Once we had recovered we made our way back to St. Peter's. Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world!
Catholic tradition holds that the Basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, and his tomb is supposedly directly below the high altar of the Basilica. There has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Construction of the present basilica, which would replace Old St. Peter's Basilica from the 4th century AD, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.
St. Peter's Square, in front of the basilica, was designed by Bernini in the 1680s. It is surrounded on both sides by massive Tuscan colonnades, four columns deep. Above each set of columns is a statue of a saint...90 statues in all!! This is just one side of the square!
Foreign military service was outlawed by the Swiss Federal Constitution of 1874, with the only exception being the Pontifical Swiss Guard stationed in Vatican City. Established in 1506, it is one of the oldest military units in the world.The Pontifical Swiss Guard is a small force maintained by the Holy See, and is responsible for the safety of the Pope, including the security of the Apostolic Palace.
The entire interior of St. Peter's is lavishly decorated with marble, reliefs, architectural sculpture and gilding. The basilica contains a large number of tombs of popes and other notable people, many of which are considered outstanding artworks. There are also a number of sculptures in niches and chapels, including Michelangelo's Pietà, which we somehow missed and only realised once we'd left!!
I now have to go back to Rome just to see that!! 
One observer wrote: "St Peter's Basilica is the reason why Rome is still the center of the civilized world. For religious, historical, and architectural reasons it by itself justifies a journey to Rome, and its interior offers a palimpsest of artistic styles at their best ...".
The dome of St. Peter's rises to a total height of 136.57 metres from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross. It is the tallest dome in the world with an internal diameter of 41.47 metres.
St. Peter's Baldachin is a large Baroque sculpted bronze canopy over the high altar. It is at the centre of the crossing and directly under the dome of the basilica. Designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, it marks the place of Saint Peter's tomb underneath. It is claimed to be the largest piece of bronze in the world!
The Chair of Saint Peter is a relic conserved in St. Peter's. It is a wooden throne that is claimed to have been used by Saint Peter, the leader of the Early Christians in Rome and the first Pope. The throne is enclosed in a sculpted gilt bronze casing designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and executed between 1647 and 1653.
This ancient bronze statue of St. Peter, portrayed as he gives a blessing and preaches, while holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven is attributed to Arnolfo di Cambio (1245-1302). The feet of the statue have been worn smooth by the millions of visitors touching and kissing them!
Visitors are allowed to go to the top of the dome, a total of 551 steps!!
By this time I had blisters and my ankles were swollen to twice their normal size so there was no ways I was climbing any steps! 
