If you appreciate art, architecture, culture and history, and you thirst for more and better information about what you see when you travel, Jane’s Smart Art Guides^TM are for you! The Basilica of St. Peter at the Vatican has been at the center of western Christendom’s political, social, religious and cultural history. It has seen physical and spiritual neglect, the devastating Sack of Rome, Reformations, and papal corruption and self-interest, as well as exemplary spiritual humility. For almost half a millennium, St. Peter’s spectacular dome has been the most recognized of all the domes of Rome. The vast interior could easily overwhelm; but the perfect relationships among architectural components brings it into an accessible frame of human reference. Unexpectedly, the profusion of decorative elements serves to unify the parts, creating harmony rather than chaos. With Jane guiding your appreciation of this magnificent basilica – in the context of its long and tumultuous history – you will come away with a deep and lasting understanding of: important works by Giotto, Michelangelo, Bernini and others; materials and art salvaged from the original 4th C. basilica; five centuries of exemplary sculpture; work in bronze, marble, stucco, mosaic, and gilding; and a fascinating marriage of Renaissance and Baroque architecture. An 8-page booklet includes track list, floor plan, glossary, tips / 11 photographic images. The full narration is 3hrs: 20mins, but you can tailor your tour of the Basilica's interior to your degree of interest and available time – without loss of continuity – from 1¾ to 2½ hours. - Background Context "Slice of History" ... 50 Minutes; - On-site Guide to Piazza & Exterior ... 20 Minutes; - On-Site Guide to Interior ... 100 to 150 Minutes. Winner of the 2005 Communicator Awards, Award of Excellence, and finalist for the 2006 IPPY Award for Travel Guides.

Note: Supplementary materials are not included.