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St Peter's Basilica
You don't need to be religious to be bowled over by this architectural overstatement - you just need to be appropriately clad (no shorts, miniskirts or bare shoulders). The basilica's portico features a mosaic (c 1298) by Giotto from the original 4th-century building, while the red porphyry disk inside the main door marks the spot where Charlemagne and later Holy Roman Emperors were crowned by the pope.
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St Peter's Square
From above, Piazza San Pietro looks like a giant keyhole. The square's creator, Bernini, described the double colonnade as 'the motherly arms of the church'. He'd planned for the square to gob-smack pilgrims as they emerged from the tangle of medieval streets, an effect spoilt when Mussolini bulldozed Via della Conciliazione through the area. Caligula shipped in the central obelisk from Heliopolis, and it was later used by Christian-culling Nero as a turning post at his chariot-racing circus.
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Vatican Gardens
You need to book by fax at least a week ahead, but it's well worth it to snoop around the Vatican's backyard, with its flower-filled French parterre, formal Italian garden, English wood and grottoes. There's even a kitchen garden, although you can forget about pressing the papal tomatoes.
