Rome: Where All Roads Lead - Italy - page 68

Necropolis
With some planning, you can visit the excavations far below the church. Contact
the Uffizio degli Scavi ( % 06-69885318; fax [phone]; [e-mail]; € 10)
in writing to reserve a much sought-after spot on a guided tour. That tour has
lately become very exclusive and often you can only get in with a letter of rec-
ommendation from your parish priest or from a professor if you are a student of
archaeology. It's worth at least applying to get in just in case, but you must keep
in touch with the office yourself because they won't track you down. English-
language tours must be booked 25 days in advance, and children under 12 are not
allowed to take the tour.
crucified. Below the main altar in the enclave surrounded by steps is a tiny shrine
with a modest 9th-century mosaic of Christ, again from the original church.
Below that are what the devoted believe to be the bones of St. Peter.
From here, the top spot for pilgrims to the basilica tends to be the brass statue
of St. Peter just behind the altar. There is usually a short queue to kiss his worn
foot near the main altar.
From Bernini's baldacchino, head to the right side of the church to visit the
important chapels here. In the first chapel near the entrance is the Pietà,
Michelangelo's first major work, completed when he was 25 years old. Vandals
attacked this statue, which is why it now stands behind bullet-proof glass. The
crowds are thickest here, but they tend to move quickly, so it's easy to stand at the
front for a few moments. From behind the baluster, it's difficult to spot
Michelangelo's signature across the Virgin Mary's chest.
Other highlights include the only original painting left in this church, the
Trinity by Pietro da Cortona, in the third chapel. The rest have been replaced with
replicas made from mosaic tiles. At the very back of the church, pilgrims can
attend Mass (check the sign at the entrance to the pews for times) under Bernini's
Throne to St. Peter. Toward the papal altar, displayed on the pillars that support
the giant dome, are several artifacts important to Catholics, including a fragment
from the True Cross and a statue of St. Veronica holding a cloth she used to wipe
Christ's face. All along the side aisles are chapels, shrines, altars, and monuments.
These are generally not well marked, though they are worth exploring. The
Vatican sells a guidebook that will give you more detail of these shrines.
The Crypt
Once you've finished exploring the inside of St. Peter's, head down to the grottoes
below the current church, and above the necropolis of the ancient church. Since
John Paul II's death in April 2005, visiting the papal tombs has become an ordeal.
You must leave the church and re-enter the line where you almost have to nudge
your way in to avoid starting back before the metal detectors. When the crowds
cease to flock to pray at his tomb, you'll be able to reach the crypt from inside the
church near the baldacchino.