Crossing from the city of Rome over the Tiber, the first building you see, at the end of Via della Conciliazione, is St. Peter’s Basilica (Michelangelo designed the dome and his Pieta is exhibited within). Plan at least 3 (or more) hours in St. Peter’s: After walking around inside be sure to go to the roof for the view (it’s usually hazy so you might just want to go up there for the pretty sunsets) visit its in-house museum and see the grotto below (where St. Peter and John Paul II, among other popes, are buried). The baldequino over the main altar built with bronze looted from the Pantheon is an interesting example of baroque design.
