Piazza San Pietro and the Papal Audience

Piazza San Pietro (Saint Peter's Square) is the square right in front of Saint Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. At the center of the square, there is a four-thousand-year-old Egyptian obelisk, which was built at the current site in 1568. 

Being brought up as a Catholic, I'd say Piazza San Pietro is definitely the most important place for any Catholic person in the World, sort of like Mecca, if you will. One of the reasons for that is that the Pope, the maximum Catholic authority (Benedict XVI, currently) lives there in the Apostolic Castle.

Every Wednesday, rain or shine, the Pope offers an Audience, during summer it is held in the Piazza San Pietro itself, though the one I attended (in November) was held at the Paul VI Audience Hall, it is free to attend this audience and all you have to do is approach one of the Swiss Guards and request an invitation for it, he will give you one right away and then, all you have to do is, head to the Paul VI Audience Hall, choose a sit and get ready to enjoy the Papal Audience and receive the Papal  Blessing from Benedict XVI himself. Said audience is held mainly in Italian but also in English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese and, sometimes, other languages depending on groups visiting.

Piazza San Pietro, The Vatican

Piazza San Pietro, The Vatican

Basilica di San Pietro, The Vatican

 

Piazza San Pietro, The Vatican

Beautiful architecture of Basilica di San Pietro

Side entrance, Basilica di San Pietro

Swiss Guards

Papal Audience Invite

 

Benedict XVI's General Audience

Italy in 21 Black & White Shots

Today, I am feeling a bit nostalgic and nothing better to go with it than Black & White photographs, so I leave you with some shots from different things and places around Italy.

Cycling in Lucca

House in Tuscany

San Michele in Foro Church, Lucca

Evening walk in Lucca

Piazza San Marco, Venice

Gondolas, Venice

Grand Canal, Venice

Perfect evening, Venice

Gondola ride, Venice

Bridge at the Grand Canal Venice

Narrow street, Venice

Colosseum, Rome

Typical day in Rome

Traian Forum and Trajan's Market, Rome

Walk on the bridge, Rome

Old building, Rome

Testacchio Neighbourhood, Rome

Piazza San Pietro, Vatican City

Buildings, Rome

Into the Colosseum, Rome

Bycicle, Florence

Italy

I recently took a much needed vacation with my sister, we chose Italy as our destination. Why? First of all because of all the Art there is (in my case) and second, because it is just one of the best countries in which a person can eat incredible food! So, being a Photographer, an Art buff and a Foodie, it was the perfect combination.

In the following posts, I will be sharing with you different faces of various places in Italy such as Rome, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Fiesole and Venice. So be ready to absorb Italy through its Art, through its Food, though its Architecture; in color and -of course- also, in Black & White.