The Vatican was just a few minutes' walk away from Castle Sant'Angelo.

We walked along Via della Concilliazione. Opened in 1950, this wide street was supposed to be big enough to hold the crowd...but still, I wasn't quite prepared with the numerous people and the heavy traffic...perhaps, we came at the peak hour? Consolation was that there were police officers to help direct the traffic and allow us to cross to the square.

When we reached St Peter's Square,as with the other places of interest we'd been to, it was crowded
the queue was snaking and the heat unbearable!

Nusaiybah wasn't keen on hanging around for too long, nor was she eager to join in the queue...


St Peter's Square

She may be smiling in these pictures, but she wasn't my willing subject...
we decided to rest Nafisa under some shade, far from the madding crowd(what a cliche )





On either side of the obelisk,

which was moved to the middle of the square by Domenico Fontana in 1585,

are two great fountains built by Bernini (1675)

and Maderno (1614).






The measurements of the square are impressive: it is 320 m deep, its diameter is 240 m and it is surrounded by 284 columns, set out in rows of four, and 88 pilasters.








Around the year 1670, the pupils of Bernini(designer and builder of the square)
built 140 3.2m-high statues of saints along the balustrade above the columns.


The wall that surrounds the Vatican City



We decided to hop on the bus again and continue our tour of the city...


Again, the Vatican City...but this time we were there in the evening @ 17.00.
Notice the thinning crowd?