聖伯多祿廣場: 周边有什么、如何前往、何时最合适 · 2026年

At the center of the elliptical plaza stands an uninscribed Egyptian obelisk made of red granite. The monument originally stood in Heliopolis before imperial transport took it to Alexandria and later to the Circus of Nero. Engineer Domenico Fontana moved the stone to its current placement on bronze lions beneath papal emblems. It remains the sole ancient obelisk in Rome that never collapsed.

Jurisdiction over the square follows unusual treaty arrangements. Italian police maintain crowd control up to the basilica steps under normal conditions, operating alongside Vatican gendarmes. When the Holy See conducts official ceremonies, Italian forces retreat past the outer colonnades. Long-term residents in adjacent Borgo navigate these alternating security perimeters and shifting crowd cordons every week.