The entire terrace at the top of St. Peter’s Basilica will soon be open to the public, including a cafethe Vatican announced on Monday as part of a plan to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the construction’s completion, which falls on November 18. TASR writes about it according to an AFP report.
“The entire terrace of the basilica will be accessible,” Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of the basilica, said at a press conference, while today, only one third is accessible to the public. The current “refreshment area” will be doubled to approximately 100 square meters, he added.
The Vatican has previously tried to downplay reports of the terrace cafe, which sparked anger over the potential commercialization of the holy site, AFP writes. The terrace will also host exhibitions, including exhibitions for children, relating to the history, construction and maintenance of the building.
The basilica, a jewel of Renaissance architecture, is visited by about 20,000 people a day, and managing such an onslaught of visitors is a big challenge. The Vatican therefore also announced on Monday a new reservation system for entering the basilica, which uses a network of sensors to monitor the number of people inside.
At the same time, the Vatican launched a new application that will allow pilgrims to watch the mass of Pope Leo XIV. in the basilica in 60 languages through their smartphones.
The basilica contains the tomb of Saint Peter, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ and the first pope. The first stone of the basilica, which replaced the older one in the same place, was laid by Pope Julius II. in 1506 and was completed in 1626.
