St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica is the largest and most theatrical church in Rome, and it works on two levels: monumental scale and intense detail. You come for Michelangelo's dome, Bernini's altar canopy, and the sense that every surface is trying to impress you. The best visitor strategy is to look up, then slow down at the chapels and sculpture rather than treating the basilica as a quick checkbox before the square. It is especially memorable early in the day, when the interior feels spacious rather than crowded.