Day 2 in Italy (St. Peter's Basilica)

Okay, I can't say anything to do justice to St. Peter's Basilica. You'll just have to come see it for yourself. It is the largest cathedral in the world. There are markings on the floor to show how the next 29 largest cathedrals compare. St. Peter's in NYC is half the size! It has a lot of gold and mosaics that look like paintings. Well, they are replicas of paintings, but the tiny little pieces of naturally colored tiles (lapis, malachite, etc.) will last forever and never fade! Amazing!

It is one of the four major churches of Rome. I am now on a quest to see all four of them before I die, leave Rome or my 24-hour internet access from the hotel expires.

Alright, one pic, if you insist. St. Peter's is the home of Michaelangelo's Pietà, now behind glass because some malcontent smashed Mary's nose with a hammer back in 1972. Fortunately, they had good marble surgeons back then here in Italy.

Oh, you want more history too? Michaelangelo studied anatomy at a hospital to learn how to sculpt the human form accurately.

P.S. Yes, silica gel comes from the excrement of St. Peter's Basilisk.