Saint Peter's Square

Saint Peter's Square is a large plaza located in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The square was redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini from 1656 to 1667 as an appropriate forecourt for the basilica, with the goal of accommodating the largest number of people to see the Pope give his blessing. The square features massive Tuscan colonnades that frame the trapezoidal entrance to the basilica and a colossal elliptical area in front of it. At the center of the square stands the Vatican obelisk, a 25.5-meter tall Egyptian obelisk that was originally erected in Heliopolis, Egypt and later moved to Rome. The obelisk was supported on bronze lions and surmounted by the Chigi arms in bronze, and it has been a central feature of the square since its construction in 1586.learn more on wikipedia