Above the entrance to the Vatican Museum, there is the crest of the pope. It always includes imagery of St. Peter and other symbols associated with the pope in power. The crest changes with each pope, so the time of each addition to the Vatican can be determined by the symbols on the crest.
There was a large crowd waiting to enter the Vatican. Despite reservations for our group, we had to wait in a line for nearly an hour to reach the entrance to the museum area.
When we entered the museum, the first stop was an outdoor terrace that provided a view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Entering the museum area, there is a grand staircase to reach the hallways filled with paintings and other works of art.
The interior of St. Peter's Basilica
Inside the dome is decorated in a mosaic.
The altar canopy was created with the bronze melted from the entrance relief of the Pantheon.
The Swiss Guard of Vatican City have protected the popes of Rome since the early 1500s CE after an attack on the city of Rome. The Swiss guards in the city defended the pope during the attack and earned the place of protectors of the pope by Pope Julius II.
The exterior of St. Peter's Basilica
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