Sundays at 12:00** the pope recites the **Angelus** from a window of the Apostolic Palace — no ticket needed, just turn up. Expect crowds and a longer security line for the basilica afterwards. ## Details to look for - **'Centro del colonnato' discs** — where the four rows of columns merge into one. - **The papal window** — top floor of the Apostolic Palace, second from the right. - **Statues of St Peter and St Paul** — flanking the steps of the basilica. - **Sundial markers** — zodiac signs set into the paving around the obelisk. - **The Vatican border** — a travertine line between the colonnades at the end of Via della Conciliazione. - **Vatican post office** — under the colonnade, for Vatican stamps and postmarks. ## How to get to St Peter's Square 1. Metro line A to **Ottaviano**, then 10 minutes' walk down Via Ottaviano. 2. Bus 40 or 64 to the Borgo / Via della Conciliazione stops. 3. From [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo), 10 minutes along Via della Conciliazione. 4. From the centre, cross Ponte Sant'Angelo — about 25 minutes from the Pantheon. ## Best time to visit **Early morning**, when the square is nearly empty and sun hits the façade, and **evening**, when the floodlights come on, are the best times. During the day it's busy with the basilica queue. At Christmas a tree and a large nativity scene stand by the obelisk; at Easter the square is decked in flowers. ## Is St Peter's Square worth it? Yes — it's free and one of the most famous squares in the world, and you'll cross it anyway on the way into [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica). Spend half an hour finding the colonnade discs and taking in the scale; for the full picture, climb the dome. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Stand on a 'Centro del colonnato' disc - [ ] Check for a Wednesday papal audience - [ ] Refill your water at a fountain - [ ] Send a postcard from the Vatican post office - [ ] Climb the dome for the view from above ## Rome's squares and streets: compare and choose Squares and walking spots in Rome rated by YesGo. - [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free; basin €2 - [Roman Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum - [Spanish Steps](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/spanish-steps) — YesGo score 62/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Capitoline Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Piazza Navona](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-navona) — YesGo score 56/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [St Peter's Square](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-square) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Palatine Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palatine-hill) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum - [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Piazza del Popolo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-del-popolo) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free - [Appian Way](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/appian-way) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Free - [Villa Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-borghese) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Campo de' Fiori](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/campo-de-fiori) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free - [Trastevere](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trastevere) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Pincio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/pincio) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free - [Via del Corso](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/via-del-corso) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Aventine Keyhole](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/aventine-keyhole) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · Free - [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15 - [EUR District](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/eur) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Testaccio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/testaccio) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–18 ## The Vatican in a day Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel in the morning, St Peter's and the dome after lunch, then the square and Castel Sant'Angelo at sunset. 1. [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €25 2. [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 3. [St Peter's Basilica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-basilica) — YesGo score 71/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · Free; dome ≈ €8–15 4. [St Peter's Square](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/st-peters-square) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free 5. [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20 ## Don't mix it up St Peter's Square is technically inside Vatican City, not Italy — the border is the line of travertine at its edge. Rome's own main square is Piazza Venezia. ## Tips - Stand on the colonnade discs to make the columns 'vanish'. - The fountain water is drinkable. - The Angelus window is second from the right, top floor. - The dome gives the best view of the whole square. ## Questions ### Who designed St Peter's Square? Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in 1656–1667. ### How many columns are in St Peter's Square? 284 columns in four rows, topped by 140 statues of saints. ### Is St Peter's Square free? Yes, it's free to enter. ### What is the obelisk in St Peter's Square? An Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome under Caligula and moved to the centre by Domenico Fontana in 1586. ### How do I get tickets for the papal audience? Free tickets come from the Prefecture of the Papal Household; audiences are on Wednesday mornings. ### When does the pope say the Angelus? Sundays at 12:00 from a window of the Apostolic Palace. ### Is St Peter's Square in Italy or the Vatican? In Vatican City; the border is marked at the edge of the square. ### How long do you need at St Peter's Square? 20–30 minutes. ## How we checked History, dimensions, colonnade, obelisk and fountains from English Wikipedia; audience procedure from the Prefecture of the Papal Household. ## Sources - English Wikipedia, St. Peter's Square and Vatican Obelisk - Prefecture of the Papal Household: audiences --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.