| A sign of our times are the metal detectors placed between the columns leading into St. Peter's Square. On normal days, only two or three are in use to screen people entering the basilica and the rest sit covered like this one. |
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| The second level of security for the basilica are the Swiss Guards. They may wear fanciful costumes designed by Michaelangelo and carry halberds for show, but they are for real. A friend who worked with them said they have 9-mm automatic pistols bloused in the back of their tunics and Uzi machine guns at their checkpoints. |
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| The basilica is simply immense yet it does not appear bizarre because of the perfect proportions of all its different parts. Most of the major cathedrals of Europe could be placed inside the basilica without touching the ceiling. |
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| The baldichino or canopy over the main altar was designed by Bernini and is magnificent. The bronze for these columns was "borrowed" from the Pantheon where it used to cover its outer walls. |
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| One of the two favorite sites within the basilica is this seated statue of St. Peter. His right foot is worn away from the people touching it. (The other favorite site is the tomb of Pope John Paul II.) |
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| One of the many obscure doorways within the basilica. What does it lead to? There is a myriad of passageways and unseen rooms throughout the building. |
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| An ornate tomb erected to honor a deceased pope from a long-ago century. |
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| Large machinery is used within the basilica to facilitate maintenance and setup for special events. Note that this platform-lift has rubber treads which will not damage the marble floors. |
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| On the way out of the basilica this advertising for a telephone company greets the visitors. Maybe the signs are covering on-going construction or maintenance and the Vatican decided that if they had to have such a visually disturbing element, they might as will make money from it? It seems rather tacky. |
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| When I was going into St. Peter's Square, I noticed a balloon in the air with some sort of structure hanging from it. I could see no tether and could not judge its size or height above ground. I suspected it might be a camera platform. Later when I was coming out of St. Peter's I encountered two men carrying the balloon and saw that it was much smaller than I had thought it was. Perhaps it was a radio-controlled camera. |
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| One fact of life at the Vatican are the souvenir stands on all the streets surrounding the basilica. Some of the larger shops are well-established and reputable and have acquired a certain respectability through the years. |
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